Office Cleaning Company London · 2026 Buyer & Contract Guide
Office Cleaning Company London: Services, TUPE & Contract Guide
A professional office cleaning company in London should provide a written cleaning specification, trained operatives, reliable absence cover, account management, quality checks and transparent contract terms. When changing cleaning contractors, TUPE may apply to employees assigned to the existing service, so mobilisation should address employment information, consultation and transfer arrangements early.
The practical guide for London office managers, facilities teams, property managers and procurement professionals appointing, reviewing or changing a cleaning contractor.
This guide explains what should be included in your cleaning service, how TUPE can affect a contractor change, what to put into the contract, how to compare prices and what evidence to demand once the service starts. Last updated: September 2026.
Quick Answer
When appointing an office cleaning company in London, do not compare providers on hourly price alone. Compare the written specification, total cleaning hours, management structure, relief cover, quality-control process, TUPE arrangements, consumables, equipment, escalation procedure and contract exit terms. A cheaper hourly rate can become expensive if the contract is understaffed, poorly supervised or missing essential tasks.
In This Guide
What you need to know before appointing a London cleaning company
Key Takeaways for London Office Buyers
- Start with a written specification. Every room, task, frequency and responsibility should be clear before mobilisation.
- Do not compare hourly rate in isolation. Compare cleaner hours, supervision, cover, products, equipment and the final monthly cost.
- TUPE may apply when changing cleaning contractors. Office cleaning is one of the service areas where a service-provider change can fall within TUPE.
- Absence cover should be contractual. Ask exactly what happens when your regular cleaner is sick, on holiday or leaves.
- Clarify consumables. Toilet rolls, hand towels, soap, bin liners and other consumables may be included, excluded or charged separately.
- Quality should be measurable. The provider should be able to show how the agreed specification is inspected and how failures are corrected.
- Understand the exit before signing. Notice periods, early termination, TUPE responsibilities and final handover should not be left until the relationship ends.
Important: The TUPE information in this guide is general commercial information, not legal advice. Whether TUPE applies depends on the facts of the particular contract and workforce arrangement. Employers should obtain specialist employment advice where the position is uncertain.
Related Citywide Services
Cleaning Services
What does an office cleaning company in London actually do?
A professional office cleaning company should do more than provide an operative and a vacuum cleaner. The provider should translate your building requirements into a defined cleaning programme covering tasks, frequency, access, staffing, quality control and accountability.
For a London office, this normally means balancing presentation, hygiene, staff comfort and operational practicality. A client-facing office in Mayfair, a high-rise corporate floor in Canary Wharf and a hybrid technology workspace in Shoreditch may all need very different schedules.
| Area | Typical Cleaning Tasks | What Should Be Agreed |
|---|---|---|
| Workstations | Accessible desks, furniture, bins, ledges and agreed touchpoints | Whether papers, equipment and occupied desks can be moved |
| Reception | Floors, desk, seating, entrance glass and presentation surfaces | Required presentation standard and daytime touch-ups |
| Meeting Rooms | Tables, suitable surfaces, floors, bins and room reset | Whether rooms must be reset after meetings |
| Kitchens | Worktops, sinks, taps, appliance exteriors, floors and bins | Dishwasher duties, crockery and appliance interiors |
| Washrooms | Toilets, urinals, basins, mirrors, cubicles, floors and touchpoints | Consumables and daytime replenishment |
| Floors | Vacuuming, mopping and routine floor maintenance | Periodic carpet extraction, polishing or specialist treatment |
| Waste | Bin emptying, liner replacement and movement to agreed collection points | Recycling streams and responsibility beyond the internal bins |
| Periodic Work | Deep cleaning, carpet care, internal glass and detailed cleaning | Frequency, price and whether included in the core contract |
The Cleaning Specification
Your written cleaning specification matters more than the sales brochure
The cleaning specification is the operational document that tells the cleaners, supervisor and client what must actually happen on site.
A vague contract saying “clean the office five days per week” creates room for disagreement. A useful specification identifies each area, each task and the frequency at which the task is expected.
A good office cleaning specification should define:
- Which rooms and areas are included
- Which tasks are required in each area
- Daily, weekly, monthly and periodic frequencies
- Cleaning hours and access arrangements
- Number of cleaner hours included
- Products and equipment responsibilities
- Waste and recycling responsibilities
- Washroom consumables arrangements
- Special floor-care requirements
- Quality inspection standards
- Tasks specifically excluded from the contract
TUPE
Does TUPE apply when changing office cleaning company?
It can. TUPE stands for the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations. It protects employees in certain business transfers and service-provider changes.
Acas specifically identifies office cleaning as one of the services where a change of provider can fall within TUPE. This can happen when cleaning is outsourced for the first time, brought back in-house, or when an existing cleaning contract is retendered to a new contractor.
TUPE does not automatically apply simply because the cleaning company changes. For a service-provider change, one important condition is that there is an organised grouping of employees assigned to carrying out the relevant work, together with the other legal requirements.
What TUPE can mean for the client
If you change contractors, the cleaner or cleaning team already working at your office may transfer to the incoming contractor rather than being replaced automatically.
That can affect the commercial structure of the tender because the incoming contractor may need to understand the transferring employees’ working hours, pay, holiday entitlement, length of service and other employment terms.
Employee liability information
Where TUPE applies, the outgoing employer must provide prescribed employee liability information to the incoming employer. Acas states that this information must normally be provided at least 28 days before the transfer date.
Establish whether employees are assigned to the existing cleaning service and whether a service-provider change is taking place.
The incoming bidder needs enough information to understand the workforce and price the contract responsibly.
The incoming contractor confirms mobilisation requirements and works with the outgoing provider on the transfer process.
Relevant employer duties to inform and, where required, consult affected employees should be handled properly.
Site induction, access, equipment, management structure and operational standards should be ready for transfer day.
Contract Terms
What should be included in an office cleaning contract?
A cleaning contract should explain both what will be delivered and how the relationship will operate.
Many cleaning disputes are not really cleaning problems. They are contract-definition problems. The parties never clearly agreed who supplied the consumables, how sickness cover would work, how often inspections would happen or what notice was required to leave.
| Contract Area | What Should Be Clear |
|---|---|
| Service Specification | Areas, tasks, frequencies and exclusions |
| Cleaning Hours | Days, times, cleaner hours and staffing assumptions |
| Price | Monthly charge, VAT, extras and price-review mechanism |
| Absence Cover | What happens during sickness, holiday and vacancies |
| Management | Named account contact, supervisor visits and escalation route |
| Products & Equipment | Who provides chemicals, machinery and routine equipment |
| Consumables | Soap, toilet roll, hand towels, liners and dispensers |
| Quality Control | Inspection method, review frequency and corrective action |
| TUPE | Information, cooperation and transfer responsibilities |
| Variations | How cleaning hours or tasks can be changed |
| Notice | Contract term, notice period and early termination |
| Exit & Handover | Keys, equipment, information and outgoing TUPE cooperation |
Pricing
How much does an office cleaning company cost in London?
There is no universal London office-cleaning rate because the final price depends on the number of cleaning hours, service frequency, location, access arrangements, floor types, washrooms, kitchens, consumables, supervision and periodic work.
Do not ask only: “What is your hourly rate?”
Proof of Delivery
How do you know your cleaning contract is actually being delivered?
“We provide high-quality cleaning” is a marketing statement. A managed cleaning contract should give you practical evidence that the agreed service is being delivered and that issues are corrected.
Ask how often supervisors attend, what they inspect and whether findings are recorded.
A documented review against the cleaning specification gives the client a measurable benchmark.
Ask who owns complaints and how response and corrective action are recorded.
Recurring failures should be visible rather than repeatedly treated as isolated complaints.
Health, Safety & COSHH
What compliance should a London office cleaning company manage?
Cleaning operates inside the client’s workplace but remains a workplace activity in its own right. Cleaning contractors therefore need suitable health-and-safety arrangements for their employees and the tasks they carry out.
COSHH and cleaning chemicals
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations require employers to assess risks from hazardous substances, prevent or adequately control exposure, and provide workers with suitable information, instruction and training.
Changing Cleaning Company
How to change office cleaning company without disrupting your workplace
Changing contractor should be treated as a mobilisation project, not simply a change of invoice. The new cleaning company needs enough time to understand the site, access arrangements, workforce, specification, equipment and management expectations.
Confirm scope and procurement decision
Finalise the written specification, contract terms, potential TUPE position, mobilisation responsibilities and start date.
Exchange operational information
Confirm access, keys, alarms, cleaning cupboards, waste points, risk information, equipment, consumables and relevant workforce information.
Induct and familiarise the team
Complete site induction, final rota, supervisor structure, escalation contacts and cleaning specification review.
Supervised mobilisation
The incoming contractor should actively manage the first service rather than leaving a cleaner to work from incomplete instructions.
Review and correct early issues
Inspect against the agreed specification, gather client feedback and correct any gaps before they become established habits.
Procurement Checklist
16-point London office cleaning company checklist
Use this before appointing a provider. A confident contractor should be able to answer these questions clearly before the contract begins.
| # | Checkpoint | What to Confirm |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Written Specification | Tasks, areas, frequencies and exclusions documented |
| 2 | Total Cleaning Hours | Cleaner hours behind the quoted price are visible |
| 3 | Insurance | Current insurance appropriate to the service and site |
| 4 | Operative Vetting | Recruitment, identity and site-specific vetting process explained |
| 5 | COSHH | Product controls, assessments and staff instruction in place |
| 6 | Supervision | Named supervisor and inspection frequency confirmed |
| 7 | Absence Cover | Holiday, sickness and vacancy cover procedure documented |
| 8 | Account Management | Named person responsible for service issues and changes |
| 9 | Escalation | Complaint process and response expectations agreed |
| 10 | Equipment | Responsibility for vacuums, mops and specialist machinery confirmed |
| 11 | Consumables | Soap, toilet paper, hand towels and liners clearly included or excluded |
| 12 | Access & Keys | Key, fob, alarm and security procedures documented |
| 13 | TUPE | Potential transfer position investigated before mobilisation |
| 14 | Quality Reviews | Inspection and performance-review process agreed |
| 15 | Contract Notice | Term, notice period and termination rights understood |
| 16 | Exit Handover | Information, keys, equipment and TUPE cooperation covered |
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What does an office cleaning company in London do?
A professional office cleaning company provides scheduled cleaning for workstations, floors, kitchens, washrooms, meeting rooms, receptions, bins and shared areas. A managed contractor should also provide a written specification, supervision, absence cover, account support and quality-control arrangements.
How much does office cleaning cost in London?
Published 2026 London guides commonly place routine office cleaning around £25–£40+ per cleaner hour. The final price depends on cleaner hours, service frequency, premises layout, access, washrooms, kitchens, flooring, supervision and specialist requirements.
Does TUPE apply when changing cleaning company?
It can. Office cleaning is one of the services where a contractor change can amount to a TUPE service-provider change. Whether TUPE applies depends on the specific facts, including the workforce assigned to the service and the legal conditions for the transfer.
Can I change cleaning company if TUPE applies?
Yes. TUPE does not prevent a client from changing contractor. It regulates what may happen to employees affected by the transfer.
What should an office cleaning contract include?
The contract should cover the cleaning specification, cleaner hours, service times, price, equipment, products, consumables, absence cover, supervision, quality reviews, TUPE cooperation, variations, notice, termination and final handover.
What happens if the regular office cleaner is absent?
A managed contractor should have a documented cover process for sickness, holidays and vacancies. Ask how quickly relief cover can be arranged and whether cover is included in the contract price.
Office Cleaning London
Review your cleaning contract before the next problem appears
Citywide Cleaning Company provides managed office cleaning across London with written specifications, structured account support and cleaning plans built around the premises.
