Terms & Conditions of Service

1. Introduction

These Terms & Conditions govern the provision of domestic housekeeping and cleaning services by Michelle & Co. Housekeeping (“we”, “us”, “our”) to residential customers (“you”, “your”).

By accepting a quotation, signing a service agreement or otherwise agreeing to receive our services, you agree to the terms supplied to you before your booking is confirmed.

Our services are provided with care, professionalism and respect for your home.

Nothing in these terms excludes or restricts your statutory consumer rights.

2. Our Services

Michelle & Co. Housekeeping offers two principal services:

Domestic Housekeeping

A comprehensive household support service, which may include:

• —General household cleaning and tidying.
• —Laundry, washing, drying and folding.
• —Ironing and clothing organisation.
• —Changing and preparing bed linen.
• —Kitchen and bathroom upkeep.
• —General household organisation.
• —Other agreed routine housekeeping duties.

Domestic Cleans

Routine domestic cleaning, which may include:

• —Cleaning kitchens and bathrooms.
• —Dusting and wiping accessible surfaces.
• —Vacuuming and mopping floors.
• —General cleaning of bedrooms and living areas.
• —Other agreed routine cleaning tasks.

The precise duties undertaken depend on the service booked, property condition, available time and agreed priorities.

We do not ordinarily provide specialist deep cleaning, end-of-tenancy cleaning, commercial cleaning or hazardous cleaning services.

Additional or specialist work must be agreed separately.

3. Quotations and Pricing

Our standard advertised hourly rates are:

• —Domestic Housekeeping: £25 per hour.

Domestic Cleans

• —Monday to Wednesday and Sunday: £22 per hour.
• —Thursday to Saturday: £25 per hour.

Any individually agreed rates, existing contractual rates or promotional arrangements will be confirmed separately.

All prices and applicable taxes will be clearly communicated before booking.

Quotations are based on the information provided about the property, required services and anticipated workload.

Where a property requires significantly more work than originally anticipated, we will discuss additional time or charges before proceeding.

We will not undertake chargeable additional work without your agreement.

4. Regular Housekeeping Arrangements

Customers booking regular weekly or fortnightly housekeeping agree to a recurring allocation of housekeeping hours.

These hours are reserved specifically for the customer’s property, and our staffing schedules are arranged accordingly.

A regular booking is an ongoing service arrangement rather than a series of unrelated, individually requested appointments.

The agreed arrangement will specify the usual frequency, duration, hourly rate and anticipated service days.

Any changes to the agreed schedule must be requested in advance and confirmed by management.

We cannot guarantee that a customer’s usual time slot will remain available following an extended suspension or material reduction in service.

5. Housekeeping Hours and Staffing

Housekeeping hours are calculated according to the combined working time of the team.

For example, two housekeepers attending for three hours provide six combined housekeeping hours.

The number of housekeepers attending may vary depending on operational requirements, provided the agreed service hours or equivalent service arrangement are delivered.

We reserve the right to allocate appropriately trained members of our team and arrange suitable cover where necessary.

While we aim to provide continuity, we cannot guarantee the attendance of a particular individual on every visit.

6. Holidays and Planned Absences

We recognise that customers may occasionally wish to suspend housekeeping while away.

To help us manage reserved staffing and maintain a consistent service, we request at least 14 calendar days’ notice before the affected scheduled visit.

For customers who have expressly accepted this holiday policy, we offer an allowance equivalent to four weeks of their normal contracted housekeeping schedule within each rolling 12-month period.

Examples include:

• —Weekly visits: up to four eligible visits.
• —Fortnightly visits: up to two eligible visits.
• —Twice-weekly visits: up to eight eligible visits.

An eligible holiday visit approved under this allowance will receive a credit equal to 100% of its agreed visit charge.

Holiday allowances are calculated by reference to the customer’s normal contracted schedule. Unused allowances do not carry forward beyond the relevant rolling 12-month period.

Requests must identify the dates affected and are subject to confirmation. We will not unreasonably refuse a request that satisfies the agreed policy.

Short-notice holidays

Where less than 14 calendar days’ notice is given, an automatic holiday credit will not apply.

We may charge a reasonable cancellation amount reflecting the direct net loss arising from the cancellation, taking account of costs saved and reasonable opportunities to reallocate staff.

Any charge will not exceed the agreed price of the affected visit.

Holidays exceeding the allowance

Where the agreed holiday allowance has been exhausted, further requests to suspend services will be considered individually.

Any charges or conditions will be explained before the additional suspension is agreed and must be fair and proportionate.

Housekeeping during holidays

Customers may choose to retain their normal visits while away, subject to agreed property access and instructions.

This can provide an opportunity to complete routine housekeeping and organisational tasks.

7. Cancellation or Rescheduling of Individual Visits

Customers should contact us as soon as possible if they wish to cancel or rearrange a scheduled visit.

We will make reasonable efforts to accommodate alternative dates, subject to staffing availability.

Where a visit is cancelled at short notice outside an applicable holiday allowance, we reserve the right to recover reasonable direct net losses caused by that cancellation.

We will take reasonable steps to minimise those losses, including considering whether staff can be reassigned.

No cancellation charge will exceed the agreed visit price.

We will not charge a customer for a visit cancelled by Michelle & Co. where no service has been delivered.

Any applicable statutory cancellation rights take precedence over this section.

8. Temporary Suspension of Regular Services

Requests to pause an ongoing housekeeping arrangement must be made in writing.

We will confirm the proposed suspension dates, any applicable charges or credits, and whether the regular service slot can be retained.

Where a customer wishes to preserve their regular appointment during a prolonged absence, any agreed reservation arrangement and associated charge must be confirmed in advance.

We do not guarantee that a previous appointment slot can be reinstated following an unagreed or extended suspension.

9. Ending a Regular Housekeeping Agreement

For ongoing regular services, we request 28 calendar days’ written notice of termination.

This notice period allows us to manage staff commitments and adjust recurring schedules.

During the notice period, we will normally continue to provide the agreed housekeeping services.

If a customer requests an earlier end date, we will consider the request reasonably and take steps to minimise any resulting loss.

Any amount charged for an early termination will be limited to a fair assessment of our direct net loss and will not automatically equal the full value of all remaining scheduled visits.

We may terminate an arrangement on reasonable notice for legitimate operational reasons.

We may suspend or terminate services more urgently where there is a serious safety concern, threatening or abusive behaviour, or a serious contractual breach.

Customers retain their statutory rights to end an agreement where we are in breach of our obligations.

10. Payments and Invoicing

Regular housekeeping customers may be invoiced monthly in advance, according to their agreed schedule.

Invoices will identify the relevant service period and charges.

Payment is required by the due date shown on the invoice or as otherwise agreed in writing.

We may accept payment by bank transfer, direct debit or other approved methods.

Where direct debit is used, collection arrangements and notifications will be governed by the relevant payment authorisation and applicable Direct Debit Guarantee.

Approved credits will normally be applied to the next available invoice. Any remaining credit will be carried forward or otherwise settled appropriately, including on termination.

We will not retrospectively increase agreed charges without a valid contractual basis.

If payment becomes overdue, we will contact the customer and allow a reasonable opportunity to resolve the matter before considering suspension of future services.

We will not impose disproportionate late-payment penalties.

11. Property Access and Security

Customers are responsible for arranging safe and reliable access to the property at the agreed appointment time.

Where keys, access codes or alarm instructions are supplied, these will be handled confidentially and used only for authorised purposes.

Customers should notify us promptly of changes to access arrangements.

If our team attends as agreed but cannot access the property, we will make reasonable attempts to contact the customer.

Where access cannot be obtained due to circumstances within the customer’s control, a reasonable charge may apply to reflect the resulting direct net loss, capped at the agreed visit price.

We will not charge where the access failure results from our own error.

12. Health, Safety and Working Conditions

We are committed to maintaining safe working conditions for our team and customers.

Customers must disclose any known hazards that could materially affect the safe delivery of services, including unsafe electrical equipment, dangerous substances, aggressive animals or structural hazards.

Our team may decline tasks that create an unreasonable risk of injury or damage.

We do not undertake work involving hazardous waste, dangerous chemicals, unsafe heights or specialist equipment unless separately agreed and appropriately assessed.

Customers must provide a safe working environment and suitable access to agreed areas.

13. Cleaning Products and Equipment

Arrangements for cleaning products, equipment and consumables will be agreed before services commence.

Where customers provide equipment or products, they should be safe, suitable and in working condition.

Customers must inform us of any surfaces, materials or belongings requiring special treatment.

We will take reasonable care when using cleaning products and equipment.

We may decline to use unsuitable or potentially damaging products.

14. Fragile and Valuable Items

Customers should identify particularly fragile, valuable, antique or specialist items before housekeeping begins.

Items requiring specialist cleaning or handling should be excluded unless expressly agreed.

Our team will exercise reasonable care around household belongings.

We recommend that jewellery, cash, confidential documents and small high-value items are stored securely before visits.

This does not remove our responsibility where loss or damage results from a failure to exercise reasonable care and skill.

15. Accidental Damage and Liability

We aim to deliver all services with reasonable care and skill.

If damage occurs during a visit, customers should notify us as soon as reasonably practicable, preferably with photographs and relevant details.

We will investigate concerns fairly and promptly.

Where we are responsible for damage, we will discuss an appropriate remedy, which may include repair, replacement or compensation as required by law.

We are not responsible for damage caused solely by pre-existing defects, ordinary wear and tear or circumstances outside our reasonable control.

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.

16. Service Standards and Customer Feedback

We take pride in providing a professional and consistent housekeeping service.

The amount of work achievable during a visit depends on the property’s condition, agreed hours and requested priorities.

Properties that have not received regular housekeeping for some time may require additional sessions to establish the desired standard.

We will communicate any such recommendations and obtain agreement before booking additional chargeable hours.

Customers are encouraged to raise concerns promptly so we can investigate and, where appropriate, offer a suitable remedy.

Your statutory rights to services performed with reasonable care and skill remain unaffected.

17. Staff Conduct and Professional Boundaries

Our housekeepers are expected to behave professionally, respect customer privacy and follow appropriate safeguarding and confidentiality practices.

Customers are expected to treat our team with courtesy and respect.

Abusive, threatening, discriminatory or inappropriate behaviour towards staff will not be tolerated.

Customers must not request unlawful, unsafe or inappropriate activities.

Any request to engage one of our employees privately outside the agreed service should be discussed with management. Nothing in these terms prevents an individual from exercising their lawful employment rights.

18. Confidentiality and Privacy

We respect the privacy of every household we attend.

Information about customers, their homes, routines and personal circumstances will be handled confidentially and used only for legitimate business purposes, except where disclosure is required by law or otherwise legally justified.

Photographs of customers’ homes will not be used for marketing without appropriate permission.

Personal information will be processed in accordance with our separate Privacy Notice and applicable data protection legislation.

19. Photography and Marketing

We will seek appropriate consent before using identifiable photographs, videos, testimonials or other customer-related material for promotional purposes.

Customers may withdraw marketing consent where applicable.

We will not disclose property addresses or other identifying details in promotional material without appropriate authorisation.

20. Changes to Services, Prices and Terms

We may periodically review our services, prices and contractual terms.

Any proposed change affecting an ongoing customer arrangement will be communicated clearly in advance.

We will explain the proposed change, its effective date and any choices available to the customer.

Material changes will not be imposed retrospectively or without an appropriate contractual or legal basis.

Where acceptance is required, the revised terms will not apply until that acceptance has been obtained.

21. Complaints and Dispute Resolution

If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our service, please contact us using the details below.

We will acknowledge your concern, investigate the circumstances and aim to provide a fair resolution.

Where appropriate, we may offer corrective work, a price adjustment or another suitable remedy.

Nothing in these terms prevents customers from seeking independent advice or exercising statutory rights.

22. Statutory Cooling-Off Rights

Where a customer enters into a qualifying distance or off-premises service contract, they will normally have a statutory 14-day cancellation period beginning the day after the contract is entered into.

We will provide any legally required pre-contract cancellation information and cancellation form.

If a customer expressly requests services to begin during that period, the legal rules concerning payment for services already supplied will apply.

Where the service has been fully performed following the customer’s required express request and acknowledgement, the statutory cancellation right may be lost in accordance with applicable law.

These statutory rights are separate from our contractual holiday and appointment cancellation arrangements.

23. Events Outside Our Reasonable Control

Occasionally, services may be affected by events outside our reasonable control, including severe weather, significant travel disruption, emergencies or unexpected operational difficulties.

We will notify affected customers as soon as reasonably possible and attempt to arrange an alternative appointment.

Customers will not be charged for services we do not provide unless a separate lawful and fair basis for a charge exists.

24. Governing Law

These Terms & Conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales, without restricting any mandatory consumer protections applicable to a customer.

25. Contact Information

For bookings, holiday requests, cancellation notices, complaints or general enquiries, please contact: