Cott · South Hams
How to Start a Cleaning Business in Cott
What you need to know about licensing, insurance and getting started -- specific to Cott and the wider South Hams area.
Open the Cleaning Business Launch Kit to see everything included — £22A cleaning business is one of the lowest-friction ways to start self-employed work in the UK, and Cott is no exception. Before you take your first booking in South Hams, here's the honest picture on licensing, insurance and what actually gets you clients.
What the rules say
You don't need a general licence to run a domestic cleaning business in the UK. The exception is waste carrying -- if you remove a client's waste yourself, that has its own registration requirement. Public liability insurance remains commercially expected rather than legally required for a sole trader, but employers' liability insurance is a legal requirement from your very first non-family employee onward.
Quick answers
Do I need insurance to clean houses in Cott?
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 Cott and South Hams. If you ever employ staff, employers' liability insurance becomes a legal requirement.
Do I need a qualification to be a cleaner in Cott?
No qualification is legally required to start cleaning for clients in Cott. 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 Cott?
Most people starting out in Cott 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.
Can I subcontract for an agency instead of finding my own clients in Cott?
Yes -- many cleaners in Cott start by subcontracting through an agency or cleaning company before building a direct client base. Either route has different implications for how you're paid and taxed.