Hiring a cleaner in Finland

Hiring a cleaner in Finland — legal and practical guide

Updated: 2026-04-20

By the Prime Cleaning Services team · Cleaning Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa since 2012 · About us

Hiring someone to clean your home in Finland is straightforward once you understand three things: who you’re paying (a registered company, an individual entrepreneur, or — to be avoided — an undocumented worker), what paperwork makes the work kotitalousvähennys-eligible, and what market rates look like in the Helsinki capital region. This guide covers all three.

Three ways to hire — and which you probably want

Hire a cleaning company (like Prime Cleaning Services avoin yhtiö). They handle payroll, insurance, VAT, and invoicing. Kotitalousvähennys applies to labour. Recommended for most households.
Hire a registered individual entrepreneur (toiminimi). They have a Y-tunnus and issue invoices. Kotitalousvähennys still applies, but scheduling continuity depends on one person’s availability.
Employ a cleaner directly as your household employee. Possible but involves you becoming an employer: withholding tax, TyEL pension contributions, social security, insurance. Kotitalousvähennys applies but at a different rate. Practical only for long-term live-in help. Rare.

Almost all Finnish households choose option 1. It’s the simplest, the invoice is cleanest for tax purposes, and you get continuity plus backup coverage (if your usual cleaner is sick, the company sends someone else).

Paperwork the service provider must have

Before you book, verify two things at ytj.fi (search by company name or Y-tunnus):

Y-tunnus (business ID) — proves the company is registered with the Finnish Business Information System. For Prime Cleaning: 2486114-7.
Ennakkoperintärekisteri (Prepayment Register) — confirms the company handles their own tax prepayments and is eligible for kotitalousvähennys-qualifying work.

If a company is missing from the Prepayment Register, you lose the tax credit. Always worth a 30-second check at ytj.fi before booking.

What a proper invoice includes

Company legal name and Y-tunnus
Customer name and home address
Dates of service
Labour hours × hourly rate — itemized separately from travel, materials, or equipment
VAT (ALV 24 %) breakdown
Any add-on services separately listed
Total due and payment terms

Verohallinto (Finnish Tax Administration) only lets you deduct the labour portion via kotitalousvähennys — so the labour line needs to be visible as its own number. Prime Cleaning invoices are formatted this way by default.

Market rates in Helsinki capital region (2026)

Service type	Typical hourly rate	Effective rate after kotitalousvähennys
Home cleaning	28–36 €/h + 24 % VAT	~22–28 €/h
Move-out cleaning	30–40 €/h + 24 % VAT	~24–31 €/h
Office cleaning	25–35 €/h + 24 % VAT (contract)	N/A (business)

Anything dramatically under the low end of this range usually signals one of two things: an undocumented worker (no Y-tunnus, no VAT, no kotitalousvähennys eligibility), or a company that cuts corners on insurance, training, or product quality. Both cost more in the long run.

Red flags to avoid

Cash-only payment, no invoice — uncomfortable for you legally, and no tax credit
No Y-tunnus or missing from ytj.fi register
No liability insurance — if someone breaks your grandmother’s vase or slips on your floor, who pays?
Price quoted per job with no hourly breakdown — you can still deduct, but it’s harder to compare offers and ambiguity favours the provider
Reluctance to walk through the work before the first visit
No written contract or terms for recurring service

What to ask when you call

“What’s your Y-tunnus and are you in ennakkoperintärekisteri?”
“What’s the hourly rate and what’s included?”
“Do you carry liability insurance (vastuuvakuutus)?”
“Do you provide equipment and products, or should I supply them?”
“Will it be the same cleaner each visit for recurring service?”
“How do you handle sick days or no-shows?”
“What’s the cancellation policy?”

After hiring

Keep invoices for 6 years — Verohallinto can ask for them
Claim kotitalousvähennys via OmaVero during the tax year or at filing
Give feedback early if anything isn’t right — recurring service improves rapidly with two-way communication

Book with a compliant, insured Helsinki cleaner

Prime Cleaning Services avoin yhtiö (Y-tunnus 2486114-7) has been cleaning homes and offices in Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa since 2012. Registered with ytj.fi, in ennakkoperintärekisteri, fully insured (vastuuvakuutus), kotitalousvähennys-ready invoices. Call Eric 040 670 25 77 or Kareen 040 670 25 75, or email info@primecleaning.fi.

EN | FI · FAQ