If you’re like many homeowners, it takes a lot of trust for you to welcome someone into your home, whether it’s someone to babysit your children, feed your pets, or repair a leaky faucet. However, these and other services are often necessities to keep your home running smoothly and take some time off your hands. The same is true for house cleaning; perhaps it’s not a must-have, but having a house cleaner can take tasks off your to-do list and give you more time with your family or with yourself.
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But if you trust an agency or person to enter your home for weekly or monthly cleanings, the last thing you probably expect is to let a thief into your personal space. While many house cleaners are honest, hard workers, some may not have your best interests at heart. Studies show that nearly half of all housekeepers have stolen something from the homes they serve.
If it’s happened to you, you’re not alone, although that likely doesn’t help the feelings of betrayal you may have from broken trust. Learn what steps to take if you’re certain your house cleaner has stolen from you.
6 Things to Do If Your House Cleaner is Stealing
- Change locks
- Gather evidence
- Contact agency
- Fire them
- File a police report
- Contact your homeowners' insurance company
Whether you’ve caught your house cleaner in the act of theft or have solid reason to believe they’ve stolen from you, consider taking the following actions. Keep in mind that each of these steps may not apply to your specific situation. Treat them as general guidelines as work toward a resolution.
1. Change Locks
If you’re usually out of the home when your house cleaner arrives, they probably have a key to enter your home. And, if you believe you’re dealing with a dishonest house cleaner, there’s no telling whether they’ve made copies of your key without you knowing. The best way to keep them from entering your home again until you’ve sorted out what’s happening is to change your locks as soon as possible.
👉 Related reading: Best Smart Locks for Your Home
If you have basic lock mechanisms, you could do this yourself. Places like Lowe’s and The Home Depot sell locksets for exterior doors that are relatively easy to change. Or, if you use a smart lock, you can simply change the PIN to unlock your door in the settings.
Be sure to let the house cleaner or agency know that you’ve changed the locks so they don’t make an unnecessary trip to your home. You don’t need to explain why at this point; save that for after you gather enough evidence. Note that if you have a contract in place, you may still be responsible for paying your share until you have evidence that could warrant a break in the contract.
2. Gather Evidence
It’s important not to jump to conclusions if you suspect your house cleaner is stealing from you, especially if you’re only missing a couple of items that may have been moved during the cleaning process. The best thing you can do is gather as much evidence as you can so you can use that evidence later to fire the house cleaner and file a police report, if necessary.
👉 Related reading: Best Home Security Cameras in 2024
Home security camera footage is probably going to be your best form of evidence, especially if you have cameras set up throughout your home. Review the footage to see if you can find concrete proof of your house cleaner taking items from your home.
If you don’t have security cameras, you might still be able to catch your house cleaner in the act by leaving some cash in the open, like on top of a bedroom dresser or night table, to see if it goes missing during the house cleaner’s visit.
3. Contact Agency
Does your house cleaner work through an agency rather than independently? If so, contact the agency to review the evidence you’ve gathered on your house cleaner. At this point, you should have concrete evidence, like security camera footage, to prove your accusations.
The house cleaning agency can determine the best course of action for their employee, but at the very least, they can swap your house cleaner with someone else if you have reason to believe the house cleaner has stolen from you. With enough evidence, the agency may decide to terminate the house cleaner’s employment.
You may be eligible for reimbursement of stolen property if you sue the agency. Legitimate house cleaning agencies should have insurance that protects their businesses in theft situations and helps them pay for damages.
4. Fire Them
If your house cleaner is an independent worker and not involved with an agency, you’ll need to go directly to the source to fire them instead. If you have a contract with the house cleaner, firing them could be more challenging than it would be without one, but it’s not impossible. However, you may need to go through some legal hoops to terminate the contract. It might be easiest to buy out the house cleaner’s contract to end it immediately and seek recourse for what you’ve paid through a lawsuit.
When firing your house cleaner, let them know that you have evidence of their theft. Be ready to show them camera footage, if available, and notify them that you intend to file a police report.
5. File a Police Report
Visit your local police department to file a police report as soon as possible after you’ve discovered your house cleaner stealing. Some departments allow you to file a report over the phone or online if you can’t make it to the office.
Your police report should include every incident of theft and the dates of each if known. Also, include all evidence you have, such as catching the house cleaner stealing with your own eyes or footage you’ve collected from your home security cameras. Be as detailed as possible in the report.
After filing the report, ask the police department for a copy. You may need this to send to the house cleaning agency, your homeowners' insurance company, or your lawyer if you decide to press charges.
6. Contact Your Homeowners' Insurance Company
You don’t have to sue the house cleaner or their agency to get reimbursed for the stolen items if you’d rather not go through the legal process. If you own your home, your homeowners’ insurance can take care of that through your personal property coverage, which can cover virtually anything that was stolen from your home. You’ll need to make a list of everything the house cleaner stole from you and gather receipts for each item, if possible. Having the items included in your police report can also help you bolster your insurance claim.
Be mindful that filing a claim against your homeowners' insurance policy could increase your premium, so going the lawsuit route could be a better option in some cases. Request a free consultation with an attorney to help you decide on the best path for your situation.
How To Hire a Trustworthy House Cleaner
The following tips can help you find a trustworthy house cleaner that you feel good about inviting into your home.
⭐ Use an agency with credentials and insurance: It could be helpful to use an agency to find your next house cleaner rather than hiring an individual. Trustworthy agencies typically conduct their own background checks on their employees, hold business licensure, and have insurance in case any incidents occur with one of their workers. General liability insurance and janitorial bonds are the most important types of insurance an agency should hold.
📈 Check references and reviews: Ask the house cleaners or agencies you’re considering using for at least three references who can speak to their personal character and professional work ethic. Combine references with real reviews on Google, Yelp, Trustpilot, and other review sites. Reviews from real customers can give you a solid idea of a house cleaner's skills, trustworthiness, and ability to create happy customers.
🧑 Ask people you trust for referrals: If you have family or friends who use or have used house cleaners, ask them who they’ve used. If people you trust have had excellent experiences with an agency or individual house cleaner, it might help you feel more at ease about hiring them yourself.
💬 Give potential candidates interviews: It’s okay – and highly encouraged – to treat the house cleaner selection process like a candidate search, just like you would if you were hiring for a role for a business. Once you narrow your list to a few potential candidates, interview them. Ask them who they’ve worked with in the past, how long their current client relationships have been, and whether they have licenses and insurance. You can also use this time to get a general feel for each person or agency. Trust your gut during this process.
🔎 Conduct a background check: As long as you have consent from a house cleaner you’re considering hiring, you can run a background check on them. Be sure to get written consent before doing so, so you’ll have proof. A background check can show you that a person is who they say they are and provides criminal records, so you’ll know if the person has ever had theft charges or convictions. Background checks cost money, so you may want to save them only for your top candidates after interviews.
📃 Create a contract: Finally, create a contract that includes language about theft and damage to your property. This can help you get out of your contract if theft does happen. Also, outline any expectations for your cleaner, like the number of days per month or week they should visit, their pay, and their responsibilities in your home.
When Your House Cleaner Swipes More Than Dust
Hiring a house cleaner without fully vetting them can be one of the biggest home security mistakes you can make. Still, even with a thorough vetting process, it’s possible for a house cleaner to not be as trustworthy as you thought when you hired them. All homeowners should take precautions before hiring a house cleaner to ensure that their home and belongings remain safe.
First and foremost, install security cameras in any rooms your house cleaner goes in. Let your house cleaner know before they start that you have cameras installed. It’s common courtesy to do so, and by making them aware that they’re being filmed, you might prevent incidents.
If you do find out that your house cleaner has stolen from you, gather as much evidence as possible before going to the cleaner’s boss or the police. Use camera footage, photos, and any other proof you have to solidify your case. When you’re ready to hire another house cleaner, take time to vet them with a background check, interview, and reference check.
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