BenchmarklyAll benchmarks

Cleaning business companies in London

3,773 cleaning business companies have a registered office in London, and 1,858 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £4,039 in cash and owed £5,328 at year end.

Companies House register, 1 September 2026, and accounts filed in the last twelve months. Compared with the official category “General cleaning of buildings” (SIC 81210).

The numbers

Cleaning business companies in London compared with the same category across the UK. Typical figures are medians.
MeasureLondonUK
Registered companies3,77319,632
Formed in 2025 or 20261,858 (49%)42%
Being struck off or in liquidation430 (11%)11%
Typical cash at year end£4,039415 accounts£5,810
Typical amount owed at year end£5,3281,213 accounts£8,238
Typical number of employees11,305 accounts2

What this means if you’re starting one

Most of your competition will be other newcomers

49% of the 3,773 cleaning business companies in London were formed in 2025–26, against 28% of all companies in London. Nationally, that share of new companies is higher than 98% of UK industries.

New rivals are arriving faster than in most trades, so your customers already have fresh options. Being new is not a difference on its own.

Cash is tight in this trade

At year end the typical cleaning business company in London holds £4,039 in cash and owes £5,328; that cash figure is lower than 96% of UK industries.

Typical operators end the year holding less cash than they owe, so there is little slack if takings dip or a big bill lands early.

Most of these businesses are run by one or two people

The typical cleaning business company in London reports 1 employee; the top quarter has 4 or more (1,305 filings).

You are mostly up against owner-operators. Your own hours are likely to be your biggest cost, and the easiest one to undercount.

Planning a business like this in London?

Answer two questions about your customer and what makes you different, and get a free three-week plan to test the idea before you spend real money. No account or card.

Check my idea

What these figures can’t tell you

Companies are counted where their registered office is, which may be an accountant or a home address rather than a shop. Sole traders and partnerships are not on the register, and electronically filed accounts cover roughly 60–75% of accounts filed each year. The figures describe companies that exist; they cannot prove demand for your idea or predict whether it will work. How the figures are built.

Cleaning business in other places

Other businesses in London

All business benchmarks in London