Overview: House Cleaning & Maid Services
A maid service is an arrangement, not a single job. Someone comes weekly, every other week or monthly, works through a standing list and leaves. The point is the rhythm. Bathrooms and kitchen floors never get far enough ahead of you to need rescuing.
Winter changes the list. Salt, sand and wet boots mean the front hall needs work every visit, and a busy mudroom can swallow a good part of a short booking. Say so when you ask for a quote, so the time is priced in rather than quietly taken from the bathrooms.
The bigger choice is who you're hiring. A company sends its own staff and should carry its own insurance and workers' compensation coverage. An independent cleaner you hire yourself is a different arrangement, and depending on the set-up, the Canada Revenue Agency may treat you as the employer.
Our listings show what each company states on its own website, including how often it visits and whether it books online. Use the province and city lists below to reach companies that already clean in your neighbourhood.
Frequently asked questions
Weekly, biweekly or monthly?
Every other week suits most households. In a Canadian winter, though, the entry and floors fill with salt and grit fast, so some homes switch to weekly from the first snow until spring and drop back in summer. Pets that shed and small children push the same way. Monthly visits turn into rescue jobs that cost more each time. Start more often than you think you need and step down later.
Do I become an employer if I hire a cleaner directly?
You might. The Canada Revenue Agency says a household that hires a domestic worker may be that worker's employer, depending on the situation. If so, you'd deduct income tax, CPP contributions and EI premiums and send them in. A signed agreement calling the cleaner self-employed doesn't settle it. If you're unsure, you or the cleaner can ask the CRA for a ruling. A company with its own staff handles this for you.
What is not included in a standard visit?
Usually laundry, dishes, changing beds, inside the oven and fridge, inside windows, and anything above head height. Winter jobs can fall outside too: scrubbing salt off the entry tile, wiping down boot trays, or cleaning up after snowy dogs. None of it is unreasonable, and most of it can be added for a price. Get the included and excluded lists in writing before the first visit.
Is tipping expected?
Not required, but common. Many households tip a crew that does noticeably good work, and a holiday tip once a year is a widespread habit. If a company employs your cleaner in Ontario, the law says it can't keep your tip or take a cut of it, except to share tips among staff in a tip pool. Cash with a short note still reaches the right person most directly.
Employee or contractor, and why does it matter?
It decides who answers when someone gets hurt in your home. A company should cover its staff through its provincial workers' compensation board. Hire a housekeeper directly in Ontario for more than a set number of hours a week and the WSIB says you must register within ten calendar days of hiring. In British Columbia, a free WorkSafeBC clearance letter shows whether a cleaning business is registered and paid up. Ask for proof of liability insurance as well.
