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Start a cleaning business
Cleaning is one of the quickest trades to start legally in the UK. There is no cleaning licence to apply for, so once you are registered with HMRC and insured you can take on work.
The parts people miss are the ones that matter: COSHH for the chemicals you use, the right public liability cover, and waste carrier registration if you take rubbish away. Getting these right is what separates a proper business from a risky one.
This page sets out the current facts. We can then handle the registrations and setup with you so it is done properly from day one.
What you need to start a cleaning business.
The steps, in the right order. We do every one of them with you.
- 01
Register with HMRC
Register as a sole trader for Self Assessment, or set up a limited company if that suits you better. This is what legally allows you to trade and report your income. Do it within the HMRC deadline once you start.
- 02
Sort your insurance
Arrange public liability cover before your first job, at the level your clients will expect. If you plan to employ anyone, add employers' liability, which is legally required.
- 03
Complete a COSHH assessment
Carry out a COSHH risk assessment for the products you use, keep the safety data sheets, store chemicals in their original containers, and record any training. Register as an upper tier waste carrier with your regulator if you will remove waste from client sites.
- 04
Set up bookkeeping and MTD
Keep records of income and expenses from day one. Track mileage, products and equipment so your tax return is straightforward, and check whether Making Tax Digital for Income Tax applies to you based on turnover.
- 05
Build a website and Google Business Profile
Set up a simple website with your services and area, and create a free Google Business Profile so local searches find you. Reviews on the profile are a strong driver of domestic work.
- 06
Set up bookings and a local number
Give people an easy way to book or request a quote, and use a phone number or messaging that you can answer reliably. Consistent, quick replies win more jobs than anything else early on.
What you do and don't need a licence for.
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Cleaning-specific licence · No, there is no specific licence to clean
There is no cleaning trade licence in the UK. You can start trading once you have registered with HMRC. The real legal obligations are health and safety, chemical handling and insurance rather than a permit.
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COSHH compliance (hazardous chemicals) · Yes in practice, where your work could affect others
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations apply because many cleaning products such as bleach, ammonia and descalers are classed as hazardous. Since 2015, health and safety duties fall on the self-employed where the work could pose a risk to others, which covers most cleaning done in clients' homes and offices. You should carry out a COSHH risk assessment, keep the manufacturer safety data sheets, store chemicals in their original labelled containers, and train anyone who uses them. There is no permit to buy the products, but the assessment and records are the legal duty.
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Waste carrier registration · Sometimes, only if you remove waste from sites
If you regularly take away waste from client premises, for example after a clearance or end-of-tenancy job, you are carrying someone else's waste and must register as an upper tier waste carrier. In England this is with the Environment Agency and there is a fee, currently £154 for three years. Carrying only waste you produce yourself is lower tier and free. The regulator differs in Scotland (SEPA), Wales (Natural Resources Wales) and Northern Ireland. Ordinary domestic cleaning that leaves the rubbish with the client does not need it.
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VAT registration · Only above the threshold
You must register for VAT once your taxable turnover passes the VAT registration threshold in any rolling 12 month period, which is currently £90,000. Below that it is optional. Many small cleaning businesses stay under it for some time.
Insurance. Public liability insurance is not a legal requirement for a sole trader, but most domestic and commercial clients expect it and many will not let you on site without it. Cover of £1m to £2m is common for domestic work, while councils, building managers and larger contracts often require £5m. If you hold keys or work unsupervised in clients' homes or offices, ask your insurer about treatment and key cover. The moment you employ anyone, employers' liability insurance becomes a legal requirement.
Starting a cleaning business: FAQs.
Do I need a licence to start a cleaning business in the UK?
No, there is no specific cleaning licence in the UK. You can start trading once you are registered with HMRC. Your legal duties are around health and safety, COSHH for hazardous chemicals, and insurance, plus waste carrier registration if you remove waste from client sites.
Do I need insurance to run a cleaning business?
Public liability insurance is not legally required for a sole trader, but most clients expect it and many will not let you start without proof of cover. If you employ anyone, employers' liability insurance is a legal requirement.
How much does it cost to start a cleaning business?
Often around £300 to £1,000 to get going, though it varies. A domestic round can start at the lower end with basic kit, products and insurance, while adding a vehicle, commercial machines or staff increases it.
How fast can I start cleaning?
Quickly. Because there is no licence to wait for, you can be trading within days once you have registered with HMRC, arranged public liability cover and completed a COSHH assessment for your products.
A small setup, then a companion for as long as you are trading.
You pay once to get the whole business set up properly. Then a simple monthly fee keeps your AI working alongside you for as long as you're trading.
We set the whole business up with you, properly, from day one. Registration, insurance, website, bookings, the lot.
- Registered and legally trading
- Insurance sorted for your trade
- A real website that ranks locally
- Google Business Profile, live on the map
- Online bookings and card payments
- A local phone number that rings your mobile
Stays with you for as long as you are trading. Logs your jobs, chases your money, reminds your customers, and tells you when to raise prices or hire.
Cancel any time. Your data is always yours to export.
Be among the first and keep founding-member pricing for as long as you stay subscribed.
Most services drop you the moment you're registered. Ours never does.
Your AI knows your business from its very first day, because it was there when you started it. It never asks you to explain yourself twice. As you grow, it's the one place you go: today's jobs, what's been paid, customer replies, your next move.
And it's yours. Everything we hold, you can see and export any time. We earn your stay by being useful, not by locking the door. For anything that needs a qualified accountant or adviser, we flag it and connect you to a trusted partner.