Office Cleaning Contract: What to Put in Writing

An office cleaning contract is short, but the gaps in it cause most of the arguments later. Who has the keys? Who buys the toilet roll? How much notice ends the deal? A clear contract answers those questions before the first visit, and protects both the business and the cleaners if things change.

What should an office cleaning contract include?

An office cleaning contract should cover ten points: scope, schedule, price, VAT, access, consumables, insurance, standards, notice and staff transfer. Each one prevents a specific dispute. Most can sit on one or two pages plus a task schedule.

Our office cleaning service in Dublin works from a written scope like this, priced at €30 an hour with VAT included. Even for a two-hour weekly visit, putting it in writing saves time later.

How detailed should the scope of work be?

Detailed enough that a new cleaner could follow it without asking. List each area, such as reception, desks, meeting rooms, kitchen and washrooms, with the tasks for every visit. Then list periodic tasks separately, with how often each happens.

Every-visit tasks usually include emptying bins, wiping desks and touchpoints, cleaning washrooms and the kitchen, and vacuuming or mopping floors. Periodic tasks include high dusting, skirting boards, inside fridges and microwaves, and carpet extraction. Our guide on how often an office should be cleaned suggests a starting frequency for each.

The HSA’s guide to the workplace regulations says the cleaning method should suit the materials, and that dry sweeping is not appropriate for hazardous dusts. If your premises has specialist floors or labs, name the method in the scope.

How should keys, alarms and access be handled?

Write down who holds keys, how many sets exist and how alarm codes are issued. Each cleaner should have their own alarm code where the system allows it. That gives you a record of who entered and when.

The contract should also cover lost keys and lock-ups. Agree who pays to change locks if a key goes missing, and what happens if the cleaner cannot get in. Ask for keys to be tagged with a code rather than your address.

Out of hours work needs one more line. Say who the cleaner calls if the alarm activates, and whether lights, heating and doors must be checked before leaving.

Who supplies cleaning products and consumables?

Split them into two groups. Cleaning products and equipment are normally supplied by the contractor. Washroom consumables, such as toilet roll, hand soap, paper towels and bin liners, can go either way.

If the contractor supplies consumables, agree whether they are charged at cost or with a margin, and how usage is reported. If you buy them, say where stock is kept and who tells you when it runs low. Dublin Cleaners brings its own products and equipment as standard.

What insurance certificates should you ask for?

Ask for a current public liability certificate before work starts. If the company employs staff, ask for employer’s liability too. Check that the insured name matches the company on the contract and that the dates cover the term.

The CCPC’s general advice for anyone working on a property applies here as well: check that they have their own public liability insurance. A contract can require the contractor to send renewed certificates each year, so cover never lapses unnoticed.

How should an office cleaning contract set out price and notice?

State the price, what it covers, whether VAT is included, and how it can change. Revenue lists cleaning under the reduced VAT rate, which is 13.5%. A quote without a clear VAT line is hard to compare.

Wages set the floor under every contract price. Cleaners covered by the Contract Cleaning ERO have earned no less than €14.80 an hour since 1 January 2026. Citizens Information confirms the national minimum wage rises to €14.94 from 1 January 2027, so expect review requests for the new year.

For notice, some Dublin contractors publish no minimum term and 30 days’ notice, which is a fair benchmark for a small office. Include a clause that lets you end the contract early if agreed standards are repeatedly missed and not fixed. Our breakdown of office cleaning cost in Dublin helps you judge whether a quoted rate is realistic.

Does TUPE apply when you change office cleaning contractor?

TUPE can apply, so add a note on it. The European Communities (Protection of Employees on Transfer of Undertakings) Regulations 2003, S.I. No. 131 of 2003, protect staff when an economic entity transfers and keeps its identity. The Workplace Relations Commission’s guide sets this out.

Where it applies, staff move to the new employer on their existing terms. The Regulations require both employers to inform staff representatives, where reasonably practicable, not later than 30 days before the transfer. Staff cannot be dismissed solely because of the transfer.

The Contract Cleaning ERO adds sector rules. The outgoing contractor must give workers a written statement up to 2 weeks before the transfer date, or at the earliest opportunity if the client has not given 30 days’ notice. It must also give each worker a certificate of service. Giving your current contractor at least 30 days’ notice keeps that process fair for everyone.

Whether a specific change of contractor is a transfer depends on the facts, such as whether a dedicated team works only on your site. If you are ending a long-running contract with a fixed team, take advice before signing with a new company.