Cleaner Minimum Wage UK: What You Must Be Paid in 2026
The hourly floor for all employed cleaners in the UK, where the real Living Wage sits, and what self-employed cleaners charge when they set their own rates.
Every employed cleaner in the UK must be paid at least the National Living Wage, which is £12.71 per hour for workers aged 21 and over as of April 2026. This is the legal minimum with no exceptions. The voluntary real Living Wage is higher at £13.45 UK-wide and £14.80 in London, but most cleaning employers stick to the legal floor.
The legal minimum wage rates for 2026
The UK minimum wage system has two names depending on age. The National Living Wage (NLW) is the rate for workers aged 21 and over. Below that sits the National Minimum Wage (NMW) for younger workers. Both are set by government and legally binding on every employer1.
From April 2026 the rates are:
| Age bracket | Rate per hour |
|---|---|
| 21 and over (NLW) | £12.71 |
| 18 to 20 | £10.43 |
| Under 18 | £7.80 |
| Apprentice (first year or under 19) | £7.80 |
Most employed cleaners are paid at the £12.71 rate because the workforce is predominantly over 21. These rates change every April, and the government usually announces the next year's uplift in the autumn Budget.
- National Living Wage (21+)
- £12.71/hour
- 18-20 year olds
- £10.43/hour
- Real Living Wage (UK)
- £13.45/hour
- Real Living Wage (London)
- £14.80/hour
- Self-employed cleaner rates
- £15-£22/hour
Which cleaners are covered?
National Living Wage rules cover anyone with an employment contract, whether direct staff, agency temps or zero-hours workers. You cannot be paid less than £12.71 an hour if you are 21 or over and classed as a worker under UK employment law1.
That includes cleaners working for cleaning companies, facilities management firms, in-house teams at hotels or offices, school cleaners, and anyone placed by an agency. It covers all shifts (day, night, weekend) and all cleaning roles from part-time domestics to full-time site supervisors on the tools. The law makes no exceptions for cash-in-hand arrangements, probation periods or small employers.
The only cleaners outside minimum wage law are the genuinely self-employed, which is covered in our guide to working as a self-employed cleaner. If you invoice clients, decide your own working hours and supply your own kit, you set your own rates. If an employer controls what you do and when you do it, you are a worker and the minimum wage applies.
The real Living Wage explained
The real Living Wage is a voluntary higher rate calculated by the Living Wage Foundation based on actual household costs like rent, food and transport. It is not a legal requirement2. In 2026 the rates are £13.45 per hour across the UK and £14.80 in Greater London, both higher than the government minimum.
Some cleaning employers have signed up as accredited Living Wage employers, which means they commit to paying the real Living Wage to all staff. Most have not. When you see an advert for a cleaner at £12.71, that is the legal minimum. An advert at £13.45 or above is either real Living Wage accredited or paying over the floor for other reasons like location or skill shortage.
The gap between the two matters because 74p an hour (the difference between £12.71 and £13.45) adds up to £1,480 a year on a standard 38-hour week. For a detailed breakdown of what cleaners earn by role and region, see our main cleaner salary guide.
What self-employed cleaners charge
Self-employed cleaners are not covered by minimum wage law because they are not workers. Instead they set their own hourly or per-job rates. The typical range in 2026 is £15 to £22 per hour for domestic cleaning, depending on location, whether materials are included, and how regular the work is.
These rates sit well above the £12.71 legal floor, but they have to. A self-employed cleaner buys their own kit, pays for travel, gets no sick pay or holiday pay, and invoices the work net of materials and fuel. The higher rate is not profit, it is covering costs that an employed cleaner never sees. Most people starting a cleaning business price their work to clear at least £15 an hour after costs, rising to £18-£22 in expensive cities or for specialist work like end of tenancy or builders cleans.
Our guide to starting a cleaning business covers pricing in detail, including the difference between hourly rates and flat per-job fees.
What happens if you are paid less?
Paying below the minimum wage is illegal. If your payslip shows less than £12.71 per hour and you are 21 or over, you can report it to HMRC via the Acas helpline3. HMRC investigates, and employers found underpaying must repay the shortfall plus face a penalty. Naming and shaming lists are published every year showing companies caught breaking the rules.
Common traps include unpaid travel time between sites, illegal uniform deductions that push the net rate below the floor, and calling someone self-employed when they are really a worker. All of these are enforcement triggers. If you think you are being paid incorrectly, Acas offers free confidential advice on 0300 123 1100.
Questions people ask
Can cleaners be paid less than minimum wage?
No. All cleaners in the UK must be paid at least the National Living Wage (£12.71/hour for over-21s in 2026) by law. It is illegal to pay less, with no exceptions for domestic, contract or agency cleaners. Cash-in-hand work or sub-minimum rates are both against the law.
What is the difference between the minimum wage and the real Living Wage?
The National Living Wage is the legal hourly floor set by government (£12.71 in 2026). The real Living Wage is a voluntary higher rate (£13.45 UK, £14.80 London) calculated by the Living Wage Foundation based on actual living costs. Some employers pay it, most do not.
Do self-employed cleaners have to charge the minimum wage?
Self-employed cleaners set their own rates and are not bound by minimum wage law, but most charge well above £12.71 to cover equipment, travel and no sick pay. Typical domestic rates sit between £15 and £22 per hour depending on location.
Related guides
Sources
- National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates, GOV.UK, accessed 7 October 2026
- What is the real Living Wage?, Living Wage Foundation, accessed 7 October 2026
- National Minimum Wage enquiries and complaints, HMRC, accessed 7 October 2026
Last reviewed: 7 October 2026