Cleaning Contract Template (UK) — Free & Editable

Most cleaning disputes are not about dirt. They are about a contract that never said what "clean" meant, never fixed the hours, and never explained how to leave. This template fixes all three.

What's in the template

• 1. Parties and premisesWho is contracting, and exactly which buildings, floors and areas are covered.
• 2. Services and specificationThe specification is attached as a schedule, not described in prose. It is the document you argue from later.
• 3. Hours and accessCleaner-hours per week, the window in which they're worked, key-holding and alarm responsibility.
• 4. Charges, VAT and consumablesFixed monthly fee, what's included, the rate card for anything recharged, and invoicing terms.
• 5. Price reviewOne review a year, linked to a stated index or to the National Living Wage — never "as notified".
• 6. Standards and remedyHow performance is measured, and what happens on a failure: rectify within 24 hours, then credit.
• 7. Staff, TUPE and vettingTransfer position on entry and exit, right-to-work checks, DBS where relevant, named supervisor.
• 8. Insurance and compliancePublic liability, employer's liability, COSHH, method statements and risk assessments.
• 9. Equipment and consumablesWho supplies what, where it's stored, and who pays for replacement.
• 10. Term, notice and exitRolling term with 30–90 days' notice either side, plus a clean handover obligation.
• 11. Confidentiality and dataCleaners work unsupervised around confidential material. Say so, and bind them.
• 12. Liability and dispute resolutionProportionate caps, and a sensible escalation route before anyone reaches for lawyers.

The three clauses people get wrong

Hours. A contract that states a monthly fee but not the cleaner-hours behind it is unmanageable. When standards slip, you have nothing to measure against. Clause 3 puts the hours on the face of the agreement.

Price review. "Charges may be varied on notice" hands the supplier a blank cheque. Clause 5 limits any increase to CPI or the National Living Wage movement, once a year, with sixty days' notice — which is fair to both sides given that wages are 70–80% of a cleaning contract's cost.

Exit. Twelve-month minimum terms with automatic renewal exist to make leaving hard. Clause 10 uses a rolling term with mutual notice, which is the structure any confident contractor should be comfortable signing.

Use it with the specification template

The contract is only half the job — Schedule 1 does the real work. Download the free cleaning specification template, complete it, and attach it as Schedule 1. Then check your pricing against the UK price guide before you sign.

This template is general guidance, not legal advice. For high-value or multi-site agreements, have a solicitor review it first.