Changing office cleaning company can solve a problem with missed tasks, poor communication or a service that no longer fits the building. The awkward part is the changeover. The outgoing contractor may own the vacuum, hold the access cards and order the washroom supplies. The incoming contractor may have priced a different set of rooms. Unless those details are settled, an apparently straightforward switch can leave the office without a workable cleaning visit.
This guide is for Manchester businesses planning a change of provider. It covers the practical handover between contracts, rather than the daily log left after each clean. Start with the current agreement and the actual condition of the premises. Then give both contractors a clear boundary between their responsibilities. A new name on the invoice should not leave anyone guessing who cleans the building on the first evening.
Write down what the change needs to fix
Before asking for a replacement quote, describe the problem in terms someone can check. “The cleaning is disappointing” leaves room for different interpretations. “The shared kitchen floor remains sticky after the evening visit” identifies a surface, a condition and a time. Separate work that was agreed but missed from work that was never included. A change of contractor will not resolve an omitted task unless the new scope includes it.
Walk through the building with the person who deals with cleaning enquiries. Check whether room use, desk numbers or opening hours have changed since the current contract began. A meeting room now used throughout the evening may need a different cleaning window. A shared washroom may fall under the landlord’s contract. Record those boundaries before comparing providers, so the new service is priced against today’s office.
Our commercial cleaning contractor service is a starting point for discussing that scope. Bring a room list and the tasks that matter, rather than simply requesting the same number of hours from a different team.
Confirm the last visit and the first visit
Read the existing agreement before giving notice. Identify the notice requirements, the proposed end date and any arrangements for returning equipment or access items. Do not assume that a telephone conversation ends a written contract. Where the wording is disputed or unclear, obtain appropriate advice before making commitments to another supplier. The aim is a timetable both sides can follow, not an argument at the office door.
Put the last outgoing visit and the first incoming visit on the same calendar. This should sit alongside the wider commercial cleaning plan if the contract covers more than the office. Include the actual access window, not just the date. A contract ending on Friday and another starting on Monday can still leave a weekend event uncovered. If the office has unusual use during the changeover, decide who will clean after it and obtain agreement before relying on that cover.
Name the person who can authorise changes for the business. Contractors should not receive different start dates from reception, the office manager and a director. Send the agreed schedule through one contact and ask both providers to acknowledge the parts that concern them.
Check the position of the existing cleaning team
A change of cleaning provider can raise questions about whether TUPE applies to employees working on a contract. In the Employment Appeal Tribunal’s 2025 judgment in Mach Recruitment Ltd v Oliveira, the appeal concerned whether a lower tribunal could find an organised employee group whose principal purpose was the work for a particular client. The case involved a different service arrangement, not office cleaning, and does not decide what applies to a specific cleaning contract.
Raise this with both employers early. They should assess their own arrangements with appropriate advisers before setting expectations about which cleaners will move or be replaced. Keep that discussion separate from the office’s practical list of rooms, access arrangements and cleaning tasks. The timetable should allow the relevant parties to address their own obligations before the first visit.
Separate cleaning equipment from building supplies
Walk the cleaning cupboard before the outgoing contractor removes its belongings. Identify who owns each machine, trolley and reusable item. The office may own one vacuum while the contractor owns another. Paper products may have been bought for the business, while unopened cleaning products belong to the supplier. An inventory avoids the incoming team arriving to an empty cupboard it expected to use.
Agree collection arrangements for outgoing equipment and a delivery point for the incoming provider. Keep the route and timing compatible with normal building access. Do not ask the new cleaners to use unidentified products left behind, or assume that a machine is suitable simply because it is already on site. The incoming contractor should confirm the equipment and methods it plans to use.
Check consumables separately. Soap, paper towels, toilet rolls and bin liners are easily overlooked because they sit between purchasing and cleaning. Record who orders them, who pays, where spare stock is held and who reports a shortage. If a supplier account is changing, arrange sufficient agreed stock for the handover rather than expecting the cleaners to improvise.
Reissue access through the building’s own process
List keys, fobs, parking permissions and any areas requiring an escort. Confirm who is authorised to issue access and who records its return. The outgoing contractor should follow the building’s process for returning items; the incoming contractor should receive access through the same authorised route. Passing a key informally between cleaners makes it harder to establish who can enter later.
Where access permissions need to end or change, coordinate that with the building manager. Do not disable a card before the final agreed visit, and do not rely on a retired access arrangement for the new contract. If the premises use individual permissions, keep those individual rather than sharing one identity across everyone on the team.
Explain the arrival procedure, the named contact for an access problem and the rules for locking up. A walkthrough should include restricted rooms and the route to the cleaning store. Keep alarm details and other sensitive instructions within the building’s approved process, not in a widely circulated quote or general handover email.
Record the starting condition fairly
The first inspection needs to distinguish old damage from removable dirt. Note worn floor finishes, stained carpet patches, chipped surfaces and damaged furniture before the new service starts. A brief condition record helps everyone discuss what routine cleaning can reasonably change. It also avoids blaming the incoming team for a mark that was there before its first visit.
Agree whether an initial deep clean is part of the changeover. A regular evening allowance may be intended to maintain the office, not recover months of accumulated soil. If a separate reset is needed, define the rooms, tasks and timing. Ask for it to be shown distinctly in the proposal so the recurring service can be assessed on its own terms.
Photographs can help with a particular damaged surface, but they should have a purpose. Follow the office’s policy and keep confidential paperwork, screens and personal information out of the picture. A written room reference and a specific observation may be enough.
Give the new team a usable room list
Translate the agreed scope into the names people actually use in the office. “Meeting room beside reception” is more useful than a room code that nobody recognises. Mark spaces excluded from routine cleaning, rooms occupied during the visit and surfaces needing a particular approved method. The incoming supervisor can then plan a route that matches the building.
Include any tenant and landlord boundaries. In a shared building, the suite entrance, lift lobby and common washrooms may be managed under different contracts. Confirm where waste should go and which store is available to the contractor. Do not assume permission to use another occupier’s equipment or supplies simply because they are nearby.
Use the office cleaning service specification to agree the work itself. Keep the changeover checklist alongside it, covering the temporary actions needed to begin. Once access, equipment and starting conditions are settled, the recurring schedule becomes the main reference.
Check the first visits against the agreement
Arrange a review after the incoming team has completed the first agreed visits. Check the areas that prompted the change, but also look for practical obstacles. A locked cupboard, a meeting that runs late or a waste store that closes early can prevent an otherwise sensible plan from working. Resolve those constraints with the site contact rather than treating every missed task as poor effort.
Keep observations specific. Name the room, the agreed task and what was found. Ask the contractor to explain the next action and when it can be checked. If a task falls outside the new scope, decide whether to add it instead of leaving the disagreement to repeat on every visit.
A workable changeover finishes with clear ownership. The old provider has completed its agreed exit, the new provider has the access and equipment it needs, and the business knows how to raise an issue. If you are changing your Manchester office cleaning company, share the proposed start date, current scope and main concerns when requesting a quote. Those details make it possible to plan the transition around the building rather than merely replacing one supplier name with another.