Commercial Cleaning Contracts: Protect Your Business and Partnership

Commercial cleaning contracts are essential for protecting your company and ensuring you receive top-notch professional cleaning services. If you don’t have a contract with your cleaning service, you could face an interruption in service or subpar services with little or no recourse.

‌What are Commercial Cleaning Contracts?

‌A commercial cleaning contract is a contract for janitorial services between a business and a company that provides cleaning services. The contract establishes all the key terms between your business and the cleaning company, from pricing to services provided, so both parties know what’s expected. The contract is also a legally enforceable document, so if one party doesn’t meet its obligations under the contract, the other has a remedy. Either the contract will say what needs to happen, or, in a worst-case scenario, the other party can file a lawsuit to enforce the contract.

Why Do Companies Require a Commercial Cleaning Contract?

‌Companies require commercial cleaning contracts so that expectations are clear from the start as well as for peace of mind in many ways:

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A Remedy in Case of Disagreement

A well-written janitorial services contract provides a path for the parties to resolve any differences about what services are expected or other parts of their relationship. If they can’t resolve their differences, the contract should provide a way to terminate the relationship and will help a court resolve any remaining disputes between the parties if necessary.

‌Limit Liability 

Businesses also require commercial cleaning contracts to protect themselves from liability due to the cleaning services. For example, the cleaning contract should limit the business’s liability if a cleaning staff member is injured on the job or if the cleaning service creates a hazard that injures a third party.

‌‌Compensation for Damage

The contract should explain what happens if the cleaning service damages something while cleaning. Depending on the item type, the item’s value, and how the damage occurred, the cleaning service may be required to pay for any damaged items.

‌Confidence in the Cleaning Company’s Professionalism

 A commercial cleaning contract assures the business that the cleaning company is an experienced, professional business. A well-written contract demonstrates that the cleaning company has been in business long enough to understand the potential pitfalls and has taken steps to ensure your satisfaction with its services. When looking for a janitorial service company, you should eliminate any company that does not have a thorough commercial cleaning contract. 

What Should Be Included in a Commercial Cleaning Contract?

‌Key terms to include in the contract include the following:‌

• Names of the parties. Include the full legal names as well as contact information for both parties.
• ‌Pricing. This could consist of an hourly or per job basis and should specify payment terms such as due dates, frequency, and late payments.
• ‌Term. This could be for a certain amount of time, like six months, with options for renewal, or it could be an indefinite period of time.
• ‌Services provided. The contract should carefully specify what services are provided, such as basic vacuuming, dusting, bathroom cleaning, and trash removal, or state whether additional services such as disinfecting high-touch surfaces should be performed. This list should be itemized for clarity and state how often services are to be provided and when. It may also provide information on quality checks.
• ‌Supplies. The contract should specify who provides cleaning supplies and tools, such as vacuums and paper goods, and whether you need particular cleaning supplies.
• ‌Personnel and background checks. Some businesses specify how many cleaning personnel they want on-site, and some require cleaning personnel to undergo background checks to ensure security. 
• ‌Confidentiality. Because cleaning personnel may incidentally see confidential business information while cleaning, cleaning services contracts may include a confidentiality provision.
• ‌Liability and damage. As discussed above, a well-written janitorial services contract should include provisions to limit your liability and protect your business in the case of damage.
• Remedy and termination provisions. The contract should include provisions to explain what should happen in the event one of the parties isn’t satisfied and also explain what happens if you want to terminate before the end of the contract term. 

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