Liability Is The Most Important Factor In Hiring A House Cleaning Service

When you finally decide that your day is too long, and you just don’t have the energy to do all those household chores,  and you start your search for a remedy. Selecting a house cleaning service is more important than, say, an insurance carrier, an automobile, or even an alarm service. This is because you are inviting (basically) a TOTAL STRANGER into the house where you and your family sleep, eat, and live. There are very few decisions in life (other than marriage) that adds someone new into your household. But be forewarned, choosing the wrong person or service can be life changing in so many ways.

There are a few things to look for (in order of importance):

1) Is the service licensed with the state and also the local municipality? This is a critical step, since licensing also validates the person who is coming into your house with the governmental agencies.

2) Are the people doing the cleaning actual employees? Or are they independent contractors? This is almost the most important step, because of the definition of employee vs independent contractor. An independent contractor is a separate legal entity as viewed by the State of Florida, and if they are being used to clean your house, you must INSIST that each person have their own liability insurance AND workman’s compensation coverage. A service which employs independent contractors has no insurance that covers any theft and breakage by these workers. Liability coverage by this type of company only extends to people to whom they report as salaried workers on their payroll and pay their employer share of Federal taxes on each.

3) Does the Owner Of The Company Present License & Insurance Information Upon Request? As a homeowner who is bringing outsiders into your home, you should feel safe in your choice. Thereby, asking for legal documents to prove you are dealing with a solid company who is protected (and protecting you), insist on things like proof or State and local licenses and liability insurance. If they don’t, FIRE THEM!

4) Will the same people clean your house every time? This is important to get a properly cleaned house, and also shows that the service has stable, dependable employees. If the people who come to clean each time are different, FIRE the service. When employees are unstable in their employment, and may have personal issues which can affect their work, it is best to find another service. Unstable workers can have their minds on personal issues and increase the likelihood of breakage, but they can also introduce the aspect of theft when they have monetary challenges. A good service pays their EMPLOYEES (not independent subcontractors) well, and treats them like family. People stay around longer, and are more dedicated in doing a great job through the concept of account ownership. This is their account, and they will clean it with pride.

5) What about someone who just works for themself? You can find a literal plethora of people who advertise to clean your home. Just someone who works from home, and advertises a cheap rate. Looks attractive, but you leave yourself open to a wide variety of things (legal, theft, breakage, insurance) that will be far more costly to you in the hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of dollars due to not knowing exactly who is in your home. They could be a wonderful worker and excellent cleaner, but is it worth the risk?

Overall, it is best to do your homework. Ask questions, request papers, and make sure that the person or service you select can pass muster on the items listed above. And if they do, and perform consistently, and cheerfully, you will have a sparkling clean house and be a lot more relaxed.