Running a residential cleaning service can be very profitable.
My company is still small and we are trying to build our client list so we take on some jobs that others would not want.
I have found a way to ensure that we have enough money to cover the costs on a monthly basis while doing this. We have partnered with a few rental properties and offer full cleaning of rental units once the tenants move out. This service is provided on a flat rate fee basis but there are times when we have to tack on extra fees. When this happens the former tenant lose their security deposit because the property owners much pay for the extra charges. One of our clients owns a few older homes in the city that have been divided into multiple units. They had some issues with a tenant moving out and when they called us in to clean the place we had to wear hazmat masks for the initial sweep through. I wouldn’t go into detail but it was one of the worst that I have seen. One area that really needed cleaning was the HVAC vents. They were coated with dust and grime. The weird thing was, they were in the ceiling. I had never seen this before and had to ask how they worked. The owner said that the ductwork was in the ceiling and that the vents we saw along the bottom of the walls were simply cold air return. The vents in the ceiling were opened and closed by a pull chain which I also found strange. We were very glad when the service was done but I will never forget that unit.