Hire a Cleaner Adelaide SA - Get Local Quotes

Bringing a Paid Cleaner Into an Adelaide Household

Adelaide households pay for cleaning in several forms, from a fortnightly visit to a single deep clean before guests arrive or a vacate clean when a lease ends. The person who turns up could be a franchise team, an owner who cleans every job personally or a worker booked through an app. Each option changes who holds the insurance, who answers for a broken vase and what happens if the regular cleaner is sick. The sections below cover those hiring decisions, and room by room cleaning methods are set out in our SA house cleaning page. All prices below are estimates for 2026, and only a written quote based on photos or a visit fixes the real figure.

Hard water scale, salt damp, stone washing and the tenancy rules on bond amounts are dealt with in our Adelaide cleaning cost guide. Those topics come up here only where they change the brief you give a cleaner or the questions you put to a business. For the full list of cleaning work offered around the state, start from the South Australian cleaning services hub. Domestic cleaning does not need a government licence in South Australia, so no card or number proves that a cleaner is skilled. Your protection comes from business checks, written terms and a clear record of who holds your keys.

Adelaide Cleaning Price Estimates for 2026, Job by Job

On our 2026 estimates, a solo cleaner in metropolitan Adelaide charges about $42 to $78 an hour, and a two person team costs roughly $80 to $118 an hour for both workers. Regular visits to a two bedroom apartment come to around $95 to $180, while a three bedroom house is closer to $130 to $240 each time. Four bedroom homes with two bathrooms come to about $175 to $310 for a regular visit, depending on floor area and how often the cleaner comes. For a one-off deep clean of a three bedroom house, our estimate is $340 to $730, since the work reaches inside cupboards, along skirtings and over light fittings. These bands assume weekday work and a home that is tidy enough for the cleaner to reach the surfaces.

Vacate cleans cost more because the scope is longer and the deadline is fixed by the lease. We estimate $280 to $520 for a two bedroom apartment and $450 to $950 for a house with three or four bedrooms. Short stay changeovers, meaning the clean between one set of guests and the next, run for a three bedroom property at around $125 to $235 per turnover, before linen hire or restocking. Inside and outside windows on a typical house add roughly $180 to $440, and carpet steam cleaning adds about $35 to $75 a room. Shower screens and tapware with heavy scale may need a separate restoration line of about $120 to $340. City apartments tend toward the lower end of these bands, while large homes in the inner east and inner south tend toward the upper end.

Bathrooms add more time than bedrooms, because every shower, toilet, vanity and floor needs separate attention. Long-haired pets, two storeys and a kitchen used for heavy frying all lengthen an hourly visit. Ovens are priced as an extra by some cleaners, and a specialist oven cleaning service may be cheaper for a badly burnt one. Compare the scope behind each total before you compare the totals themselves, using the table below as a guide.

Hourly Rates, Flat Visit Fees and Fixed Packages Compared

Adelaide cleaners use three billing methods, and each one places the risk of a slow job on a different party. With hourly billing you pay for the time actually worked, which suits regular visits where the tasks shift from week to week. Flat visit fees cover a fixed list of rooms for one set price, so the cleaner carries the risk if the visit runs over. Packages apply to deep, vacate and changeover cleans, where the business names one figure for a written scope after seeing photos.

Hourly bookings can carry a minimum visit of two or three hours, so a short tidy can still cost the full minimum. Cancellation terms deserve as much attention as the rate, because a late cancellation may cost part or all of the visit. A lockout fee may also apply if the cleaner turns up and finds no way inside. Metro jobs may carry no travel fee, although a cleaner from the northern suburbs might charge extra to reach Aldinga. For homes in the hills, see our guide to hiring a cleaner in the Adelaide Hills, where steep driveways and longer drives change the price. For river towns further east, see hiring a cleaner in the Murraylands and Riverland, where travel time plays a bigger part in the total.

Settle payment terms before the first visit and confirm them in a short written message. Regular clients can pay after each clean by bank transfer, while a package clean may need a small deposit to hold the date. Request a tax invoice that lists the business name and its ABN, the date, the hours worked or package price, and any GST. That invoice is your record if a dispute starts, and a tenant can use it as evidence of a professional clean at the end of a lease. Keep invoices together with the quote, so the agreed scope and the work billed can be compared later.

Cleaning Company, Solo Operator or App: Picking a Business Model

Cleaning businesses in Adelaide fall into three broad groups, and the right choice depends on how much control you want. Companies and franchises send staff they employ or contract, and they can send a replacement when your regular cleaner is away. An owner-operator, meaning a sole trader who does the cleaning personally, gives you the same person every time and a direct line to the owner. Booking apps match you with a worker from a pool, so the price is easy to see but the person may change from visit to visit. Each model can work well when the paperwork matches what you are told at the start. Whichever route you take, the checks in the next section apply to every one of them.

With a company, the business holds the insurance and handles staff pay, so your contract sits with the company and not the cleaner. Platforms set their own terms of use, and those terms decide who pays for damage and how disputes are handled. Read those terms before the first booking, because some platforms limit their responsibility to arranging the introduction. Commercial premises follow different arrangements, which are set out on our commercial cleaning page.

A general house cleaner is not the right person for every specialist job. Carpet steam cleaning needs a hot water extraction machine, which sprays hot water into the pile and sucks it back out, and that trade is described in our SA carpet cleaning guide. Exterior glass on a two storey home involves height work, which is why a dedicated window cleaner may be safer. Unger makes the water-fed poles some window cleaners use, and Ettore makes squeegees and glass scrapers. Black mould across a ceiling may point to a leak or ventilation fault, and that calls for a specialist assessment. Splitting jobs between trades can cost less than paying a general cleaner to attempt work that needs special equipment.

Confirming the Trading Name, ABN, GST Status and Insurance

Start every check with the Australian Business Number, known as the ABN, which is an eleven digit identifier for a business. Search it on the Australian Business Register and confirm that the name on the record matches the name on the quote. The record also shows whether the business is registered for the Goods and Services Tax (GST). If the quote adds GST but the register shows no GST registration, raise it with the business before you pay. Recently issued ABNs are not a problem in themselves, although a new ABN gives you less trading history to judge.

The Australian Taxation Office says a business must register for GST when its GST turnover reaches $75,000 or more. Smaller sole traders below that line can legally quote without GST, so a lower price is not automatically a sign of cash work. Public liability insurance covers the business if its work damages your property or injures someone, such as a cracked benchtop or a slip on a wet floor. The insurer issues a certificate of currency, which is a one page letter confirming that the policy is active and naming the insured business. Check the expiry date on that certificate, along with the business name and the amount of cover. Company staff should also be covered for injury under the employer's workers compensation policy.

References from past clients help, especially for a regular arrangement where the cleaner will work in your home without supervision. Online reviews show patterns over time, although a single glowing or angry review tells you little. Keep screenshots of the ABN search, the certificate and the quote in one folder. Those records save time if you ever need to make an insurance claim or a complaint.

When the Household Becomes the Employer: Wages, Super and Injury Cover

Certain households pay one person directly for a set number of hours each week, without a cleaning business in between. That arrangement can make you an employer, depending on who controls the work, who supplies the equipment and whether the worker runs a genuine business. According to SafeWork SA, all private sector businesses in South Australia are covered by the Commonwealth Fair Work Act 2009. Where a household employer stands is a question the Fair Work Ombudsman InfoLine on 13 13 94 can answer for your situation. Settle this before the arrangement becomes routine, since back pay claims can cover work done in earlier years.

Minimum pay and conditions are set by awards, which are legal documents that apply to an industry or occupation. The Fair Work Ombudsman says the Cleaning Award covers cleaners whose employers operate in the contract cleaning services industry. Cleaners employed by other kinds of businesses may fall under another industry award or, failing that, the Miscellaneous Award. That guidance does not address a cleaner employed by a private household, so get advice before you settle on a rate. Sham contracting means calling an employee a contractor to avoid wages and entitlements, and Fair Work treats it as unlawful.

Superannuation has its own rule for domestic and private workers. According to the ATO, a domestic or private worker qualifies for the super guarantee, the compulsory employer contribution to super, once they work more than 30 hours in a single week. Hours are counted for each week separately, so a busy week can trigger super even when the average is lower. Workers compensation in this state runs through ReturnToWorkSA, which asks employers to register within 14 days of employing someone. Its registration page says employers paying less than $16,806 in total wages for 2026 to 2027 need not register, but an injury must still be reported. Call ReturnToWorkSA on 13 18 55 to confirm how those rules apply to a household.

Lockboxes, Alarm Codes and Background Checks for Unattended Visits

Regular cleaners may work while the owners are out, so plan how the cleaner will get in before the first visit. Lockboxes, smart lock codes and keys left with a neighbour all work, provided the method is written down and agreed. Label keys with a number and avoid tagging them with your address, so a lost key cannot lead anyone to your door. If you use a smart lock, give the cleaner a separate code that you can cancel without changing your own. Change lockbox codes when a cleaner leaves the arrangement or a business changes its staff.

Alarm codes need the same care, and a separate user code for the cleaner lets you see when it was used. Name the doors to lock, which windows to leave shut and whether any pets must stay inside or out. Give the cleaner one phone number for emergencies and one written list of rooms that are off limits. Agree what happens if the alarm goes off by mistake, including who calls the monitoring company. Request a photo of the locked front door at the end of each visit when nobody is home.

Police checks show whether a person has recorded convictions that can be disclosed, and companies may already hold them for their staff. An owner-operator can apply for a national police check through SA Police or an accredited online provider. Any check only covers records up to the date it was issued, so note that date when you are shown the result. Households receiving support through the National Disability Insurance Scheme have extra options, set out on our NDIS cleaning page. Whatever check you rely on, combine it with references and a trial visit before handing over a key for good. Keep a note of who holds each key, so you can collect them all if the arrangement ends.

CBD and North Adelaide Apartments: By-Laws, Loading Bays and Visitor Vouchers

Apartment towers in the CBD and North Adelaide have rules that do not apply to a house clean. Strata and community corporations can make by-laws, which are the building's own rules about using common property such as lifts, car parks and loading bays. The Law Handbook says by-laws under the Community Titles Act 1996 bind the owners, the occupiers and other people who enter the scheme. That means a cleaner must follow the building's rules on lift use, contractor hours and where equipment may be left. Collect those rules from your strata manager and pass them on before the first booking.

Loading bays and service lifts may need booking, especially for a vacate clean with a carpet machine or a team of three. Contractors may be asked to sign in at reception or to show proof of insurance before they are allowed upstairs. On-street parking in the city is time limited, and a cleaner who has to move a car halfway through will take longer. The City of Adelaide sells visitor parking vouchers to eligible CBD and North Adelaide residents, at $48.10 for a book of 25. The council says residents and their visitors gain two extra hours in timed spaces within the matching zone, so check the conditions before relying on them.

Common areas such as foyers and car parks are the corporation's job, not yours, and those contracts fall under strata cleaning. Inside your lot, you choose the cleaner, although the building may limit noisy equipment to certain hours. Balconies over a street need care, because rinsing water may drip onto the units below or the footpath. Find out whether your building allows a hose or bucket on the balcony at all, and pass that on. Investors with several city units can share one cleaner across them, with a separate scope written for each address. Owners who also need a power point or exhaust fan fixed can find help through hiring an electrician in Adelaide.

Bluestone Villas, Salt Damp and Summer Grit: Briefing the Cleaner

Bluestone and sandstone villas in suburbs such as Norwood, Unley and Prospect have solid walls, lime mortar and plaster that respond badly to wet cleaning. Salt damp shows as white powder, bubbling paint or crumbling plaster near the skirting boards, and the cost guide sets out why it happens. From a hiring point of view, the cleaner needs to know which walls to dry dust only and which areas to keep water away from. Your brief should say not to scrub crumbling plaster or wash salt deposits with a wet cloth, since that spreads the damage. Vacuuming loose salt from the floor with a brush attachment is gentler than mopping it into the boards.

Older villas may also have ornate cornices, pressed metal ceilings and original fireplaces with marble surrounds. Marble and limestone are etched by acids, which are chemicals such as vinegar and some scale removers, so name those surfaces in your brief. Painted surfaces from before the 1970s may contain lead, and a cleaner should not sand or scrape flaking paint. If flaking paint needs attention, a lead paint removal specialist can test and treat it safely.

An Adelaide clean takes extra work in summer, especially after hot northerly winds carry fine dust through gaps around doors and windows. Dust settles in window tracks, on sills and along floorboards, and it scratches surfaces if wiped while dry and gritty. Vacuuming first lifts the grit, and Miele makes vacuum cleaners with sealed filter systems that hold fine dust. Book early morning visits in hot weather, so the cleaner can finish before the house warms up and the glass starts to streak. Evaporative cooler outlets and ducted vents collect dust as well, and an air conditioning cleaning service can handle the units themselves. Agree whether the cleaner should open windows or keep the house shut while working on a dusty day.

Houses Built or Renovated Before 1990 and the Materials to Leave Alone

SafeWork SA warns that a house built or renovated before 1990 has a good chance of containing asbestos. It lists bathrooms, laundries and kitchens as common places, along with material behind tiles and under floor coverings. Post-war homes, including the brick and fibro houses built across Adelaide's middle and northern suburbs, fall within that period. Asbestos cement sheeting in good condition can be wiped gently with a damp cloth, but broken or crumbling material must be left alone. Let the cleaner know when the house was built, and show them any sheeting that is cracked, chipped or loose.

Kärcher makes pressure washers for paving and driveways, but no pressure washer, stiff brush or scraper belongs near suspect sheeting or old vinyl tiles. Damaged material needs testing first, and asbestos testing in SA involves a sample being taken and analysed by a laboratory. If removal is needed, SafeWork SA rules may require a licensed asbestos removalist, so leave the cleaning until that work is finished. Any cleaner who refuses to touch broken sheeting is doing the right thing, so do not push for that work. Vacate cleans can be held up at this point, which is why tenants should tell the agent about damaged sheeting in writing.

Mould is another problem that cleaners meet in older houses with poor ventilation. Selleys makes mould and mildew removers for surface spotting, but mould that returns within weeks points to a leak or a ventilation fault. Specialist mould removal deals with the growth itself, while a local plumber can trace a hidden leak. Tenants should report recurring mould to the landlord in writing, since a cleaner can only treat the surface.

Who Supplies the Chemicals, the Safety Data Sheets and the Machines

Decide early whether the cleaner brings products and equipment or uses yours. Businesses that supply their own kit build the cost into the price, and they know the products well. Using your own products suits households with allergies, fragrance sensitivity or a preference for plant-based cleaners. Write the choice into the scope, along with any product you do not want used on a particular surface.

Safety data sheets, shortened to SDS, are documents that set out a chemical's hazards, safe handling, storage and first aid. Safe Work Australia publishes guidance on safety data sheets for hazardous chemicals used at work. Any cleaning business using strong degreasers, bleach or acid descalers should be able to show you the SDS on request. That matters if you have young children, pets or someone with asthma at home. Store the cleaner's products out of reach during the visit, and agree that nothing is decanted into unlabelled bottles. Never let anyone mix bleach with acid or ammonia products, because the combination releases harmful gas.

Equipment brands vary by business, and knowing a few helps you read a quote. Numatic makes the Henry range of tub vacuums, and Dyson makes cordless stick vacuums. On hard floors, Vileda makes spin mops and Oates makes brooms, buckets and mops. Enjo makes microfibre cleaning fibres, and e-cloth makes microfibre cloths designed to work with water alone. Commercial machines cost more to buy and maintain, and that cost sits inside a professional's hourly rate.

Product names appear on quotes as well, especially for households wanting gentler options. Earth Choice makes plant-based dishwashing and laundry products, and Koh makes a universal surface cleaner. Bosisto's makes eucalyptus oil cleaning products for households that prefer them. None of these is right for every surface, so the cleaner should test any new product on a hidden area first. Carpet stains and upholstery need their own approach, set out on our upholstery cleaning page.

Home Cameras and the South Australian Surveillance Devices Act

If your home has indoor cameras, video doorbells or smart speakers, a cleaner working there alone may be recorded. The Surveillance Devices Act 2016 (SA) controls listening devices and optical surveillance devices, meaning cameras. According to the Law Handbook, it is generally unlawful to record a private conversation or a private activity without the consent of all the principal parties. Individuals face fines of up to $15,000 or up to three years in prison under those provisions. That Law Handbook summary also describes exceptions, so get legal advice if you are unsure about your own setup.

Start by telling the cleaner in writing where each camera sits and whether it records sound. Turn off audio recording during visits, since a private phone call by the cleaner could be captured. Cameras in bathrooms and bedrooms should be switched off or covered while the cleaner is working. If you use footage to check work, say so in the written agreement.

Privacy matters for both sides, and households have a right to expect discretion about what a cleaner sees. Put mail, bank papers and medication away before a visit, or name a room the cleaner does not enter. Agree that the cleaner will not take photos inside the home except end of visit photos you have requested. Companies should have a privacy policy covering client details, keys and codes, and you can ask to read it. Raise any breach with the business owner first, then with Consumer and Business Services if the problem continues.

Getting a Bond Back Through Residential Bonds Online

Bonds for South Australian rentals are lodged with Consumer and Business Services, and refunds are handled through its Residential Bonds Online system, called RBO. The state government says every tenant who paid part of the bond and the managing party must agree on the amount before money is released. Once they agree, either side can lodge the refund in RBO, and paper forms are available but slower. Bond caps and the inspection limits are set out in the cost guide, so this section focuses on the refund steps. Professional cleaning invoices, dated photos and the inspection sheet from the start of the lease are the records to keep.

The inspection sheet is the condition report the landlord signs and gives the tenant at the start of a tenancy. Tenants should note on it, according to the Law Handbook, whether each item matches the description, and keep a copy. At the end, the sheet is used to judge whether damage occurred and whether the home was left reasonably clean. Give the cleaner a copy, so the vacate scope lines up with the agent's own checklist.

When the tenant and the managing party (the landlord or agent) do not agree, the first one to lodge a claim in RBO makes what CBS calls a non-consented claim. CBS says that if the managing party does not respond within 14 days to a tenant's claim, the tenant is paid the amount claimed. Counter-offers through RBO each carry a 10 day timeframe, and up to seven can be exchanged before the matter must go to the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. The managing party must provide evidence for its claim, so a cleaning invoice can be weighed against the agent's photos. Respond to every RBO notice on time, since a missed reply can leave the decision to rest on the other side's evidence.

Share houses add another step, which matters for student households near the city campuses. Where co-tenants cannot agree on their shares and the counter-offer process fails, CBS splits the bond equally between them. Agree in writing before the clean who pays the cleaner, so the invoice matches what each housemate contributed. One booking for the whole house can cost less than separate cleaners for each bedroom. The full vacate checklist appears in our end of lease cleaning guide.

Timing a Clean Around Removalists, Settlement and New Builds

Moving house in Adelaide can mean two cleans, one for the home you leave and one for the home you enter. Book the outgoing clean for after the removalists have finished, since furniture hides dirt and blocks the floors. Leave at least half a day between the truck leaving and the cleaner starting, in case the move runs late. Sale contracts may require the home to be left in a stated condition at settlement, so read that clause with your conveyancer. Unwanted items left behind slow the cleaner, and a rubbish removal service can clear them first.

Move-in cleans happen before your furniture arrives, when every cupboard and floor is empty. Kitchen cupboards, wardrobes and the inside of the oven are easiest to clean while they are empty. Agree whether the cleaner should also wipe inside the fridge, the dishwasher and the washing machine. If pests are present, book pest control before the clean, so droppings and residue are removed afterwards.

New homes in growth areas such as Munno Para and Aldinga need a builders clean before anyone moves in. That clean removes plaster dust, paint spots, labels and silicone residue left by the building trades. Your builder may arrange a final clean, so check the building contract before paying for a second one. The stages of that work are set out in our builders cleaning guide. Owners who move into a home in wine country can compare notes in our guide to hiring a cleaner in the Barossa Valley.

Broken Items, Skipped Tasks and Unpaid Amounts: SA Complaint Routes

Breakages happen even with careful cleaners, so agree at the start how damage will be reported. The cleaner should send you a message and photo straight away, before leaving the house. Businesses with public liability insurance can lodge a claim with their insurer, although small items may cost less than the excess, which is the amount the business pays itself before the policy pays out. Other businesses simply pay for minor breakages themselves, so put that promise in the written terms. Keep the broken item until the claim is settled, along with any receipt showing its value.

Missed rooms or poor work are best raised within a day, while the details are fresh. Send a short written message listing what was missed, with photos, and offer the cleaner a chance to return. The Australian Consumer Law requires services to be supplied with due care and skill, and the ACCC publishes guidance on those consumer guarantees. If the business will not fix the problem, Consumer and Business Services can give advice on your options.

Money disputes that cannot be settled can go to the Magistrates Court of South Australia. Under the Law Handbook's description, a claim of $12,000 or less is a minor civil claim, which follows a simpler process. Before filing, send a final written demand that states the amount, the reason and a date for payment. Keep the quote, the invoice, your messages and the photos together, because the court will want to see them. Bond disputes follow the RBO process described above and then go to the tribunal, not this court. Clear written scopes agreed at the start give both sides something firm to refer back to.

Lines in an Adelaide Cleaning Offer to Query Before Signing

Quotes that give a single total without listing rooms or tasks cannot be compared fairly with other offers. Vacate packages that leave out the oven, window tracks or balcony will cost more on the day if those items are added. An offer to work for cash without an invoice leaves you with no record and may create an employment arrangement you did not plan. Without a certificate of currency, the cost of any damage could fall on you. A bond guarantee is a promise to come back if the agent rejects the clean, so get the number of days for a free return visit in writing.

Check how travel, parking, lockout and cancellation fees appear, because they can add to a low hourly rate. Regular cleaning should not need a large upfront payment, so settle the bill after each visit. For a city apartment, the quote should name who books the lift and where the cleaner will park. Stone villa and pre-1990 home quotes need a line about avoiding salt damp walls and damaged sheeting. Promises to remove every stain or all mould deserve questions, since some marks are permanent damage.

Asking Several Adelaide Cleaners to Price an Identical Scope

Prepare a single written description of the job, and send identical wording and photos to every cleaner you contact. List the suburb, how many bedrooms, bathrooms and storeys the home has, the floor types and any pets. Name the type of clean, whether regular, deep, vacate, move-in or changeover, and list extras such as ovens or windows. For a vacate clean, attach the inspection sheet, so every cleaner prices against the items the agent will inspect. Mention lifts, parking, gates and lockboxes, and say whether anyone will be home. Request separate lines for hours, team size, inclusions, extras and GST.

Compare scopes first, since a cheaper offer may simply cover fewer rooms. With a regular arrangement, a trial visit shows how long the home really takes. Once you choose, set out the date, price, entry arrangements and cancellation terms in a single written message. Owners of a coastal holiday house can read about changeovers and tracked-in sand in hiring a cleaner on the Fleurieu Peninsula.

Book early for late February and March, when the Adelaide Fringe runs and short stay changeover slots can be harder to secure. Month ends and the weeks before Christmas can also be busy periods for vacate cleans. Regular clients can secure a fixed weekday slot by booking several visits ahead. When you post a single job description on The Quote Yard, every Adelaide cleaner who replies is pricing the same work. Use the replies to build a shortlist, then check the ABN and insurance of your preferred cleaner before saying yes.