How to choose the right cleaning provider: 7 questions you should ask

Ask seven questions before choosing a cleaning provider: do they have legal status in Renholdsregisteret, do they measure quality using INSTA 800, do they hold ISO 9001/14001/45001, do they pay collective agreement wages, and can they provide references? A reliable choice typically costs 35-75 NOK per sqm per month. If you choose based on price alone, you inherit the risk of undeclared work and poor quality.

Cleaning looks simple on paper. The difference between providers lies in what you do not see: whether the floor actually gets clean every day, whether the cleaner receives tariff wages, and whether you are legally secure when the Labour Inspection Authority visits. Here is the checklist we believe you should use.

1. Does the provider have legal status in Renholdsregisteret?

This is the first thing you check, and it is non-negotiable. All cleaning businesses in Norway must apply for approval and hold a legal status in the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority's Renholdsregisteret. "Godkjent", "Søknad under behandling", and "HMS-kortbestilling under behandling" are legal statuses. It is illegal to purchase cleaning services from a business lacking such a status, and the responsibility falls on you as the buyer.

Approval requires HSE cards for everyone performing cleaning work, including sole proprietors working alone. Businesses with employees must also have an agreement with an approved occupational health service (BHT). You can look up any provider in the public register in under a minute. Ask for their organization number and verify that their status is legal – do not take "of course we are registered" at face value. Read more about this in legal cleaning services and Renholdsregisteret.

2. How do they measure cleaning quality?

"Good quality" means nothing without a benchmark. Ask whether the provider uses NS-INSTA 800, the Nordic standard for measuring cleaning quality. It divides cleanliness into objective levels, ensuring that both you and the provider share the same understanding when evaluating if a surface is clean enough.

With INSTA 800 in the agreement, you can conduct spot checks and document the results. That way, you avoid disputes based on gut feeling. A provider offering this has carefully considered how to follow up on quality over time, not just deliver it during the first week.

3. Do they hold ISO certifications?

Certifications are not just website decorations. They demonstrate that the provider relies on documented systems audited by an independent third party. Three are particularly relevant for cleaning:

A provider with ISO 9001 maintains written procedures for what happens when a cleaner falls ill or when you lodge a complaint. That is the difference between an organization and an individual with a mop.

4. Is the service eco-labeled?

Many believe the Nordic Swan Ecolabel only applies to products. That is not correct – the Nordic Swan Ecolabel can also certify the cleaning service itself. The label then imposes strict requirements for a high proportion of eco-labeled products and ensures employees are treated according to laws and regulations, including pay and working conditions.

The latter point is worth noting: a Nordic Swan Ecolabeled cleaning service also serves as a check on corporate responsibility. If your company maintains its own environmental goals or reports on sustainability, this provides documentation you can present to customers and owners.

5. Do you get a dedicated contact person and structured follow-up?

What shapes your daily experience is whom you call when something is not right. Ask specifically: Will we get a named contact person? How quickly do you respond? How do you handle non-conformities, and how are they reported back?

At a larger, professional provider, there is an operations manager who knows your building, a coverage plan when someone is sick, and a system for logging non-conformities. A small provider may be skilled, but when the contact person goes on holiday or leaves, both quality and oversight often vanish. Ask to know what happens if your cleaner leaves on short notice.

6. Can they provide references and relevant case studies?

Ask for three references from customers similar to you in size and type of premises. An office building, a medical centre, and a warehouse have completely different requirements. A provider experienced with similar assignments recognizes potential pitfalls before they occur.

Actually call the references. Ask if the quality has remained consistent over time, how complaints were handled, and whether they would choose the provider again. A serious company shares references without hesitation. If you receive vague answers or "unfortunately, we cannot provide that", take it as a warning sign in itself.

7. Do they pay tariff wages, and do they offer realistic pricing?

For employees over 18 years of age in private cleaning companies, the universally applied minimum wage is 236.54 NOK per hour as of 15 June 2025. When someone enters far below market rates on hourly pricing, you should look closer at scope, registration, and working conditions. Price alone does not reveal what someone is paid or whether the work is legal.

The prices here are approximate starting points for 2026, not a binding quote. The cost of an assignment depends on size, condition, and accessibility. You will receive the final price in a concrete quote from us – and it is often higher than the lowest estimate. Request a quote to get a price that actually applies to your home or premises.

Regular office cleaning typically ranges from 35-75 NOK per sqm per month, or 450-600 NOK per hour on hourly rates. In central areas of Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, and Stavanger, rates are often 10-20% higher. A quote that is suspiciously cheap is rarely a good deal – it is a risk you pay for later. See what is typical in our guide on office cleaning prices.

A brief note on tenders and requirements specifications

If you are preparing a tender, make your work easier by building the requirements specification around these same seven points. This keeps quotes comparable, preventing you from receiving seven different formats that cannot be weighted against each other.

A good requirements specification should at least include:

1. Requirement for legal status in Renholdsregisteret (org. no. provided and verified).
2. Quality level defined according to NS-INSTA 800, with the right to conduct spot checks.
3. Requirement for relevant ISO certifications (9001/14001/45001).
4. Environmental requirements, such as a proportion of eco-labeled products or a Nordic Swan Ecolabeled service.
5. Description of contact person, response time, and non-conformity management.
6. At least three relevant references.
7. Confirmation of tariff wages and pricing proportional to market rates.

Weight quality and corporate responsibility, not just the lowest price. The cheapest provider often becomes the most expensive once you factor in complaints, re-cleaning, and switching providers after six months.

How Vaskeladden does it

Vaskeladden delivers commercial cleaning to offices, healthcare facilities, and commercial premises across several regions in Norway. We hold "Godkjent" status in Renholdsregisteret; you can verify our legal status by looking up our organisation number in the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority's Renholdsregisteret. We measure quality according to INSTA 800, and you get a dedicated point of contact who knows your building. If you need to compare multiple providers, you can use our checklist for choosing a cleaning provider as a template when requesting a quote.

The most important piece of advice: use the seven questions as a filter before looking at the price. That way, you choose a provider you are still satisfied with in two years' time, not just during the trial month.