What Type of Insurance Does a House Cleaner Need?

Maintaining the cleanliness of residential homes and providing squeaky-clean excellence is what independent and self-employed professional house cleaners do. 

From scouring bathroom fixtures, cleaning kitchen surfaces, and vacuuming and mopping floors to dusting furniture, polishing shelves and picture frames, and decluttering a busy home, house cleaners and housekeepers are essential to countless Canadian households.

Data from Statista notes the revenue for professional household cleaners in Canada is projected to reach almost US$1 billion in 2024, and it’s anticipated the market will grow annually by 3.28% through to 2028.

While the market opportunity is on the rise, professional residential cleaners should be aware of their liability risks and have a customized cleaning business insurance policy to offset the threat of expensive accidents or claims made against them by their customers.

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5 House Cleaner Insurance Liability Risks

While professional house cleaning doesn’t seem like a high-risk profession, all professions have liability risks. Even if you’re starting a cleaning business, here are five risks house cleaners face:

1. Slip and fall accidents

Wet floors make for slick surfaces. If a customer or visitor to their home wipes out on a freshly mopped floor and is injured, you may be liable for their medical expenses.

2. Third-party property damage

Accidents do happen even to the most cautious house cleaners. For example, if you accidentally break a lamp or valuable item belonging to the owner while going about your duties, or if a cleaning solution you use damages flooring or furniture, you can be held accountable to pay for repairing or replacing the item.

3. Accusations of theft

If property belonging to a customer goes missing following a cleaning session, you may be accused of theft. You may face liability and reputational damage even if you’re not responsible for the missing item.

4. Third-party bodily injuries

If a cleaning product you use in a customer’s home causes them to suffer an allergic reaction or illness, you can be liable for their medical fees.

5. Theft of or damage to your equipment

The tools and equipment you use to do your job could be stolen or damaged by fire or water. Replacing these items can be expensive.

What Does Liability Insurance for House Cleaners Include?

An insurance policy for professional cleaners is customized to suit your services, equipment, and overall liability risks. 

Most policies include the following coverages:

• General liability insurance: General liability insurance covers third-party property damage and third-party bodily injury claims. For example, you knock an expensive vase off an end table and break it while vacuuming. General liability insurance is designed to pay to replace the broken vase.

• Tools and equipment insurance: Tools and equipment insurance covers repairing or replacing the tools and equipment you own or rent to do your job. From mops and buckets to vacuums and steam cleaners, if these items are stolen, vandalized, or damaged unexpectedly in a fire, for example, this type of insurance is designed to cover the cost of replacing them.

There may be other types of insurance your policy requires, such as:

• Commercial auto insurance: If you drive your vehicle to customer locations, you need a commercial auto insurance policy to protect your vehicle from damages if you get into a collision. Most personal car insurance policies don’t cover damage to vehicles used for business purposes.

• Commercial crime insurance: Commercial crime coverage may be a valuable add-on to your overall cleaning business insurance policy, particularly if you have employees. It covers internal theft, fraud, forgery, and employee dishonesty. It also covers third-party crime if an employee steals or is accused of stealing from a customer.

• Pollution liability insurance: Professional cleaners often use chemical cleaning solutions. If the cleansing agents you use cause property damage or trigger illnesses in customers or others, pollution liability insurance can cover those expenses.

• Commercial property insurance: If you have an office, storefront, or warehouse for your cleaning business, commercial property insurance is necessary to cover you for damages to that workplace, your business contents in it, and inventory from damages caused by fire, water, a natural disaster, theft, and vandalism.

Speak to a licensed Zensurance broker if you have questions or concerns about what your tailored policy should contain.

How to Get Low-Cost House Cleaner Liability Insurance

Getting the low-cost cleaning business insurance you need to protect your finances and reputation and help your business grow is easy through Zensurance. 

Fill out our online application for a free quote.

Let our knowledgeable insurance brokers find the policy you need, customize it to suit your budget and requirements, and provide you with a certificate of insurance to show your customers so they know you’re a responsible, reliable cleaning professional who never misses a spot.