As a responsible homeowner, you should not let anybody inside your home especially when they have relatively free access to its interiors, as is the case with professional housecleaners. You have to ask them – or their company, for that matter – about valid bond and insurance policies, which should be in place for your mutual protection. Here are a few things that you may not have known about this matter but should know by now.
Being Bonded Is a Start
What do you do when you suspect a part-time housecleaner of breaking a vase, stealing a piece of jewelry, or damaging a valuable item? You shouldn’t rant and rave about it to the cleaning company mainly because it’s a waste of time, energy and effort. You will not likely get a fast resolution even when the cleaning company is bonded.
This is because the erring housecleaner must be found guilty by a court of law of the offense for the bonding company to pay for the damage or loss of your property. Otherwise, it will be your word against the housecleaner’s word – a lose-lose situation from any angle.
Instead, you should immediately file a police report to expedite the process. Better yet, you may want to consider hiring a cleaning company that sends in a team of housecleaners, which means more time-efficient and results-effective cleaning as well as reduced risks for theft. The housecleaners will be less likely to be careless or steal under watchful eyes.
Being Insured Is a Must
When a part-time worker gets injured in your home, you may or may not pay for the worker’s compensation depending on certain factors. You have to protect yourself from shouldering the burden of injured workers on your premises by:
- Looking into the coverage of your homeowner’s policy to determine whether it covers workers entering your home. Many policies usually cover some but not all of them so be sure to ask your insurance company about the terms and provision of your policy.
- Asking for a written agreement from the professional housecleaner that states he/she is an independent contractor. You must ask the agreement to also state that you are not responsible for the housecleaner’s Social Security, worker’s compensation insurance, and taxes.
- Asking for proof of general liability insurance and worker’s compensation from the cleaning company. These are the basic policies that will cover damage to your home and injuries to workers in your home, respectively.
Ultimately, your vigilance in asking for proof of valid bond and insurance will be to your benefit so get to it as soon as possible. You should have an easy time asking for these papers with a reliable cleaning company like Molly Maids so start your search with it.
