How much does house cleaning cost in the UK?
House cleaning costs £18 on average in the UK. Most jobs fall between £15 and £25 per hour. Type of clean: Regular weekly or fortnightly clean £15 to £20, One-off or spring clean £18 to £25, Deep clean or end of tenancy £20 to £25. Prices reviewed September 2026.
Regular house cleaning in the UK usually costs £15 to £25 per hour, with most people paying around £18. A one-off deep clean is priced per job by size, typically £150 to £300 for a whole house.
House cleaning cost calculator
Use the calculator to price your house cleaning in 2026. Adjust the options and area for a UK cost range. Nothing is sent anywhere.
House cleaning cost breakdown
Typical house cleaning costs, by option:
| Type of clean | Typical UK cost |
|---|---|
| Regular weekly or fortnightly clean | £15 to £20 |
| One-off or spring clean | £18 to £25 |
| Deep clean or end of tenancy | £20 to £25 |
What's included in the price?
Typical house cleaning prices include:
- Vacuuming and mopping floors throughout
- Dusting surfaces, skirting boards and fittings
- Cleaning and wiping down the kitchen, including worktops and hob
- Cleaning the bathroom, including toilet, basin, bath and shower
- Emptying bins and general tidying
- Changing bed linen and light laundry where agreed
What changes the price?
The things that move house cleaning prices most:
Whether it is a regular clean or a one-off deep clean
The size of the home and number of rooms
How often the clean is booked, weekly, fortnightly or one-off
A self-employed cleaner versus an insured agency
The condition of the home and how much has built up
Your region, with London and the South East charging more
These are why two quotes for the same job can differ, and the only way to know your price is to get prices from local firms (through Bark; we may earn a fee, at no extra cost to you).
How the price is built up
The price is built on the cleaner's time, so the hourly rate is the starting point. A regular clean of a typical home is 2 to 3 hours, which at £15 to £25 per hour lands most visits between £40 and £70. A deep clean is quoted per job because it takes far longer, usually most of a day, so a whole-house deep clean runs £150 to £300 and more for a large property. What lifts the rate towards the top is an insured agency rather than a self-employed cleaner, a London postcode, and a home that has not been cleaned in a while and needs extra hours the first time. House cleaning is almost entirely labour. You are paying for the cleaner's time, with materials being a few pounds of cleaning products and, on a deep clean, the odd specialist product. Some cleaners include their own products in the rate, while others ask you to supply them, which can shave a little off the hourly price.
Ways to keep the cost down
- Book a regular slot rather than one-off cleans. Weekly or fortnightly visits are usually quoted at the lower £15 to £18 per hour, while one-offs sit nearer the top of the range.
- Use a self-employed local cleaner rather than an agency if you do not need the insurance and sickness cover, as independents often charge £3 to £6 less per hour.
- Have a tidy before the cleaner arrives so their hours go on actual cleaning rather than clearing clutter, which can keep a visit to 2 hours instead of 3.
- Supply your own cleaning products where the cleaner is happy to use them, as it can trim a little off the hourly rate.
Does where you live change the cost?
In London, house cleaning typically costs around £20 per hour, about 20% above the UK average of £18. In the North, Scotland and Wales the guide figure is nearer £15.
| Region | From | Typical | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midlands / East (UK average) | £15 | £20 | £25 |
| London | £20 | £20 | £30 |
| South East / South West | £15 | £20 | £25 |
| North / Scotland / Wales | £15 | £15 | £25 |
Guide prices per hour, scaled with the same regional multipliers as the calculator. Not quotes.
House cleaning cost in major UK cities
| City | From | Typical | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast | £15 | £15 | £25 |
| Birmingham | £15 | £20 | £25 |
| Bristol | £15 | £20 | £25 |
| Cardiff | £15 | £15 | £25 |
| Edinburgh | £15 | £15 | £25 |
| Glasgow | £15 | £15 | £25 |
| Leeds | £15 | £15 | £25 |
| Liverpool | £15 | £15 | £25 |
| London | £20 | £20 | £30 |
| Manchester | £15 | £15 | £25 |
| Newcastle | £15 | £15 | £25 |
| Sheffield | £15 | £15 | £25 |
City guide estimates, scaled by local labour costs. Indicative averages for house cleaning, not quotes.
In London and the South East, figures run around £20 to £25 per hour, while much of the North and Midlands sits closer to £15 to £18.
Compare this with a real quote
The figures above are guide prices. Two or three quotes for your house cleaning tell you what it costs where you live.
Free and no obligation. You answer a few questions on Bark, local pros get in touch, and you decide who, if anyone, to hire. We may earn a fee, at no extra cost to you.Common questions
How much does house cleaning cost per hour?
Regular house cleaning costs about £15 to £25 per hour in 2026, with most people paying around £18. London and the South East sit at the top, around £20 to £25 per hour, while much of the North and Midlands is closer to £15 to £18. A regular clean of a typical three-bed home takes 2 to 3 hours, so a single visit usually works out at £40 to £70.
How much does a deep clean of a house cost?
A one-off deep clean is priced per job rather than per hour, because it takes far longer than a regular tidy. A one-bed flat usually costs £100 to £160, a two or three-bed house £180 to £300, and a four or five-bed home £300 to £450. End of tenancy cleans are priced the same way and sit at the higher end, since they have to meet a checklist for the deposit.
What changes the price of a house clean?
The main things are the size of the home, how often you book, and whether you use a self-employed cleaner or an insured agency. A regular weekly or fortnightly slot is cheaper per hour than a one-off, a bigger house needs more hours, and an agency costs more than an independent because the price covers insurance, cover for sickness and vetting. Condition matters too: a home that has not been cleaned in a while needs extra hours the first time.
Is a self-employed cleaner cheaper than an agency?
Usually, yes. A self-employed local cleaner typically charges £15 to £20 per hour and keeps the whole fee, so there is less overhead in the price. An agency charges £18 to £25 per hour, and the extra covers public liability insurance, a replacement if your cleaner is off sick, and background checks. If you want that cover, the agency premium buys it; if you are happy to vet someone yourself, the independent is cheaper.
How often should I have my house cleaned?
Most households book a regular clean weekly or fortnightly, which keeps on top of dust and grime and keeps each visit short at 2 to 3 hours. A monthly clean works for smaller or tidier homes, but each visit takes longer because more has built up. A one-off deep clean once or twice a year, on top of the regular slot, handles the jobs a normal clean skips, such as inside the oven, behind appliances and along skirting boards.
Is a professional clean worth it, or should I do it myself?
Doing it yourself saves the whole hourly fee, since house cleaning is almost all labour and very little in materials. The trade-off is your time: a clean that takes a professional 2 to 3 hours often takes longer without their kit and routine. Paying £40 to £70 for a regular visit buys back that time, which is why cleaning is one of the most common jobs people hand over. For a deep clean, the extra hours and the finish usually make the £150 to £300 worth it.
How does the minimum wage affect what a cleaner costs?
It sets the least an agency must pay the cleaners it employs, not the price you pay. From 1 April 2026 the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71 an hour, and gov.uk lists agency workers among those entitled to the minimum wage. The agency's hourly price has to cover that wage plus employer costs, insurance and a margin, which is why agency rates start around £18. Self-employed people running their own business are not entitled to the minimum wage, so an independent cleaner sets their own rate. The rates change on 1 April every year.
Can a landlord make me pay for a professional end of tenancy clean?
No, not in England or Wales. Section 1(3) of the Tenant Fees Act 2019 bars a landlord in England from requiring a tenant to enter into a contract with a third party for a service, such as a cleaning company, and section 2(3) applies the same rule to letting agents. In Wales, section 2(2) of the Renting Homes (Fees, Discrimination etc.) (Wales) Act 2019 makes it an offence for a landlord to require a contract for services under a term of the occupation contract. You still have to hand the home back as clean as your agreement requires, but you can do the cleaning yourself.
Official guidance and sources
The rules and schemes referenced on this page come from these official UK sources. The price figures are Costwise's own; see how we price.
- National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates GOV.UK · The current rates: £12.71 an hour for workers aged 21 and over from 1 April 2026. They change every April.
- Who gets the minimum wage GOV.UK · Agency workers are entitled to the minimum wage; self-employed people running their own business are not.
- Tenant Fees Act 2019, section 1 legislation.gov.uk · A landlord in England may not require a tenant to enter into a contract with a third party for a service, such as a professional cleaning firm.
- Renting Homes (Fees, Discrimination etc.) (Wales) Act 2019, section 2 legislation.gov.uk · In Wales it is an offence for a landlord to require a contract for services under a term of the occupation contract.
Cite this data
These figures are free to use in articles, reports and research under a CC BY 4.0 licence. All we ask is a credit to Costwise, and online a link. Where your style allows, please make "Costwise" the linked word so readers can check the figure for their own region.
Costwise (2026): House cleaning typically costs £18 per hour in the UK, ranging from £15 to £25 per hour. Reviewed September 2026. costwiseuk.co.ukSource: Costwise (costwiseuk.co.uk)Costwise (2026). House cleaning cost. Costwise UK cost data, version 2026-10-12. https://costwiseuk.co.uk/house-cleaning-cost/2026-10-12 (158 jobs)Dataset DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21159943 · also on Kaggle, Hugging Face and Figshare. Method: how we price. Downloadable CSV.
These are independent guide prices based on typical UK jobs in 2026. Your actual cost depends on your property, spec, access and where you live. Always get at least three written quotes before committing.