How to become a self-employed cleaner in the UK

1. Check that you will genuinely be self-employed

Being self-employed is about how you work, not what you call yourself. You are usually self-employed if you decide your own prices, choose which jobs to take, work for several customers and can send someone else in your place.

If an agency or company tells you when and how to work, sets your pay and supervises you, you may legally be a worker or employee instead — with rights to holiday pay and the minimum wage. gov.uk explains how employment status is decided.

You also need the right to work in the UK, the same as for any job.

2. Register for Self Assessment with HMRC

Most cleaners start as a sole trader — you and the business are the same thing in law, and there is no company to set up. You must register for Self Assessment by 5 October after the end of the tax year (6 April to 5 April) in which you started.

• You file a tax return online each year — the deadline is 31 January after the tax year ends, and that is also when the tax is due
• You pay Income Tax and Class 4 National Insurance on your profit (income minus allowable expenses), not your takings
• If your self-employed income is £1,000 or less in a tax year, the trading allowance means you may not need to register at all
• Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is being phased in for sole traders above certain income levels — check whether and when it applies to you

For more detail see how to register as self-employed and self-employed tax in the UK.

3. Set up simple records from day one

You need to keep records of everything you earn and spend, and HMRC can ask to see them. A spreadsheet or a bookkeeping app is enough. Keep receipts — photos are fine.

Typical allowable expenses for a cleaner include:

• Cleaning products, cloths, mops and equipment
• Business insurance and your DBS check
• Travel between jobs — you can use HMRC’s simplified expenses flat mileage rate instead of working out real car costs
• Your phone and app costs, in proportion to business use
• Platform commission and card processing fees

4. Get insured

Public liability insurance is not a legal requirement for a sole trader, but most customers will expect it. It covers you if you damage a customer’s property or someone is injured because of your work. If you ever take on staff, employers’ liability insurance becomes a legal requirement.

Read our guide to cleaning business insurance for what to look for, including keys cover.

5. Get a basic DBS check

Customers are letting you into their homes, often when they are out. A basic DBS check shows any unspent convictions, and as a self-employed person you can request one yourself online. See DBS checks for cleaners for the detail.

On Holler, uploading your insurance and DBS certificates in the app gets you a verified badge on your profile.

6. Set your prices

Decide whether you charge by the hour or by the job, and price deep and end-of-tenancy cleans higher than regular cleans. Work backwards from what you need to earn after costs, unpaid travel time and tax — not just from what others charge.

Our guide to pricing cleaning jobs walks through it, and the earnings calculator shows what you take home per job.

7. Find your first customers

Start with people who already trust you — friends, family, neighbours — and ask each happy customer for a review and a referral. Local community groups work well when you post a clear photo, area and price.

You can also list your services on Holler for free. Customers in your area book and pay in the app, and you are paid to your bank through Stripe after the job is done. More ideas in how to get cleaning clients.

Questions people ask

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