To change cleaning contractor without disruption, check your current contract's notice terms first, choose and brief the new contractor before you give notice, plan a clean handover of keys, access and supplies, and keep close watch for the first few weeks. The aim is no gap in service and no argument over the building's condition.
Step 1: Read your current contract
Find the term, the notice period, any minimum commitment and what you must do to end it properly. Do not give notice until you know these. If the contract is unclear, get advice before acting. Giving notice the wrong way can leave you paying for a service you no longer want.
Step 2: Choose the new contractor first
Do not give notice until the replacement is chosen and has agreed a start date. Use the same discipline as the first time: a written scope, quotes against it and a comparison. How to compare cleaning quotes like for like and what to ask a commercial cleaner help here.
Step 3: Record the building's condition
Before the handover, walk the site with photos and notes. This records the starting condition for the new contractor and protects you if there is a dispute with the outgoing one about damage or missed work.
Step 4: Give notice in the way the contract requires
Follow the contract's method and timing, and keep a copy. Be factual and professional. You may still need the outgoing cleaner's cooperation for keys and access.
Step 5: Plan the handover
Agree with both contractors what changes hands and when: keys, fobs and alarm codes, supplies stored on site, cleaning schedules and any site-specific notes. Remove or reset the outgoing contractor's access on the last day. Make sure the new contractor is inducted on safety and security for the site before the first clean.
Step 6: Overlap or avoid a gap
Aim for the new contractor to start the day after the old one ends. A gap lets the building decline and starts the new contract on the back foot. If you can, arrange a short overlap or a first-visit deep clean to reset standards.
Step 7: Review the first weeks closely
Walk the site after the first visit and again after the first week. Compare against the written scope and raise gaps immediately. A new contractor wants to get it right and early feedback is easy to act on.
What to avoid
- Giving notice before the replacement is confirmed.
- Switching without recording the building's condition.
- Leaving old keys and access active.
- Starting the new contract without a written scope.
If you are thinking about moving to us, we scope your building room by room and plan the handover with you. Book a walkthrough. For the signals that tell you it is time to move, read warning signs your cleaner is underperforming.