The Braids · City of Edinburgh
Launch a Cleaning Business in The Braids
Licensing, insurance and your first bookings -- covering The Braids and the surrounding City of Edinburgh area.
Get the step-by-step Cleaning Business Launch Kit — £22Starting a cleaning business in The Braids? Good news: there's very little standing in your way legally. This guide walks through what you genuinely need in place before your first job across The Braids and the wider City of Edinburgh area.
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 a qualification to be a cleaner in The Braids?
No qualification is legally required to start cleaning for clients in The Braids. 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 The Braids?
Most people starting out in The Braids 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 The Braids?
Yes -- many cleaners in The Braids 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.
What should I bring to a cleaning job in The Braids?
Many cleaners bring their own supplies and equipment as standard, though some clients prefer to provide their own. Confirming this with each client in The Braids before the first visit avoids any confusion.