What Is an Office Cleaning Contract?
An office cleaning contract is a formal agreement between your business and a commercial cleaning provider setting out what will be cleaned, how often, to what standard, and at what price. Unlike a domestic cleaner paid informally, commercial contracts are usually fixed-term, specified and priced monthly — which is exactly why it pays to read one properly before signing.
Most UK office cleaning contracts fall into one of two models. Understanding which you're being offered is the single most important question in the whole process.
Specification-Based vs Outcome-Based Contracts
Specification-based
The most common model. You agree a detailed task list — for example "vacuum all carpets daily, sanitise kitchen surfaces twice daily, clean washrooms once daily". The cleaner is paid to complete the tasks, and that's the measure of performance.
Best for: most standard offices where you know what you need.
Outcome-based
The contract specifies a standard to be maintained rather than a list of tasks. The provider decides how to achieve it and is measured on the result — often via audit scores or client satisfaction.
Best for: larger or high-spec sites where flexibility matters.
What Every Office Cleaning Contract Should Include
Ten things to check before you sign. If any are missing or vague, ask for them in writing — a professional provider will have no problem doing so.
A written specification
Room-by-room, task-by-task, with frequencies. This is the document you'll refer to when something isn't done.
Cleaning hours & schedule
Exactly how many hours per week, at what times, and whether it's in or out of business hours.
SLA & KPIs
Service Level Agreement defining measurable standards, plus how performance is monitored and reported.
Pricing & what's excluded
The monthly cost, the hourly rate it's based on, and a clear list of what's not included — consumables, deep cleans, windows, periodics.
Term & notice period
How long the contract runs, the break clause if any, and the notice required to exit — on both sides.
Insurance & compliance
Employer's liability (legally £5M+ minimum), public liability, COSHH documentation, method statements and risk assessments.
Staff vetting & cover
DBS checks where relevant, key-holder arrangements, and guaranteed cover during holidays and sickness.
Review & variation process
How often the contract is reviewed, and how changes (extra floors, new rooms, scope changes) are agreed and priced.
SLAs and KPIs: The Part Most Businesses Ignore
An SLA is what turns a vague promise into something enforceable. A weak SLA says "the office will be cleaned to a high standard". A strong one is specific and measurable:
- Response times for reactive requests (e.g. spillages and one-off tasks) — typically within 2–4 working hours.
- Washroom checks at agreed intervals, with a signed cleaning schedule displayed on site.
- Periodic deep-clean tasks — carpet extraction, high-level dusting, machine scrubbing — done to a defined quarterly or seasonal schedule.
- Monthly or quarterly performance reports, audits and site inspections with the account manager.
- A defined remedy for missed standards — a free return visit within 24 hours, and a credit if it isn't fixed.
How Office Cleaning Contracts Are Priced
Commercial cleaning is almost always priced as cleaning hours × hourly rate, then multiplied over the contract term and split into monthly instalments. According to the British Cleaning Council, the UK average commercial cleaning rate sits around £12.50–£16.00 per hour outside London, and £14.00–£20.00 per hour in London. Expect to pay more for specialist sites (medical, food-handling, schools), out-of-hours work, and contracts with short notice periods.
| Pricing Model | How It Works | Watch Out For |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly rate | A fixed rate per cleaning hour, times contracted hours. | Unrealistically low rates usually mean too few hours to do the job. |
| Fixed monthly fee | One predictable payment covering the agreed scope. | Check what triggers a price increase — and by how much. |
| Per square foot / metre | Price based on total floor area. | Doesn't account for usage intensity — a busy kitchen weighs the same as an empty store room. |
| Task-based / per visit | Charged per clean or per defined task set. | Can be expensive if visits are frequent; better for periodic work. |
The 5 Clauses That Catch Businesses Out
These are the terms most likely to cost you money or lock you in. Read them carefully — and negotiate if they don't suit you.
1. Long minimum terms with auto-renewal
A 36-month term that auto-renews unless you give 90 days' notice is common. Aim for a 12-month initial term with a 30–60 day notice period, and diarise the notice date the day you sign.
2. Uncapped RPI or CPI uplifts
Annual inflation-linked increases are standard, but insist on a cap (typically 4–5%) so your costs stay predictable in a high-inflation year.
3. Consumables billed as extras
Toilet paper, hand towels, soap and bin liners are often excluded, then invoiced at a margin. Ask for a fixed monthly consumables figure or a transparent price list.
4. No guaranteed cover for absence
If the contract doesn't require replacement cover during holidays and sickness, you're paying for a service you don't always receive. Make it explicit.
5. Termination penalties
Some contracts charge the remaining term's fees if you exit early. Check the exit route carefully — a fair contract lets you leave on agreed notice without penalty.
Questions to Ask Before You Sign
- Who is my day-to-day contact, and who is the account manager?
- Which cleaners will be assigned to my site, and will it always be the same team?
- What happens if I'm unhappy with a clean — what's the remedy and how fast?
- Can I see your insurance certificates, COSHH sheets and risk assessments?
- What's excluded from the price — and what would trigger an increase?
- What's the notice period, and is there a break clause?
- How do you report performance, and how often do we review the contract?
How Clarovista Does It Differently
We keep our commercial cleaning contracts simple and transparent. You get a written room-by-room specification, a named account manager, a documented SLA with response times, and a clear list of what's included — no surprise consumables invoices, no auto-renewal traps. Every contract is fully insured, with £10M employer's liability and £5M public liability, and our staff are DBS-checked and COSHH trained.
Whether you're a single office in Stratford or a multi-site portfolio across London and Essex, we'll put together a clear, fair agreement you can actually understand — and back it with our 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Get a Clear Office Cleaning Quote
Tell us about your site and we'll send a transparent, itemised quote with a written specification — no obligation, no pressure, no lock-in.