Cleaning company vs independent cleaner in Prague

Cleaning company vs independent cleaner: both get your Prague flat clean, but they differ in price, in who actually turns up, in who pays if something breaks and in the paperwork you get. This comparison is based on the public price lists of Prague cleaning companies, the Czech Civil Code and the VAT Act, so you can see which differences are real and which are just marketing.

A “company” does not have to be a big business. According to Eurostat, Czechia had 8,156 cleaning businesses with 44,431 people working in them in 2024, an average of five people per business.

The comparison at a glance

The key difference is who your contract is with: with a company that sends its staff, or directly with the person who cleans. Most other differences follow from that.

Price: what Prague cleaning companies charge

Prague cleaning companies charge from CZK 1,000 excluding VAT upwards for a standard one-off clean of a two-room flat (2+kk), according to their public price lists, and some add travel on top. They price in different ways, by layout, number of rooms, floor area or number of residents, so compare the total.

Regular bookings are cheaper with companies: CleanWhale gives 10–20 % off depending on frequency, and Ohayno has a cheaper subscription. With an independent cleaner you pay for the hours worked. On HledámÚklid the most common rate is 300–360 CZK/h (directory data as of 14 October 2026), so three hours of cleaning comes to roughly 890–1,090 CZK. Prices by flat size are covered in Cleaning prices by flat size.

Liability: who pays for the broken vase?

A cleaning company and an independent cleaner are liable for damage under the same rule: whoever breaches a contractual duty compensates the damage it causes (section 2913 of the Czech Civil Code). The difference is who answers for whom, and who has the means to pay.

• A company answers for its staff. Anyone who uses an employee in their business compensates damage the employee causes as if they had caused it themselves (s. 2914). So you claim from the company, not from the individual cleaner.
• An independent cleaner answers for herself. As a professional she must work with due professional care (s. 2912).
• Exclusion clauses have limits. A clause that excludes liability in advance for damage caused intentionally or by gross negligence is disregarded (s. 2898).
• How damage is compensated. By restoring the previous state, or in money if that is not reasonably possible or the injured party asks for it (s. 2951).

Czech law does not make liability insurance compulsory for cleaning. Companies often mention it anyway: Youklid says it has business risk insurance of up to CZK 10 million, and Ohayno that every job is covered by liability insurance. We have not checked what the policies cover. Ask an independent cleaner about insurance before she starts. Always photograph any damage and report it straight away, not weeks later.

When a cleaning company makes sense

A cleaning company is the better choice when you need capacity, a schedule that never slips or a VAT invoice.

• Offices and business premises: regular cleaning under contract, invoices, cover when staff are ill.
• Shared areas of a building and owners' associations (SVJ): stairs, corridors and entrances, often on a fixed rota.
• Big one-off jobs: deep cleaning, after renovation or moving, when several people come at once. Ohayno, for example, sends a team of three for a deep clean.
• Short-term rentals with many flats, where turnovers between guests have to happen every day.
• When a visit must not be missed and you do not want to organise cover yourself.

When an independent cleaner makes sense

For regular home cleaning an independent cleaner is usually the better fit: the same person comes, gets to know your flat and you deal with her directly.

• Regular cleaning of a flat or house, weekly or every two weeks.
• The same person every time: you trust one person with keys, children and pets, not a rota.
• No middleman: dates, tasks and small changes are sorted in one message, in English if she speaks it.
• No VAT if the cleaner is not VAT-registered.
• Receipts are still possible: a cleaner with a Company ID (IČO) must issue a receipt with the price and her Company ID on request.

How to decide and where to look

You can decide in five steps. HledámÚklid lists both independent cleaners and cleaning companies, so you do not have to choose in advance.

1. Write down what you need: floor area, frequency, tasks and whether you need a VAT invoice.
2. Need a team, guaranteed cover or a VAT invoice? Look for a company.
3. Cleaning your home and want the same person each time? Look for an independent cleaner.
4. Compare the total: VAT, travel, products and the minimum booking.
5. Agree on a shorter first clean, and only then on a regular arrangement.

When you post a request, you choose whether it is for a household or for a business, building or Airbnb. Household requests are seen by cleaners and companies nearby; business requests only by cleaning companies. 39 CZK is reserved on your card and charged when someone accepts; if nobody accepts within 6 days, you pay nothing. You then pay the cleaner or company directly, with no commission. If you run a cleaning company yourself and are looking for clients, see For companies.