According to Mark Rosell of The Mang Insurance Group, a national survey of insurance companies concluded that 44.6% of all theft claims are derived from house cleaning services. In addition, Mr. Rosell states that most cleaning service companies are under insured – protecting themselves from theft and/or damage of company property but not covering their customers.  These staggering facts should be of great concern to anyone hiring domestic help:

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• Service companies can hire employees without checking backgrounds.

• The Federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) provides a tax credit for employers that hire ex-offenders.

• Background checks are not required in order to purchase bonding insurance.

• House cleaning companies are not required to carry insurance.

• House cleaning companies can carry insurance that only covers the business and it’s internal employees.

• Some maid services hire sub-contractors and have them sign a contract stating that they will purchase their own insurance, clearing the business owner of all responsibility.

 

To ensure that you have an acceptable experience you must do your research before hiring a cleaning company.  My recommendations are:

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• Remember that the fee alone should not determine who you hire.

• Be certain that you feel comfortable with the owner or manager of the cleaning company, as they will be your contact should there be any problems with the service.  

• Inquire about company policies regarding inadequate service, problems with employees and insurance claims.  How long will it be before you are reimbursed for damaged or missing items?  Will you be reimbursed for inadequate cleaning, or will a team be sent to reclean your home, and how long will this take?

• Ask if the cleaning company checks employment and criminal records.  From one hundred applications reviewed we can invite an average of ten for interviews because of a lack of stability in work history and residence, or criminal records.  

• Ask if the company sends maids that are “contract” employees.  Contract employees are "sub-contractors" and therefore the company is not responsible for theft or damage.

• How far back does the company check criminal records?  A ten year background check is the legal maximum in some states; however a twenty year check is more desirable.  

 

Ask for proof of insurance to be sent directly from the insurance company so that you will have a document on hand should an incident occur.  Insist that the insurance certificate is sent to you by the insurance company, not the cleaning company, so that you are certain the policy has not expired.  Here are some coverage guidelines:

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• Bonding insurance can be as low as $1,000 and protects you against theft ONLY if it is a Third Party Bond.  Proper coverage would be a minimum of a $25,000 third party bond.

• Liability coverage insures that any accident will not be charged to your homeowners’ policy ONLY if it is Third Party Coverage.  A minimum of $1,000,000 is desirable for liability coverage.

• Worker’s compensation insures that any personal injury occurring on your property is not charged to your home owner’s policy.

 

If you prefer to hire a private maid then be certain that you perform a criminal record check. Remember that appearances can be deceiving and references can be falsified.

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Next Blog -  "How to Get Your Home Ready to Sell"

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