What to Check Before Hiring a Cleaning Company (Insurance, Vetting, Reviews)

A cleaning firm's website can say "insured," "vetted," and "5-star rated." None of that has to be true. Most homeowners never check. They read the claim and book. This guide covers how to check, not just what to ask. This applies whether you're hiring a company or an individual cleaner. The standards you check should be the same either way.

None of this takes long. Most steps here take five minutes or less. But they catch a problem before it shows up. That's often after something breaks, goes missing, or a contract turns out hard to leave.

Don't just ask for insurance. Check it.

Most guides say "ask if they're insured." That's not enough. A firm can say yes and hand you an old, expired, or fake document. Here's how to check it for real.

Ask for a Certificate of Insurance, often called a COI. This lists the insurer, the policy dates, and the coverage limits. Then don't stop there. Call the broker or insurer named on the COI. Ask them to confirm the policy is active. Ask if the named business matches the firm you're hiring. Ask if the coverage limits match what's on the page.

Watch the document itself too. Odd formatting, spelling errors, a missing signature, or vague coverage with no real numbers are all warning signs. A real COI names one insurer, one policy number, and clear dollar limits.

For a bigger job, ask to be added as an "additional insured" on the firm's policy. This gives you a direct claim if something goes wrong.

Check their WSIB status yourself

If you're in Ontario, this step matters more than most people think. A WSIB clearance certificate shows a firm's worker coverage account is in good standing. Without it, you could end up on the hook for unpaid premiums if a worker gets hurt in your home.

Don't trust a paper copy handed to you directly. These can be old or faked. Instead, go to the WSIB clearance portal yourself. Search by the firm's name, account number, or phone number. It takes a minute. It costs nothing.

Confirm the business is real

A quick registry check shows if a company is a real legal business, not just a name on a website. Canada's federal and provincial registries let you search by name or business number, free of charge.

Look for three things. First, an active status, not dissolved. Second, a filing history beyond the first registration date. Third, a business name that matches your quote exactly. A company with no filing past its first day on record may be an empty shell.

Read reviews like a detective, not a skimmer

A star rating alone tells you very little. A handful of fake reviews can push a rating up fast. Skip the number. Read the actual words.

Real reviews from real clients tend to name specifics: a team member's name, a certain room, a certain fix. A vague review that just says "great service," with no detail, tells you less either way.

Check the reviewer's profile too. A brand-new account with no photo and no other reviews, posting a glowing five-star write-up, is a common sign of a fake. So is a sudden burst of many reviews in a short window. This check takes two minutes. It can save you from a firm that paid for its rating. For tips on finding candidates worth vetting in the first place, see how to find a trustworthy house cleaning service.

Ask how staff get checked, not just if they are

"Are your cleaners vetted?" gets a yes from almost anyone, true or not. Push further. Ask what the check covers. Ask how often it repeats. Ask if the same rule applies to every cleaner, or just some.

A firm with a real process answers this fast, with no pause. A firm that goes vague, or switches the topic to reviews instead, is telling you something.

Read the contract before you sign it

Most homeowners skip this step for a "simple" cleaning booking. A few terms are worth checking every time.

• Cancellation terms. Can you skip or cancel a visit with no fee? A good recurring plan lets you pause or leave with no fight.
• Damage limits. Some contracts cap what the firm owes you for damage, often far below the real cost of the item. Check this before something breaks.
• Auto-renew rules. Some trial periods roll into a long-term deal unless you cancel by a set date. Know that date first.
• Rate change rules. Some contracts let the firm raise your rate with little notice. Check how much notice you're owed.

None of this means walk away from every firm with standard terms. It means read them first, and ask about anything unclear.

A trial visit beats a long commitment

A firm confident in its work shouldn't need a six or twelve month deal before you've seen one visit. If a sales call pushes hard for a long-term signature first, that's worth a pause.

One trial visit tells you more than any review can. Did the work match what was promised? Was the team on time? Does the result hold up on a closer look? If you're still weighing whether a firm beats doing it yourself, see whether hiring a cleaning service is worth the cost.

How Ezi approaches this

Ezi books insured, vetted cleaning pros, so you don't have to run every check on your own. Browse our house cleaning services to see the standards every pro on the platform meets, or read more on what you actually get for the price with a maid service.

Methodology

Steps here come from Canadian insurance and legal guides on certificates of insurance, WSIB rules, and federal and provincial business registry pages. Review-pattern tips draw from published research on fake review detection. Contract flags reflect common terms flagged across cleaning industry legal guides.

Conclusion

"Insured," "vetted," and "5-star" are claims, not proof. Each one takes minutes to check. Call the insurer on the certificate. Look up the WSIB status. Search the business registry. Read reviews for real detail. Read the contract before you sign it. A firm with nothing to hide makes each check easy. One that stalls or turns vague is telling you something worth hearing.