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How much does a house cleaner cost in the UK?
A house cleaner's price depends on how they charge (by the hour or a fixed price for the job), the size and condition of your home, how often they come, what extras you want and whether VAT applies. Published price guides give different figures and we could not check how they were worked out, so this guide gives no price list and shows how to read a written quote instead.
Last reviewed:What does a cleaner's price include?
A cleaner's price is a mix of several things: their time, any minimum number of hours per visit, the products and equipment, travel, any extras such as ovens or inside windows, and VAT if the business is registered. Two cleaners can quote very different totals for the same home without either being wrong, simply because one has put more of those items inside the headline number than the other.
It also matters what kind of clean you are asking for. A regular weekly or fortnightly clean keeps a home tidy. A deep clean, an end of tenancy clean and a clean after building work are bigger one-off jobs, and they are usually priced differently.
Why this guide does not list prices
We looked at published 2026 cleaning price guides while writing this page. They gave different figures, most did not say how the figures were collected, and we could not check them. That is not enough for us to put hourly rates in front of you: a figure that looks like a benchmark can make a fair quote look too high, or a poor one look like good value.
What we can do honestly is show how cleaners charge, what each way of charging means for you and what to ask. The table gives no prices.
| How the price is built | What you are paying for | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly rate | The cleaner's time in your home | The rate, how many hours they expect, and whether there is a minimum per visit |
| Fixed price for the job | A defined clean from start to finish | Exactly which rooms and tasks are included, and what could make it change [S1] |
| Regular visits | The same tasks every week or fortnight | Whether the rate differs for weekly and fortnightly visits, and what happens if you cancel a visit |
| Products and equipment | Cleaning products, cloths, vacuum and mop | Who supplies them, and whether the rate changes if you do |
| Extras | Ovens, fridges, inside windows, carpets, upholstery | Which extras are in the price and which are charged separately |
| Travel and parking | Getting to you, and parking near your home | Whether travel or parking is added to the price |
| VAT | Tax, only if the business is VAT-registered | Whether the total you are given includes VAT [S1] |
How to read a cleaner's price
Whatever number you are given, work out which of these models it is:
- An hourly rate. You pay for time. Ask how many hours the cleaner thinks your home needs each visit, and whether there is a minimum. A low hourly rate with more hours can cost more than a higher rate with fewer.
- A fixed price per visit. You pay the same for each regular clean. Ask what is covered, and what happens if a visit takes longer than usual.
- A fixed price for a one-off job. You pay for a defined clean, such as an end of tenancy or after-building clean. This is what Citizens Advice describes as a quote, as opposed to an estimate, which is a rough guess [S1].
A simple way to compare any two quotes is to fill in the same line items:
time (hours times the rate) or the fixed price + products and equipment + extras + travel or parking + VAT if charged = the total
If a quote leaves out a line, ask. That may be why the price looks low.
What pushes a cleaning price up or down
- Size of the home. More bedrooms, bathrooms and floors take longer. Say how many of each when you ask for a quote.
- Condition. A home that is cleaned every week is quicker than one that has not been cleaned for a while, or one with a lot of clutter to work around.
- How often. A one-off clean usually takes longer than a regular visit, because the first clean has more to catch up on.
- Type of clean. Regular, deep, end of tenancy and after-building cleans are different jobs. After building work there is usually fine dust everywhere, including inside cupboards and on every ledge.
- Extras. Ovens, fridges, inside windows, carpets and upholstery all take extra time and sometimes extra equipment. Carpet and window cleaning are often done by specialists.
- Products. Who supplies the products and equipment, and whether you need particular products for allergies or special surfaces.
- Where you live. Rates and travel time differ between areas, so compare quotes from local cleaners rather than a national figure.
- Timing. Evenings, weekends and short-deadline jobs such as the last day of a tenancy may be priced differently. Ask for the total before you agree.
- Sole trader or company. A cleaning company may send a team, which can finish a large clean faster, and may be VAT-registered. A business only has to register once its taxable turnover goes over £90,000 [S2].
End of tenancy cleaning
End of tenancy cleans can lead to disagreements, because three people have a view on whether the clean was good enough: you, the cleaner and the landlord or letting agent.
- Price against the right list. Give the cleaner your tenancy agreement's cleaning clause and the check-in or inventory report, so the quote covers what the landlord expects.
- Ask what happens if the landlord is not satisfied. Some cleaners will come back to put right anything they missed. Ask whether they do and get it in writing.
- Deposit disputes. If your deposit is protected and you disagree with a deduction for cleaning, the deposit protection scheme offers a free dispute service [S3]. Photographs taken when you leave help.
What to have ready before you ask for quotes
Cleaners can only price what they can picture. A few minutes of preparation gets you quotes that are easier to compare:
- The type of property and the number of bedrooms, bathrooms and floors.
- Whether you want a one-off clean or regular visits, and how often.
- A list of what you want done in each room, and any extras such as the oven, fridge or inside windows.
- A few photographs of the rooms, especially for a deep, end of tenancy or after-building clean.
- Whether you will supply products and equipment, and any products to avoid.
- Pets, allergies, parking and how the cleaner will get in, including whether they will need a key.
- For end of tenancy, the date you must be out and a copy of the check-in or inventory report.
Give every cleaner the same information, then ask each to put the answers to the questions below in writing.
How to compare cleaning quotes
| What a good written quote should include | Why it matters | What to do if it is missing |
|---|---|---|
| The rooms and tasks described in your words | Confirms the cleaner understood the job | Ask them to confirm it in writing |
| Fixed total, or rate plus estimated hours | A quote is a fixed price and an estimate is a rough guess [S1] | Ask which one you have been given |
| Any minimum hours per visit | A short clean may be charged as a longer one | Ask what the minimum is |
| Products and equipment, and who supplies them | Changes the price and what is used in your home | Ask for it to be stated |
| Extras, and which are included | Ovens, inside windows and carpets are often extras | Ask for each extra to be priced |
| Whether VAT is included | Price may rise once VAT is added [S1] | Ask for a total including VAT |
| What happens if a visit is cancelled or moved | Avoids a surprise charge later | Ask for the arrangement in writing |
| What happens if you are not happy with the clean | Matters most for end of tenancy | Ask whether they will come back to put it right |
| Insurance, and how keys are kept | Matters if the cleaner works while you are out | Ask to see the insurance and agree how keys are held [S1] |
Questions to ask before you accept
- Is that an hourly rate or a fixed price?
- How many hours do you expect each visit to take, and is there a minimum?
- Do you bring products and equipment, and is that in the price?
- Which extras are included, and what do the others cost?
- Does the price include VAT?
- Will the same person come each time, or a team?
- How will you keep my keys, and what happens if they are lost?
- Do you hold public liability insurance? Citizens Advice suggests asking to see insurance policies and checking they will not run out before the work finishes [S1].
- What happens if I cancel or move a visit?
- For end of tenancy, will you come back if the landlord or agent says something was missed?
Red flags on price
- No written price. Citizens Advice says to be wary of a trader who will not put a quote in writing [S1].
- Cash only or everything upfront. Citizens Advice warns against both [S1].
- A price far below the others. It could mean the work is not like for like, or that the trader lacks the skills or experience [S1]. Check that each quote covers the same rooms, tasks and hours.
- Extras that are not explained until the invoice.
- No clear answer about keys or insurance if the cleaner will be in your home while you are out.
Official sources to check
QuoteZila is not affiliated with these organisations.
- Getting work done: Citizens Advice explains quotes, estimates, insurance and paying for work [S1].
- VAT: GOV.UK explains when a business must register [S2].
- Tenancy deposits: GOV.UK explains tenancy deposit disputes and problems [S3].
This page is general information, not professional or legal advice. QuoteZila does not check Gas Safe, WaterSafe, NFRC, NICEIC or other registrations against the register on your behalf: look them up yourself.
Where this applies. Rules, schemes and registers can differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Tenant Fees Act 2019 applies in England. If you live outside England, check with your own council or the Scottish, Welsh or Northern Ireland sources before you rely on anything on this page.
We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.
Get cleaning quotes
Post your job with your postcode and a clear description. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1], and up to five matched local businesses can reply with quotes [QZ2].
Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.
Posting a job is not open yet
See the cleaners page for what to check before you hire and what to put in your job description, or all trades.
Questions about cleaner prices
How much does a cleaner charge per hour?
It varies by cleaner, by area and by the kind of clean, and we do not give a figure here: published price guides give different figures and we could not check how they were worked out. Ask each cleaner for their hourly rate, any minimum number of hours per visit and whether products are included, then compare at least three written quotes.
Is a fixed price better than an hourly rate for cleaning?
It depends on the job. An hourly rate suits regular cleans where the tasks are the same each visit. A fixed price suits a one-off job such as an end of tenancy or after-building clean, where you want to know the total before the work starts. Citizens Advice describes a quote as a fixed price and an estimate as a rough guess, so ask which you have been given.
Why does an end of tenancy clean cost more than a regular clean?
It usually covers more: inside cupboards, the oven, appliances, skirting boards and other areas a weekly clean leaves alone, often in an empty property that has not been cleaned for some time. Ask the cleaner to price against your tenancy agreement and the check-in or inventory report, so the clean covers what your landlord or letting agent expects.
What if I disagree with a cleaning deduction from my deposit?
If you disagree with a deduction from a protected deposit, the deposit scheme offers a free dispute service.
Do cleaners charge VAT?
Only if they are VAT-registered. A business only has to register once its taxable turnover goes over £90,000. Ask whether the price includes VAT and get the total in writing.
Should I supply my own cleaning products?
Either can work, and it changes the price. Some cleaners bring their own products and equipment and include them in the rate, others expect you to provide them. Agree it before the first visit, and say if anyone in the home has allergies or if there are surfaces that need particular products.
Can I get cleaning quotes through QuoteZila?
Yes. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses. You can post a job and up to five matched local businesses can send quotes. QuoteZila is new, so how many reply depends on how many cleaners have joined near you.
Related guides
- Cleaners: how to find and compare local cleaners
- Carpet cleaners: for carpets and upholstery
- Window cleaners: for outside windows
- Plumber cost guide: another guide to reading trade prices
- All cost guides
Part of Cost guides. All services
Related trades
Cost guides
Related pages
- Oven Cleaning Cost: What Changes the Price. What moves an oven cleaning quote: oven type and size, how dirty it is, the hob, extractor and racks, and the cleaning method. This guide prints no price.
- End of Tenancy Cleaning: Cheshire Guide. End of tenancy cleaning in Cheshire is the rooms and tasks you write down. It sits beside the deposit rules, and it is not a duty to hire a cleaner.
Sources
- QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila public pricing line.
- QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila Terms (customers) and app README.
- QZ5: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila honest-status wording.
- S1: Before you get work done on your home, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-10-02. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/
- S2: Register for VAT, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-02. https://www.gov.uk/register-for-vat
- S3: Tenancy deposit protection: disputes and problems, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-21. https://www.gov.uk/tenancy-deposit-protection/disputes-and-problems