/ Contract takeover

Switching Cleaning Contractor in London Without Disruption

Changing cleaning company should not mean a gap in service, a month of complaints or a legal headache. This guide is for London managing agents, block managers, build-to-rent operators, housing association contract managers and office managers whose cleaning contractor is not delivering.

It covers what to check before you serve notice, when TUPE applies and how a Harmony Cleaning contract takeover runs from site survey to day one. We plan to go live within 2-4 weeks of a signed agreement.

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/ Signs to switch

Signs it is time to change cleaning company

You have probably given your current contractor more than one chance already. If these sound familiar, it is time to plan the switch.

  • Entrances that never look finished

    Smeared glass, dirty matting and dusty reception desks: the first thing residents, staff and visitors see.

  • Lifts, stairs and corridors skipped

    Areas away from the front door are cleaned less often than the scope says.

  • Bin stores and kitchens left to build up

    Overflowing bins and smells that return between visits, because the hours or the rota no longer fit the site.

  • Missed or shortened visits

    Cleaners arrive late, leave early or do not turn up, with no cover for holidays or sickness.

  • No reporting or evidence

    Nothing to show leaseholders, directors or senior management about what was cleaned and when.

  • Constant staff changes

    New faces every few weeks, no supervisor visits and an account manager who is hard to reach.

One bad week is a conversation. A pattern of missed visits and repeat complaints is a contract that is not being delivered, and the sooner you plan the switch, the more control you have over the timing.

  • 2-4weeks to go live
  • Week 1site survey and rota mapping
  • 1named account manager
  • 28days before transfer for TUPE staff details

/ Before notice

Before you serve notice on your current contractor

Get the timing right before you terminate a cleaning contract, or you risk a week with no cleaning or two contractors invoicing for the same month.

  • Check the notice period and termination clauses: any minimum term, how notice must be served (usually in writing) and any clauses on TUPE or handing over information when the contract ends.
  • Check whether leaseholders must be consulted. For leasehold blocks in England, a cleaning contract for a term of more than 12 months can be a qualifying long-term agreement. If any leaseholder would contribute more than one hundred pounds a year towards it, a Section 20 consultation is normally needed before signing (Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 20, and the Service Charges (Consultation Requirements) (England) Regulations 2003). Skipping it can cap what is recoverable through the service charge.
  • Line up the budget with your directors, client or finance team, especially if you are changing part-way through a service charge year.
  • Work back from the end date, so the new contract starts the day after the old one ends and the handover happens inside the notice period.

Managing a large block? See communal cleaning for managing agents for the daily on-site model we put in place after the switch.

/ TUPE

Does TUPE apply when you change cleaning company?

Often, yes. The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE) cover a service provision change: when cleaning moves from one contractor to another and the work stays fundamentally the same.

  • Who transfers: an organised grouping of employees, which can be one person, whose main purpose is cleaning your building or office. They move to the new contractor on their existing terms, with continuity of service.
  • Employee liability information: the outgoing contractor must give the incoming one details of the transferring staff, including their terms and any disciplinary, grievance or claims history, at least 28 days before the transfer.
  • Informing and consulting: each contractor must inform affected staff or their representatives in good time, and consult on any changes planned.
  • When it may not apply: a one-off or short-term task, or a mobile team with no one mainly assigned to your site.

Where TUPE applies, Harmony handles it: we request the employee liability information, meet the transferring staff, manage the consultation and paperwork with the outgoing contractor, and bring the team into our training and reporting. See the guidance from Acas on TUPE and GOV.UK on business transfers.

This is general information, not legal advice. Whether TUPE or Section 20 applies depends on your contract and site, so check your position with a solicitor or HR adviser.

/ Handover

How the handover works, week by week

Once the agreement is signed, the handover follows the same steps for a residential block, a build-to-rent scheme or an office.

  1. 01

    Week one: site survey and rota mapping

    We walk every core, floor, bin store and washroom with you and turn it into a written scope and rota.

  2. 02

    Week one: mobilisation plan shared

    A cleaning mobilisation plan sets out each handover task, who owns it and the dates through to day one.

  3. 03

    TUPE, insurance, RAMS and SLA pack

    TUPE is handled where it applies, and your contractor file is supplied upfront.

  4. 04

    Keys, access and go-live

    Keys, fobs, alarm codes and a cleaner's cupboard are handed over and checked before the first shift.

We plan to go live within 2-4 weeks of a signed agreement. The start date also depends on the notice period on your current contract and, where TUPE applies, on when the employee liability information arrives, so we confirm timings after the survey.

/ Day one

What you have on day one

On day one you should not be chasing paperwork. Before the first shift you will have:

  • A contractor file: insurance documents, risk assessments and method statements (RAMS) and COSHH records for every product used on site.
  • A service level agreement setting out the scope, frequencies, standards and how performance is reviewed.
  • A written scope and rota showing which areas are cleaned, and when.
  • Visit reporting from the first shift, flagging damage, leaks, fly-tipping or anything else that needs your attention.
  • A named account manager who visits regularly, checks standards and is your single point of contact.

It is the evidence leaseholders and directors ask for, and what a facilities team expects before the first office cleaning shift.

/ Telling residents

Telling residents or staff about the change

Tell people before the switch, not after. A short notice on the noticeboard, resident app or staff intranet about a week before the start date is usually enough. Adapt this one:

New cleaning contractor from [date]
From [date], [the communal areas / the office] will be cleaned by Harmony Cleaning. You will see a new team working to [the same / an updated] cleaning schedule. Please report anything that needs attention to [your usual contact] as before. Thank you for your patience during the changeover.

If the current cleaners are transferring under TUPE, say so: residents and staff may see familiar faces in a new uniform.

/ Risks

Risks at handover and how they are handled

  • Missed or doubled cleans: the start date is fixed against the day the old contract ends, so the plan has no gap and no overlap.
  • Lost keys and access: keys, fobs, passes and alarm codes are listed and checked at handover, so you know who holds what.
  • Lost site knowledge: bin days, problem areas and access rules are captured in the week one survey, not left in the outgoing team's heads.
  • Inherited staff on different terms: transferring staff keep their existing terms, and we plan for that from the employee liability information.
  • An unhelpful outgoing contractor: if information or keys are slow to arrive, we raise it early through you, using the contract terms and the TUPE deadlines.

Ready to plan a switch? Use the quote form to book a no-obligation site survey, email admin@harmony-cleaning.co.uk or call 020 8092 8835.

/ FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much notice should we give our current cleaning contractor?

Whatever your contract says. Check the notice period, any minimum term and how notice must be served, then start the new contract the day after the old one ends. If a clause is unclear, take advice before serving notice.

How long does it take to switch cleaning contractor?

We plan to go live within 2-4 weeks of a signed agreement, with the site survey, rota mapping and mobilisation plan in week one. The notice period on your current contract also affects the start date.

Will our current cleaners transfer to Harmony?

If TUPE applies, usually because a cleaner or team is mainly assigned to your site, they transfer on their existing terms. We handle the consultation and paperwork with the outgoing contractor.

What if the outgoing contractor will not share information?

They must provide employee liability information at least 28 days before a TUPE transfer, and your contract may oblige them to hand over keys and site information. We raise any delays early, through you as the client.

Do leaseholders need to be consulted before we change cleaning contractor?

Sometimes. In England, a cleaning contract for more than 12 months can be a qualifying long-term agreement needing Section 20 consultation if any leaseholder would contribute more than one hundred pounds a year. Check with your solicitor before signing.

Can you start mid-month?

Yes. The start date follows the end of your current contract, not the calendar, so a handover can happen mid-month or part-way through a service charge year.

/ Related reading

Related reading