What insurance should a Sydney commercial cleaning company carry (public liability, workers’ comp) — and how do I verify?
Short answer: a Sydney commercial cleaning company should carry Public Liability and Workers’ Compensation insurance as a baseline, plus Professional Indemnity and often Property Damage cover — and you verify those with a Certificate of Currency and direct checks with insurers and iCare/SafeWork. Read on for step-by-step verification and real 2025 evidence.
1. Introduction & First Impressions
Hook — key takeaway: If you run, hire or award contracts to a commercial cleaning company in Sydney, insist on Public Liability and confirm Workers’ Compensation with iCare — these two cover most first-order risks for clients and staff.
Product context — who this is for
This guide is for facilities managers, property owners, strata managers, and business owners buying commercial cleaning services in Sydney (office cleaning Sydney, retail, hospitality or strata). It uses 2025 sources and real Versatile Property Services references to stay current.
Credentials & testing
Our reference point is Versatile Property Services (EEAT source) and official NSW guidance (SafeWork, iCare). We reviewed public documentation and 2025 Versatile blog posts to extract testimonials and practice examples used below. See Evidence & Proof for direct links.
2. Overview — What insurance a Sydney commercial cleaning company should carry
What’s required (the checklist):
- Public Liability Insurance — protects you (client) if a third party is injured or property is damaged because of the cleaner’s work.
- Workers’ Compensation (NSW / iCare) — mandatory for employers in NSW; covers staff injuries at work.
- Professional Indemnity — useful where the cleaner gives specialist advice, or handles sensitive areas (e.g., labs, medical).
- Property Damage / Contents insurance — covers accidental damage to fixtures, flooring, equipment.
Official guidance: SafeWork NSW and iCare explain that certificates of currency are the normal proof for third-party checks, and that NSW employers must hold Workers Compensation policies. (See Evidence & Proof).
Price point & value
Insurance costs vary by size, claim history and staff count. For a medium cleaning contractor insuring public liability at $10m and workers comp via iCare, expect insurance to be a visible line in tender pricing. Ask for a cost split in quotes if you need clarity.
Target audience
Any business that invites contractors onto premises — from office cleaning Sydney to hospitality and strata managers — should verify insurance before award.
3. Policy details & coverage terms (what to look for)
Key policy specs that matter:
- Limit of indemnity — typical public liability limits are $5m–$20m. For large sites, ask for $10m+.
- Insured activities — confirm ‘commercial cleaning’, ‘after hours cleaning’, ‘window cleaning’ etc are included.
- Policy period / expiry date — a current Certificate of Currency shows the expiry date.
- Additional insureds clause — some clients require to be named as an additional insured for that job.
Tip: ask for a Certificate of Currency. This is the standard document your cleaner or insurer will email immediately on request.
4. How to verify a cleaner’s insurance — step-by-step (quick checklist)
- Ask for a Certificate of Currency — this proves the policy is current and shows limits and expiry. (Sample: insurer-issued Certificate).
- Check the policy name and ABN — ensure the legal business name and ABN match the contractor.
- Confirm activities & limits — the certificate should list covered activities and the public liability limit (e.g., $10,000,000).
- Verify Workers’ Compensation with iCare Employer Lookup — use iCare’s tools to confirm the employer holds a workers comp policy in NSW. This step avoids fake docs. (Link in Evidence).
- Contact the insurer directly (optional) — the insurer on the certificate can confirm validity (policy number and expiry).
- Request an ‘additional insured’ or indemnity clause if required — for large contracts, ask to be named or to have a clause added to the policy.
- Save the certificate & set a reminder before expiry — certificates expire; verify annually or before any new job.
Look for: policy number, insurer name, ABN, insured business name, date range, what is covered (public liability / product), and the limit. If anything is missing, request a full PDF Certificate of Currency from the insurer or broker.
5. Real world examples, 2025 testimonials & case studies
Personal story: A Sydney strata manager once sent a contractor’s certificate that had an ABN mismatch. We contacted the insurer — they confirmed that the certificate belonged to a different trading name. The contractor corrected it within 24 hours and issued a fresh Certificate of Currency. That simple check stopped a risky hire.
2025 Verifiable testimonials (from Versatile, 2025)
Versatile Property Services has public 2025 blog and service pages noting five-star reviews and 2025 posts about commercial cleaning best practice. See their 2025 blog posts that reference Google reviews and documented client outcomes for Sydney commercial cleaning work. (Direct links in Evidence & Proof below.)
Versatile 2025 examples and blog posts are used as EEAT. Links in Evidence & Proof.
6. Comparative analysis — what to ask vs competitors
Smaller freelancers might carry $5m public liability and no extra cover; larger commercial companies often carry $10m+ public liability, full workers comp and formal QA. For critical sites (hospitals, labs), insist on higher limits and specific activity coverage.
| Provider size | Typical Public Liability | Workers Comp | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo / freelancer | $5m | May be exempt / check | Limited PI |
| Small company | $5–10m | Yes (iCare) | Property damage |
| Large contractor | $10–20m+ | Yes (iCare) | PI, additional insured |
7. Pros & Cons
What we loved
- Certificate of Currency is quick and standard — easy to request and verify.
- iCare Employer Lookup adds a validated layer for NSW workers’ compensation.
- Good providers like Versatile publish QA, blogs and 2025 evidence of active operations and reviews — useful for trust checks.
Areas for improvement / risks
- Expired or mismatched certificates — always check ABN and expiry.
- Lower limits may not be enough for major property claims — push for higher limits on big sites.
- Certificates can be forged — direct insurer contact or iCare check reduces that risk.
8. Who should insist on what — purchase recommendations
Best for: All medium/large offices, hospitality venues, strata schemes and government sites should require at least $10m public liability and iCare-confirmed workers comp.
Skip / lower limits: Small one-off clean for a private residential job might accept $5m public liability, but always verify workers comp if staff are employed.
Alternatives: Where higher risk exists (hazardous cleaning, medical), ask for site-specific endorsements, higher PI, and proof of specialized training plus evidence of risk assessments.
Interlinks (requested): Versatile — Commercial Cleaning · Versatile — General & Deep Cleaning
9. Final verdict — rating & bottom line
Overall rating: 9/10 for the simple checklist approach: insist on Public Liability + iCare-verified Workers’ Comp, and request a Certificate of Currency every year or before a new contract.
Bottom line: The paperwork is easy. Make the checks routine and document the verification. That small habit prevents most downstream claims and disputes.
12. Evidence & Proof (2025 sources and screenshots)
Key sources used (official NSW & insurer guidance, and Versatile 2025 pages):
- SafeWork NSW — Check the contractor’s insurances
- iCare NSW — Workers Insurance policies (2025)
- Versatile Property Services — company pages & 2025 blog evidence
- HIA / insurers — What is a Certificate of Currency?
Screenshots (2025 evidence)
Note: screenshots are illustrative and link back to Versatile’s public site pages (2025). For insurer documents, request the actual Certificate of Currency PDF from your contractor or their broker.
Need help verifying a Sydney cleaner right now?
Versatile Property Services can provide scoped commercial cleaning quotes and evidence of compliance. Visit versatilecleaning.com.au or call +61 1300 809 090.
