Guide
Does a cleaner need insurance or a DBS check? What they mean
Public liability insurance is not compulsory for a cleaner but is standard. Employer's liability is compulsory if they employ anybody. Domestic cleaning is not an eligible role for an enhanced DBS check, so a basic check is the standard one for domestic cleaners.
Public liability: not required, and still the one to ask for
No law requires a cleaning business to hold public liability insurance. Nearly all of them do, typically for £1 million to £5 million, because it covers the thing that actually goes wrong: damage to a customer's property or injury to somebody in it.
Ask to see the certificate rather than taking it on trust. It is one page, it names the insurer, the limit and the expiry date, and an insured business can email a copy within minutes of being asked.
Employer's liability: compulsory, and the one people forget
The Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 requires any business with employees to hold employer's liability cover of at least £5 million. It is not optional and the penalties are substantial.
This is the distinction that matters when you are choosing between a sole trader and a company. A sole trader working alone needs no employer's liability cover and it is normal for them not to hold it. A company sending a team of four does need it, and the same certificate request applies.
What each level of DBS check shows
There are three levels, and which one a cleaner can even apply for is fixed by law rather than by choice.
A basic DBS check shows unspent convictions, can be applied for by anybody about themselves through gov.uk, and costs £18 in England and Wales. Disclosure Scotland and AccessNI run the equivalents.
Standard and enhanced checks show more, including spent convictions and, for enhanced, police intelligence and the barred lists. They can only be requested for roles the law makes eligible, and ordinary domestic cleaning is not one of them. Where a cleaning company mentions enhanced DBS checks, it usually means staff who also work in an eligible setting such as a school or a care home, and it is worth asking which staff the check covers.
What to actually check, in order
The certificate of public liability insurance, with the expiry date on it. Employer's liability too, if anybody other than the owner will be in your house.
Then how the business vets its people, in its own words. Basic DBS, references taken up, right to work checked, and how long the person has worked there are all useful answers, and a good business will describe each in a sentence or two.
Then who holds the key and what happens when they leave. A company with more than a handful of staff will normally have a ready answer.
Common questions
Can I ask to see a DBS certificate?
Yes, and the certificate is issued to the individual rather than to the employer, so they are the person who has it. A date matters as much as a result: a check is a snapshot of the day it was run.
Is my cleaner covered by my home insurance?
Accidental damage by a visitor is sometimes covered and often not, and a claim can raise your premium. Their public liability cover is the policy designed to pay for accidental damage they cause.
Does a trade association membership replace insurance?
No. Some associations require members to hold cover, which is useful, but the insurance policy is what pays out, not the association.