How to go self-employed as a cleaner in the UK

Going self-employed as a cleaner is one of the most straightforward ways to run your own business in the UK. The startup costs are low, the demand is consistent, and you're genuinely in control of your hours, your clients, and your income.

We've seen cleaners come through Vouchee's onboarding at every stage of this process. Some are fully set up from day one, others are still sorting their HMRC registration when they apply. This guide covers what you need to have in place, and when.

Step 1: Register as self-employed with HMRC

The first thing to do is register as self-employed with HMRC. You must do this by 5 October in your second tax year of trading, but doing it immediately is far better practice. If you earn more than £1,000 from self-employment in a tax year, you're legally required to register.

You can register online at gov.uk/set-up-sole-trader. It takes about 20 minutes and you'll receive your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) number by post within 10 working days. Vouchee requires cleaners to be registered before accepting their first booking.

Step 2: Understand your tax obligations

As a self-employed sole trader, you pay tax through the Self Assessment system. Each year you submit a tax return covering the previous tax year (April to April) and pay:

• Income Tax on profits above the personal allowance (currently £12,570)
• Class 2 National Insurance, a flat weekly rate if your profits are above the Small Profits Threshold
• Class 4 National Insurance, a percentage of profits above a set threshold

The simplest way to manage this is to put aside 20–25% of everything you earn into a separate savings account. It's advice that sounds obvious but is genuinely the thing that catches most new self-employed cleaners out in their first year.

Step 3: Get your credentials in order

To work professionally in customers' homes, and to be approved on Vouchee, you need three things:

• DBS certificate. A standard check costs £18 and can be obtained through a registered umbrella body. See our guide to DBS checks for the full process and how to use the Update Service to avoid reapplying for every new client.
• Public liability insurance. Cover starts from around £60–£80 a year for £1,000,000 of coverage. Providers like Protectivity and Simply Business offer policies specifically for domestic cleaners, and the application takes about 10 minutes online.
• Right to work documentation. A passport or biometric residence permit confirming you're legally entitled to work in the UK.

Step 4: Set your rates

Domestic cleaning in the Horsham area typically ranges from £14–£18 per hour for self-employed cleaners. Based on what we see through Vouchee job listings, the majority of customers in the area set their budget in the £15–£16 range for regular cleans. Setting your rate at the low end to get started is understandable, but it's worth increasing it as your reviews build. Clients who find good cleaners are rarely price-sensitive enough to switch for a pound an hour.

Step 5: Find your first clients

Word of mouth is powerful but slow to get started. Platforms like Vouchee connect you with homeowners in Horsham who are actively looking for vetted cleaners, shortcutting the months it can take to build a client base through referrals alone.