In Short
- Clearly define the cleaning services you offer in your terms and conditions to avoid misunderstandings.
- Outline your payment terms, including methods and late payment policies, to ensure smooth transactions.
- Set clear cancellation policies, including notice periods and fees, to manage scheduling and reduce disputes.
Tips for Businesses
Having well-drafted terms and conditions protects your business and sets clear expectations with clients. Include details about services, payments, and cancellations to avoid disputes. Regularly review and update your agreements to reflect changes in your business or legal requirements.
If you offer cleaning services for clients, create a simple set of terms and conditions to form a legally secure contract between you and the client. Ensure that your terms and conditions cover a range of important issues to protect your commercial cleaning business interests and facilitate timely payments. This article is an introduction for those who work in the commercial cleaning industry on what to include in your terms and conditions.
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Services
It is important that your terms and conditions are clear on what services you offer. Often, you attach terms and conditions to a quote, and you should outline the exact services you are providing for a particular client in the quote so that both you and your client understand which services will be provided.
You might consider implementing a contract which uses a master agreement or order form structure. An Order Form arrangement involves a set of consistent terms and conditions that apply to all services, paired with individual Order Forms for each specific job. This structure allows cleaning businesses to maintain standard terms while efficiently capturing unique details for each service request, such as date, location, and pricing.
For instance, a client might sign the terms and conditions once, then submit separate Order Forms for weekly office cleaning or a one-time deep clean of a new property.
Payment Terms
There are several payment structures you might wish to use. Businesses that provide services like cleaning may charge their customers per hour, with the terms and conditions outlining the charge rates per hour of cleaning. Equally, your business may adopt a subscription or fixed fee model, whereby you would provide the same services for the same cost on a recurring basis, or you would provide services on a fixed fee depending on the level of work required.
Regardless of the payment structure used, the terms and conditions must contain additional important information. The terms need to specify:
- how payment needs to be made, i.e., via bank transfer, direct debit or otherwise;
- when payment must be made, i.e., upfront at the time of booking, after the services are provided (at inspection of the work) or, in the case of a subscription, on a recurring basis (e.g., weekly or monthly);
- what happens if payment is not received, i.e., does the owed amount attract interest?; and
- can the business engage a debt-collecting service (at the customer’s cost) to obtain the payment?
Supply of Cleaning Products
To help avoid unnecessary disputes, your terms and conditions can also outline who will be supplying the cleaning materials and sundry equipment.
It is important that the terms are very clear on the inclusions and exclusions of your services. If you will provide the necessary products at a charge, these charges must be specified in your terms and conditions.
Cancellations
Terms and conditions for the cleaning industry often have a cancellation policy.
For ongoing clients, you may want to stipulate a longer notice period in the termination clause, e.g., the terms may require 30 days’ notice for contract termination.
Entering and Exiting Premises
This is one of the practical issues you can cover in your terms and conditions. To avoid confusion, it would be helpful to outline the following in the terms and conditions: how the keys to the premises will be provided, any codes or passwords required to enter the premises, and if there are any pets on the property.
Refunds
You should protect your business’ interests by asking your lawyer to insert a carefully constructed refunds or complaints clause. Some businesses include a no refund policy in their terms and conditions.
However, remember that certain non-excludable guarantees apply under the Australian Consumer Law. If your services are defective or do not meet certain standards, the law requires you to provide the services again or offer a refund.
Key Takeaways
There are always risks as a service provider, regardless of what services you provide. By establishing a strong set of terms and conditions, you mitigate the risks of running a business and cleaning service, ensure timely payment, and avoid customer disputes.
If you are not confident about drafting your terms and conditions, our experienced contract lawyers can assist as part of our LegalVision membership. For a low monthly fee, you will have unlimited access to lawyers to answer your questions and draft and review your documents. Call us today on 1300 544 755 or visit our membership page.
Frequently Asked Questions
When drafting terms and conditions for cleaning services, include details about the services provided, payment terms, and supply of cleaning products. Specify cancellation and refund policies, and address entry and exit procedures for client premises, ensuring all aspects are clear to prevent misunderstandings and protect your business interests.
Payment terms for a cleaning service should outline rates, either per hour, subscription, or fixed fee, and specify payment methods and timing. Include conditions for late payments, such as interest or debt collection, and consider clauses allowing fee increases with notice, to ensure clear financial arrangements with clients.
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