House Cleaners Lower Hutt
Our Terms and Conditions
We want to be sure you get the service you want
Please read carefully.
Our aim is to help you achieve the clean that you want, provide good service, and have you return to us for your cleaning needs.
To achieve that aim we have to have some terms and conditions regarding how we do business together. We have tried to phrase these terms and conditions so that they are clear and upfront. We do need your help and understanding.
If at any time you are unsure of what we say here, give us a call before you make the booking.
We welcome feedback on our work so we can continually improve our Services.
1. We provide ESTIMATES, not quotes
A quote provides a fixed price, which does not suit cleaning in most cases as things can change between the time we provide a quote and the time we clean. So, we almost always provide an estimate, which allows flexibility (with your agreement) to extend the time, and therefore the cost, to an agreed amount.
a. We reserve the right to alter our estimate either before, or after, you receive and accept it, if an issue arises which is likely to affect the time (and therefore cost) it will take to clean. If this situation arises, we will contact you first to discuss the issue(s) and then ask that you text or email your approval/non-approval of any extension of time. With our experience, our estimates are most commonly within range.
b. Our estimates are valid for 30 days from the Estimate date.
c. To accept our estimates you must make a booking.
d. By accepting our estimate and booking a clean on our website, you agree to the Terms and Conditions on our Website, and in the Estimate itself, including any notes and communication we have with you.
2. You need to make a booking
We will not clean your property unless you have made a formal booking and accepted the terms and conditions.
3. Secure a date for the cleaning
We strongly advise you to contact us to check out our availability before you make the booking. We may be able to help you with an urgent clean, but normally we are booked in advance for anywhere between one and three weeks, or even more as we get closer to Christmas/New Year.
4. Holding dates
We are very busy so holding bookings is a problem for us, as if you take a long time to decide, we may miss out on customers who want to book for that date.
5. Late notice cancellations
If you then cancel your booking with late notice, we reserve the right to charge a fee of one hour.
6. We need to be able to contact you
You must have a valid email address and telephone number, so that we can contact you if need be, either before, but especially on the day of your clean or after the clean.
7. We need to access your property
If we arrive at the property and the access is not as described, and we have to wait for the matter to be resolved, we reserve the right to charge a fee of one hour, whether we completed the clean or not.
8. Tell us what you want or do not want to be done
On the booking form, or other communication be as accurate as possible in your description of what cleaning you want done, so we clearly know what to do.
9. Tell us about your House
We ask that you be as accurate as possible in the description of your house, especially the size of the rooms. The more detail we have, like how big it is, or if there are any special features, will help us to give you a more accurate estimate.
10. Occupational Health and Safety
When booking, or before we start the clean, if there are any hazards on or in your property, for example, broken windows, uneven or slippery pathways, loose stair railings or faulty electrical points. There may be others. If you have a health issue which could affect us in some way, please let us know beforehand.
We reserve the right to charge you for any costs we incur as a result of your not meeting this term.
11. Cleaners
With one time cleaning we work on the clean ourselves, sometimes on our own, or together with one or more of our Cleaners. Our Cleaners are required to wear footwear in the house during the clean, particularly when working in the bathrooms.
12. Cleaning Products
We use the following cleaning products:
Detergent, Crème Cleanser, Bleach, Window Cleaner, Heavy Duty Degreaser, a Calcium, Lime and Rust Cleaner, and a Sticker Removal Product. Our booking form allows for you to approve or disapprove of us using these. We need your consent to using or not using one or more of these products, and we have space on the booking form for you to ask for any alternative product.
13. Our charges to you
Our pricing, including any travel charge, is simple to work out. This is explained clearly on the website. We ask that you read the pricing page on our website before you make your booking. If our estimate is higher on the cleaning day, we will communicate with you, to make a decision on extending the time/cost, before continuing to clean.
14. Payment for our services
Payment by internet banking or cash only. Payment for our cleaning services is due on the day of service, upon invoice.
a. Issues with payment
If there is going to be an issue with payment, discuss it with us first before we start the clean. We may be able to come to some arrangement. Complaining about the quality of the clean only when we contact you because the invoice is outstanding is unfair on us, as even if it may be a legitimate complaint, it is too late for us to resolve it.
If on reasonable grounds during the clean we become unsure of your commitment to pay us either at the end of the clean, or on invoice, we may stop cleaning, charge you for what we have done, and consider charging the remainder of the cleaning time to any maximum as booked.
b. Regular Cleaning Service, pay your cleaner directly on the day of service via internet banking, either by direct deposit or an Automatic Payment.
c. Unpaid Invoices
Unpaid invoices after 10 days have 10% interest added and are passed onto our debt collector, in which case you are liable for any costs incurred, including fees charged by our debt collector or solicitor.
d. The person who books the clean is legally responsible for payment
Please note that whomever books the clean is ultimately responsible for paying the invoice. If you are acting on behalf of someone else, you must tell us first, and we must have it in writing from that other person, that they will be paying the invoice on our terms. If you do tell us in advance, we may or may not accept the booking. If you don’t tell us in advance, we will bill you and you will be liable to pay it.
15. Your privacy is important to us
We are careful with all the information we receive from our customers and respect your privacy. If you would like a copy of our Privacy Policy, ask us.
16. Insurance
We take care in the way we work, and all those who are a part of the House Cleaners team are covered by public liability insurance. If you have a problem which could become an insurance issue you must contact us within 24 hours of the day of service.
17. Pets
We are a pet-friendly company. However, as lovely as they can be, there are a few things we have to note particularly if you have a cat and/or a dog.
a. Some animals shed a lot of hair, and while we will do our best to remove pet hair from the floor and other surfaces, we cannot guarantee it will all be gone.
b. Some dogs love vacuum cleaners, and will get in the way while we clean. Other dogs may not like them. If either of these is your dog, please make sure it is secured away from us while we clean.
c. Most cats detest vacuum cleaners and will take off. If this is your cat, and it is an inside cat only, please make sure it is secured away from us while we clean.
d. If you have a dog that does not like anyone’s company other than yours, the dog must be secured away from us while we clean.
e. If you have a pet that is not allowed outside, please make sure it is secured somewhere safely inside so that it cannot escape, especially if we happen to leave a door or window open. We are busy with the cleaning and don’t have time to chase after the animals. We do not take responsibility for your pet escaping.
18. Emergency Declarations by the Government
Even if you have made a booking, our terms and conditions may be altered by law, particularly during a declared State of Emergency.
19. Quality of our service
We like to try to solve problems at the lowest possible level. If after the clean you have a concern, contact us straight away so we can resolve the issue, as raising the issue only when we are contacting you about an outstanding invoice is unfair on us. If you don’t contact us straight away, or you clean it yourself, then we can’t resolve it and your invoice will be due as is.
20. Regular Cleaning Service
All terms and conditions also apply for our regular cleaning service, but we also include the below
a. You have your own cleaner assigned to you and you deal directly with that cleaner for issues regarding your clean – your clean day and time, access, payment, and making alternative arrangements for things like additional cleans, holidays, and illness.
b. We conduct an initial visit to your home to provide you with an estimate. If you decide to proceed, your cleaner will contact you to arrange the day and time of your cleaning service.
c. There may be occasions where your usual cleaner cannot work, and a relief cleaner may be used but this would be communicated with you.
d. You pay the cleaner directly, via internet banking. The fee is as set out on our website. We don’t accept cheques or cash for payment.
e. You cannot employ or engage our Cleaners or contractors to clean for you independently, for a period of 12 months from our last clean.
f. If your clean falls on a Public Holiday, there will be no clean on that day. If you would like to arrange another clean at an alternative time, please contact your cleaner at the first instance. We will try to accommodate your needs.
g. We are closed between Christmas and New Year.
h. Our aim is for our customers and cleaners to be flexible to time schedules and on the odd occasions when the clean cannot take place. Coordinating and communicating in a friendly manner.
i. Our cleaning contracts are open-ended so that they can be cancelled at any time by either of us providing reasonable notice to the other.
j. If you’re unhappy about an aspect of your regular cleaning service, try to resolve it first with your cleaner. If you are unable to do that, contact us and together we will try to resolve any issue.
Authority to dispose of rubbish
When you make the booking you are giving us the authority to dispose of the goods, we will take it that you have that authority, and you will take full responsibility if something is later claimed to have been wrongly thrown out.
Save your treasures
If you want something saved, we ask that you either remove it from the property before we begin the rubbish removal or that you indicate clearly in writing those items you do not want thrown out.
Valuable items in rubbish
We operate on the basis that everything that is present when we begin the rubbish removal will be disposed of, and that we do not accept any responsibility if something of value is thrown out.
Reduce and Recycle
Our aim is to reduce landfill where possible so any permission to remove the rubbish includes permission to dispose of any property as we see fit.
Costs
You, the person booking the rubbish removal, are responsible for all payments, both ones which need to be made in advance, and for the final invoice.
22. Methamphetamine (Meth or P) Affected Houses
Meth Test Results of the House Affected
We need to be sent a copy of the Meth Test results via Email. This is required so we know what we are in for and can prepare and operate accordingly.
Health and Safety of our Cleaners
Current medical and Government advice has it that Cleaning Methamphetamine affected properties poses a Heath and Safety risk to the Cleaners. In undertaking such Cleans we need to ensure protection for our Cleaners, whic includes having the correct PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and CPE (Cleaning Products and Equipment).
On Cleaning day, House Cleaners will be the only people allowed access to the House until the Clean is complete.
Do we Guarantee results?
We work to the best of our ability, BUT there is absolutely NO WAY we can guarantee the results of a post-clean Meth Test. A second or more cleans are invoiceable and payable by the Customer.
Costs
Meth Cleans are hard work and expensive.
See our pricing page
In some cases, a deposit may be required before Cleaning day.
In addition, any extra costs such as PPE and CPE and anything else required to complete the Clean is payable by you, the Customer.
Helpful links for your information
https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/starting-a-tenancy/renting-affected-properties/renting-a-property-affected-by-methamphetamine-p/
https://www.settled.govt.nz/buying-a-home/researching-the-property/understanding-methamphetamine/
