When you compare house cleaning companies, you’ll notice that many of them say they are “bonded and insured.” But what does this actually mean? This important information can help you decide which cleaning company you feel most comfortable hiring.
What Does Bonded Mean?
Being bonded gives you a way to collect money if a cleaning company doesn’t deliver on its contract, doesn’t do the work it promised, or steals something from your home. If one of these terrible things happens, you have the right to file a claim against the cleaning company. The bond company holds money secured from the cleaning company and will investigate your claim to decide if you should receive compensation. If the cleaning company you hired isn’t bonded, there is no claims process to address these potential problems. With no neutral party to decide the outcome of your dispute, you are left to fight directly with the cleaning company itself. In the worst case scenario, an unbonded cleaning service could ignore your complaints and refuse to refund your payment or replace your stolen items.
What Does Insured Mean?
Insurance held by a cleaning company is another form of financial protection for you. Insurance covers any injury, health problem, or damage that occurs during the house cleaning. For example, if a house cleaner falls on your property, your property insurance may cover the accident, or it may not. Either way, the burden is on you if the cleaning company you hired isn’t insured and something happens. You could bear all financial responsibility for the accident and have to pay lost wages to the person injured. At the very least, you could find your homeowners’ insurance premiums going up when you file a claim against your policy. When you hire a cleaning company who is insured, these responsibilities are carried by the cleaning company itself. Any claims get filed against the cleaning company’s insurance, not yours.
How to Decide
Ask a cleaning company you are thinking about hiring if they are bonded and insured. Don’t feel strange about it—professional companies expect to be asked. When they’ve made the investment to protect you, it’s usually something they advertise and proactively tell you. At the very minimum, your cleaning company or independent cleaner should carry both liability and worker’s compensation insurance so that they are responsible if things go wrong while they are in your home.
Deciding between hiring a cleaning company that is bonded and insured and one that is not is a question of how much risk you want to take on. Typically, cleaning companies and independent cleaners who are not bonded and insured will be cheaper. While a lower price for their service may be attractive to you, it also means that you’ll be responsible for things that go wrong on the job, such as injuries, accidents and theft. Determine what you are willing to risk and make your decision accordingly.
