A trustworthy cleaning company holds approved F-skatt, carries liability insurance, and gives you a written list of exactly what is included. The F-skatt determines whether you get the RUT deduction at all, and the insurance determines who pays if something is broken. Here is what to check before you sign.
Check first: F-skatt
This is the single most important item, and the one most often skipped.
The RUT deduction requires the company to hold approved F-skatt. Without it you get no deduction, meaning double the price you budgeted for. You also risk being treated in practice as an employer, responsible for withholding tax and paying social contributions.
You can verify F-skatt with Skatteverket, and the company's registration and signatories with Bolagsverket. It takes a minute and is well spent.
Be wary of a price far below market. It often signals a company that is not reporting taxes and contributions properly, and it is you who inherits the problem afterwards.
Liability insurance
Reputable companies carry liability insurance covering damage caused during the work: a scratched parquet floor, a broken hob, or water damage after a mistake.
Ask directly:
- Do you carry liability insurance, and with which insurer?
- What amount does it cover?
- What is the excess, and who pays it?
- How do I report damage, and within what time?
Without insurance you pay yourself. Your home insurance does not normally cover damage caused by someone else in the course of their work.
The scope list: what exactly is included?
"Cleaning" means different things to different companies, and this is the most common source of disappointment. Ask for a written scope list, room by room.
Check in particular whether these are included or cost extra:
- Window cleaning
- Oven, fridge and freezer inside
- Inside cupboards and wardrobes
- Balcony and glazed terrace
- Behind and under appliances
- Ironing and bed changing
Always compare scope list against scope list, never price against price. A company that costs 15 percent more but does three more tasks is cheaper in practice.
Staff and trust in your home
You are letting someone into your home, often when you are not there. Reasonable questions:
- Do you background-check your staff?
- Do you have a collective agreement (kollektivavtal)?
- Will it be the same cleaner each time?
- What happens if my regular cleaner is ill?
- What languages can your staff communicate in?
Having the same cleaner each time is worth something: they learn the home, and you avoid explaining from scratch.
Key handling
If the company will hold a key, ask how it is managed:
- Keys should be signed for in writing at handover
- They should be stored locked
- They should be labelled with a code, never with your address, so a lost key cannot be traced to your home
- Ask what happens, and who pays for a lock change, if a key goes missing
A company without a clear answer here has not thought through its own routine.
The contract
Read it before signing, and check:
- Notice period. One month is reasonable. A twelve-month lock-in for recurring home cleaning is not.
- Rescheduling. How far ahead must you cancel without being charged?
- Price increases. How and when can the price be raised?
- Guarantee. How long does it run and what triggers it?
- The RUT deduction should be stated, with the labour cost itemised on the invoice
How to read reviews
Reco.se and Google are the most used. Read them critically:
- Look at how the company responds to criticism, not just the average score. A measured reply to a bad review tells you more than five stars.
- Be wary of many similar five-star reviews posted close together
- Read the two and three-star reviews, that is usually where the specifics are
- Ask for references from customers with a similar home
If something goes wrong
Contact the company directly, ideally within a day while it can still be fixed, and refer to the guarantee. Document with photos.
If you cannot reach agreement, Hallå Konsument, run by the Swedish Consumer Agency, offers impartial guidance, including on what the Consumer Services Act (konsumenttjänstlagen) entitles you to.
Checklist before signing
- Approved F-skatt verified
- Liability insurance confirmed, with the amount
- Written scope list, room by room
- Extras and their prices specified
- Key handling routine agreed
- Notice period no longer than one month
- Guarantee and complaint window clear
- Labour cost itemised separately on the invoice
Two ways to lose the deduction
Paying cash. Since 2020, ROT and RUT require electronic payment: card, Swish, BankID or a bank transfer. Cash means the deduction is lost entirely, however properly the work was done.
Hiring a relative. The person doing the work must not be related to you. That covers a spouse, cohabiting partner, parents, children, siblings and their families. More in the RUT deduction.
Common questions
What should I check before hiring a cleaning company?
Approved F-skatt, liability insurance and a clear written scope list. Without F-skatt you get no RUT deduction.
Why does F-skatt matter so much?
The RUT deduction requires it. Without it the deduction is lost, and you risk being treated as an employer.
What questions should I ask?
What is included, what extras cost, who supplies materials, how keys are handled, whether staff are insured and background-checked, and what happens during illness.
How should key handling work?
Signed for in writing, stored locked, and labelled with a code rather than your address.
Where can I read reviews of cleaning companies?
Reco.se and Google. Look at how the company responds to criticism.
What do I do if I am not satisfied?
Contact the company within a day and refer to the guarantee. Hallå Konsument can give guidance if you disagree.
Related guides: home cleaning in Sweden, cleaning costs and RUT and move-out cleaning. Back to cleaning in Stockholm.