Introduction to Housekeeping Contract
A housekeeping contract (also known as a housekeeping agreement) is a legally binding agreement between two parties wherein the housekeeper or housekeeping service business agrees to perform cleaning services for a client. Both parties are required to state their duties, terms, and conditions in this contract, how the work must be fulfilled, and other rules that must be followed by either party.
A well-written housekeeping agreement will assist the parties in ensuring that each party fulfills their obligations following the agreed-upon time frame.
Importance of Housekeeping Contract
In this day and age, every family is busy with their work and they can hardly invest any time in the maintenance of their home. This is when housekeepers come into the picture. They are hired to take good care of the home so that the owners can finish other work peacefully.
A housekeeping contract is signed by both parties to ensure that both of them are on the same page when it comes to duties, rules, terms, and other conditions. It provides an in-depth explanation of the services provided by the housekeepers and the compensation they receive from the homeowners. Every aspect of the workforce's structure and the risk that both sides are willing to take is highlighted.
Different types of housekeeping services
Before you hire a housekeeper as an employee, it's crucial to comprehend the numerous kinds of housekeeping services offered by the housekeeping company. This will enable you to make the best choice for your needs and your financial situation.
Make the best decision by being aware of the many housekeeping service options available as listed below:
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Maid or Cleaner: A cleaner or maid provides a basic cleaning service. They should not be mistaken for a housekeeper. They could work in more industrial cleaning situations or end-of-tenancy cleans. Although they are rarely engaged full-time at a single residence, they may be used for quick, frequent visits to private houses.
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Live-in housekeeper: A relatively common kind of housekeeping service is a live-in housekeeper. They may work for a home either full- or part-time, and as part of the package, they are also given accommodation. A housekeeper is a highly skilled expert who can clean, maintain order, and guarantee the utmost care for your home and belongings. This can be a popular choice for properties seeking flexibility and on-site security because the live-in housekeeper can assist with shopping, cooking, childcare, and safety when the home is unoccupied.
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Live-out housekeeper: A live-out housekeeper may work either full or part-time hours. Like a live-in housekeeper, a live-out housekeeper is a qualified applicant who will clean, organize, manage your clothes, and possibly perform other tasks like cooking, shopping, looking after your pets, and taking care of your children. For homes without the space for a live-in housekeeper and for homes that don't require full-time assistance, a live-out housekeeper is a popular option.
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House manager: The next level of support combines house management and a housekeeper. Here, the housekeeper becomes a house manager and offers further assistance with home management. Along with the usual cleaning tasks, they might have to manage administrative tasks, and domestic schedules, and ensure that the property is well-maintained from time to time. This is highly considered in upscale households with many domestic employees or busy families who need additional assistance.
As an owner, it can be challenging to determine which housekeeping service would be best for you and your demands. Here are some basic pointers that you can consider:
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How big is your property?
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The frequency of visits you require from the housekeepers
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Tasks and responsibilities other than specific cleaning
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Flexibility
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If you require the housekeepers to accompany you on a trip or to take care of your property while you are away
Important elements in a Housekeeping Contract
Cleaning Services Offered
In this section, you must specify the house cleaning services you will provide to the client. For example, vacuuming, mopping, washing dishes, dusting, etc.
Term
Here, you will describe the schedule of the housekeeping service that is decided by both parties. You can also add the start date and the end date of the duration for more clarity.
Payment
Specify the total cost of your services that must be paid by the homeowner, along with weekly or monthly payments. Add other payment-related details such as advance fee, late price, extra visit price, mode of payment, etc.
Performance
Describe the measures used to check your performance at the client’s place. This will act as proof to convince your client that you did your job well.
Types of equipment
List the types of tools that will be used to clean the client’s home. You can also add details such as who will provide the equipment, the cost for all of them, etc.
Indemnification
Include this clause in your contract to ensure that both parties acknowledge their mutual agreement to hold the other party harmless for any losses, harm, or penalties that may arise during the service term.
Termination
This clause describes the circumstances under which the service may be discontinued, which is extremely important in a contract. It addresses the reasons for termination, the parties who may do so, and the consequences of the termination.
Arbitration
Here, discuss how to handle demands and disagreements that may come from either party. Indicate the number of arbitrators, the location of the arbitration, and the applicable law and jurisdiction.
Miscellaneous
In this section, add other details such as governing law, severability, force majeure, assignment information, notice, etc.
Signatures
Online signing is effortless when you include slots to capture signatures and obtain both parties' approval. This effectively seals the agreement and serves as written consent to launch the assignment.
Try Revv’s Housekeeping Contract Template to create accurate documents
Having starting trouble? Revv provides document management and eSignature solutions along with customizable, carefully crafted, and legally valid templates.
The pre-made templates enable you to efficiently and precisely construct contracts without any hassle or errors. Edit the template to meet your needs and add a personalized touch before submitting the contract to the client.
You can search for Revv’s templates from any device, anytime, anywhere. Once you complete your agreements, you can save it for your personal use, download it as a pdf, or print a hard copy of it for further reference.
Strengthen your contract templates with Revv’s advanced document automation features!
Rich Editor
You can alter your housekeeping contract to match your choices using the innate Rich Editor in Revv. It provides a drag-and-drop functionality using which you can add various blocks, such as text, tables, eSignature tags, etc., to the document. Additionally, by connecting the template to Google Sheets, you can import the price fee tables as per the service type.
Form Fields
Repeated information like the name of the housekeeping contractor, the client, the client's address, and so forth will be found in a lengthy contract. You don't have to waste time writing such things again and again. It is possible to convert these repeating fields into form fields, which are fillable placeholders. One of the main benefits is that the repeating field only needs to be completed once; the others will fill in automatically.
Approval Workflows
Revv also makes it easy to get internal permissions on your housekeeping contract before finalizing the arrangement with your clients. Since a contract contains numerous terms, you can assign an approval workflow to one of them. Whenever a modification is made to that term, the workflow will be initiated and the agreement will be sent to the approvers automatically.
Payments
Based on the payment terms, you can pay an advance fee to your client from within the contract. How? By adding your Stripe account with Revv, you may initiate the payment process from the contract directly.
eSignatures
All set to sign the contract? Use Revv's easy, secure, and fast eSignature technology to gather signatures and close the housekeeping contract. All relevant national and international eSignature laws, including the eIDAS Regulation, UETA, and ESIGN Act, are complied with.
Additionally, Revv generates an Evidence Summary that serves as a legally admissible audit trail of the entire signature process.
Notifications
You might keep track of the contract’s status with Revv's automated email notifications. Every time a contract is delivered for review, acceptance, or eSignatures, Revv automatically creates and sends notification emails to both the sender and the recipient. When a document-related action is pending by the recipient, they will receive an email notification to complete it. Once the recipient completes their activity, the sender is notified via email.
Looking forward to an organized home? Sign up with Revv for free and use this template to create an error-free housekeeping contract without any hassles.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write a housekeeping contract?
To write a proper housekeeping contract, add the following sections - Scope of Cleaning Services Offered, Term, Payment, Performance, Equipment, Indemnification, Termination, Arbitration, Miscellaneous, and Signatures.
What is a housekeeping agreement?
A housekeeping agreement is a legally valid contract between two parties - The contractor (housekeeping business) and the client (a homeowner). It states the terms and scope of work that must be followed by both parties to maintain a smooth operation around the home and avoid conflicts.
What are the 4 types of housekeeping?
The four types of housekeeping are - Cleaner or Maid, Live-in housekeeper, Live-out housekeeper, and House Manager.
When hiring or contracting with a cleaning service what kind of agreement should be obtained?
When you are hiring for cleaning services, you must obtain a Cleaning Service Agreement or a Housekeeping Agreement.