Canongate · City of Edinburgh
How to Start a Cleaning Business in Canongate
What you need to know about licensing, insurance and getting started -- specific to Canongate and the wider City of Edinburgh area.
Explore the full Cleaning Business Launch Kit — £22Canongate is as good a place as any in the UK to start a cleaning business -- the trade has few legal barriers to entry. This guide sets out what to sort before your first client visit in City of Edinburgh.
What the rules say
Cleaning is one of the least regulated trades to start in the UK: no general licence is needed for ordinary domestic work, though waste-carrying has its own separate registration rules if you take it away yourself. Public liability cover isn't a legal must-have as a sole trader, but clients and agents routinely ask for it. Employers' liability insurance is the one genuine legal trigger -- it kicks in as soon as you take on non-family staff.
Quick answers
Can I run a cleaning business from home in Canongate?
Yes -- most domestic cleaners are sole traders who travel to clients, so you don't need commercial premises in Canongate to get started.
Do I need insurance to clean houses in Canongate?
It isn't a legal requirement as a sole trader, but public liability insurance is strongly recommended and often expected by clients and letting agents across Canongate and City of Edinburgh. If you ever employ staff, employers' liability insurance becomes a legal requirement.
Do I need a qualification to be a cleaner in Canongate?
No qualification is legally required to start cleaning for clients in Canongate. Industry training such as BICSc becomes more commercially relevant once you're employing staff or taking on larger recurring contracts.
Should I register as a sole trader or a limited company in Canongate?
Most people starting out in Canongate begin as a sole trader -- it's simpler to set up and run. A limited company can make sense later as the business grows; the Cleaning Business Launch Kit covers the trade-offs in detail.