Letting someone into your home with keys and an alarm code is a serious decision. Most cleaning quotes you'll see in MK are fine — but the cheap end of the market hides plenty of unsafe operators. Here's the eight-point check that takes 10 minutes and protects everything: your property, your insurance, your peace of mind.

1. DBS check — the non-negotiable

A basic DBS check is £18 and takes 14 days. Any company employing more than one cleaner can afford it. If they tell you "we trust our staff" or "they've worked here for years" — that's not a substitute for a current criminal record check. Ask to see the certificate. Real ones look like an HMRC payslip with a clear DBS reference number.

Self-employed solo cleaners often skip DBS to save the £18. Whether you accept that depends on your risk tolerance — but recurring weekly cleaners with key access should always have one.

2. Public liability insurance — minimum £1m, ideally £2m

If a cleaner drops your laptop, scratches a worktop, breaks a window, or floods your kitchen, public liability covers the bill. Without it you're suing a self-employed individual who can't pay.

Ask for the certificate. Real policies show: insurer name (Hiscox, AXA, Zurich, Markel are common), policy number, expiry date, cover amount. If they say "I'll send it later" — they don't have one.

3. References from real customers

Three checks, all easy:

• Google reviews — look for 20+ reviews with full names, recent dates, and detail (not just "great service"). Watch for review bombing patterns: 8 reviews in one week is suspicious.
• Trustpilot — if they have a Trustpilot page, check the response rate to negative reviews. Companies that engage thoughtfully with criticism are honest.
• Direct references — ask for two phone numbers of current customers willing to chat for 5 minutes. Reputable companies will provide them.

4. A written scope & price

Before any deposit, you want an email that lists: services included, services excluded, hours allocated, total price, payment timing, cancellation terms. A two-line text "yeah I'll do it for £80" is not a quote — it's a future dispute.

For one-offs (deep clean, EOT) the email is enough. For recurring work, a one-page service agreement is industry standard.

5. Key & alarm-code policy

Ask: where do you store customer keys? Who has access? What happens if a cleaner leaves the company? Reputable companies use coded key fobs (no address attached), store in a locked safe, and notify customers immediately when staff change.

Red flag: a cleaner who keeps your spare key on the same bunch as their other clients with the addresses written on labels. (Yes, it happens.)

6. Same cleaner each visit

For recurring work, this matters more than people realise. A rotating cast of cleaners means: nobody learns where things go, no consistent quality bar, no one accountable when something gets damaged. Every reputable agency assigns one cleaner per home with a back-up for holiday cover.

If they reply "we'll send whoever's available" — book elsewhere.

7. Eco products & allergies

Standard cleaning products contain bleach, ammonia, fragrance compounds — fine for most homes, problematic for asthma, eczema, pets, young children. Ask:

• Do you use eco / plant-based products as standard?
• Can I supply my own products?
• Are products fragrance-free if requested?
• What do you use for stubborn limescale & oven grease? (Even eco companies use stronger products for those — that's fine, just ask which)

8. Photo sign-off & checklist

Before-and-after photos with a written checklist signed off at the end of each visit is the gold standard. It protects both sides — you have evidence the work was done; the cleaner has evidence of the property's condition. We do it as standard. Most don't. Ask.

Quick screening script (use it on the phone)

How they answer those four questions tells you almost everything. A good company will run through them confidently in 30 seconds. A dodgy one will hedge, deflect, or "get back to you" and never call.

Red flags to walk away from

• Quote feels dramatically below market (under £15/hr in MK)
• No website or social proof you can verify
• Cash only, no invoice
• Won't provide insurance certificate
• Pressure to book "today only" prices
• Multiple recent reviews suspiciously similar in wording
• Refuses to put scope in writing
• "My cousin will do it, don't worry" subcontracting

Common questions