Compiled by CleanerContracts from the sources listed below, checked on 5 November 2026. We sell the templates linked on this page.
Cleaning business insurance in the UK (2026): what you need and what it costs
Public liability insurance is not a legal requirement for a UK cleaner, but most clients and agencies expect it. Employers' liability insurance is a legal requirement as soon as you employ someone, with at least £5 million of cover from an authorised insurer. Loss of keys and equipment cover are optional extras worth considering. Reported public liability prices for a sole cleaner start from around £55 to £70 a year.
Which insurance does a cleaning business need?
The only cover the law requires is employers' liability, and only once you employ staff. Everything else is a business decision, but public liability is the cover clients ask about first, because it pays out if you accidentally damage their property or injure someone while you work.
| Cover | Legally required? | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Public liability | No | Claims for injury or damage to property caused by your work |
| Employers' liability | Yes, once you employ staff | Claims from employees injured or made ill at work |
| Loss of keys | No | Replacing locks, keys or passcards if client keys are lost or stolen |
| Tools and equipment | No | Theft, loss or damage to your cleaning kit |
| Legal expenses | No | Legal costs such as disputes and tax investigations |
| Personal accident | No | Lost income and costs if you are injured and cannot work |
Employers' liability: the legal requirement
GOV.UK says you must have employers' liability insurance as soon as you become an employer, with cover of at least £5 million from an authorised insurer. You can check an insurer is authorised on the Financial Conduct Authority register.
You can be fined £2,500 for every day you are not properly insured. You must also make the certificate available to employees, for example at work or online, and show it to inspectors when asked, or face a fine of £1,000.
There are exemptions, including when the only people you employ are close family members, but HSE says this family exemption does not apply to family businesses incorporated as limited companies. If you work alone with no staff you do not need it, but check again before you take anyone on, even part-time or for a single job. Staff also have to be paid at least the minimum wage: the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71 an hour from April 2026.
Public liability: not compulsory, but expected
No law makes public liability compulsory, but letting agents, commercial clients and many households will not book a cleaner without it. Simply Business describes it as the minimum most cleaners have, and notes some clients insist on it.
Common limits are £1 million, £2 million and £5 million. Commercial contracts sometimes set a minimum, so check before you quote. Keep your certificate where you can send it to a client the same day they ask.
Loss of keys and other extras
If you hold client keys, loss of keys cover is worth pricing. It is usually an extension rather than part of standard public liability. Tradesman Saver, for example, offers it as an optional extra with a limit of £50,000, covering replacement keys, locks and passcards, but excluding keys lost through negligence or deliberate damage.
Tools and equipment cover is useful if you carry expensive kit such as vacuums or carpet machines in your vehicle. Check whether the policy covers equipment left in a vehicle overnight, as many have conditions. Our guide to key holding covers how to look after keys so you are less likely to need to claim.
What does cleaning insurance cost?
Prices depend on the work you do, your turnover, staff numbers, claims history and the limits you choose. These are prices published by insurers for 2026.
| Example | Reported price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Public liability, from price | From £5.63 a month | Simply Business, up to £2 million cover |
| Sole domestic cleaner, £1 million public liability | £68.97 a year | Simply Business example quote, May to June 2026 |
| Cleaner package, £1 million public and products liability | From £55 a year | Tradesman Saver, one person, extras priced separately |
| Small business, 4 employees, £10 million employers' and £1 million public liability | £1,095.77 a year | Simply Business example quote, May to June 2026 |
| Loss of keys extension | Quote only | Tradesman Saver, £50,000 limit |
How to choose a policy
Insurance is one of the costs to build into your prices. The guide to how much to charge for cleaning shows how to include it, and the complete guide to starting a cleaning business covers the rest of your setup.
- Check the insurer or broker is authorised on the Financial Conduct Authority register
- Match the public liability limit to what your clients and contracts ask for
- Add employers' liability before your first employee starts, not after
- Read the exclusions, especially for keys, damage to the property you are working on and chemicals
- Check the excess on each section of cover
- Tell the insurer about every type of work you do, including end of tenancy and commercial cleans
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Frequently asked questions
Is insurance a legal requirement for cleaners in the UK?
Only employers' liability, and only once you employ staff. Public liability is not compulsory, but most clients and agencies expect you to have it.
Do I need employers' liability if I work alone?
No, not if you have no employees. You need it from the day you take anyone on, unless an exemption applies, such as employing only close family members in a business that is not a limited company. HSE says the family exemption does not apply to family businesses incorporated as limited companies.
How much public liability cover should a cleaner have?
£1 million is a common starting point for domestic cleaners. Commercial clients and letting agents sometimes ask for £2 million or £5 million, so check what your contracts require.
Does public liability cover lost client keys?
Usually not. Loss of keys is normally a separate extension with its own limit and exclusions, so check the policy wording if you hold keys.
How much does cleaning insurance cost?
Insurers publish starting prices of around £55 to £70 a year for a sole cleaner with £1 million public liability. Adding staff, higher limits and extras increases the price.
Sources
- Employers' liability insurance, GOV.UK
- Employers' liability insurance: a guide for employers (HSE40), Health and Safety Executive
- Cleaners insurance, Simply Business
- Loss of customer keys insurance, Tradesman Saver
- National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates, GOV.UK
- Financial Services Register, Financial Conduct Authority
- Employers' liability (compulsory insurance) Act 1969: a brief guide for employers (HSE40), Health and Safety Executive
Get paid. Keep your keys. Stay protected.
Service terms, key-holding and cancellation rules signed before the first clean, so a dispute is settled by what you both agreed.
A cleaning business clients trust with their keys.
These articles are general guidance for UK self-employed cleaners and small cleaning businesses, not legal or tax advice. Our forms are editable templates and a starting point: adapt them to your own jobs, your insurer's terms and your clients' requirements.