The Cleaning Fairies Contract
Rates: The rate for cleanings that are scheduled in advance is $33 per hour. The rate for emergency service cleaning that is needed the same day is $40 per hour. Both rates include the cost of cleaning supplies, equipment, and labor.
Minimum: We require use of our services for a minimum of 3 hours per scheduled clean.
Billing and Invoices: We accept MasterCard and Visa as our only methods of payment. Your credit card will be charged within a day or two of cleaning. Electronic invoices are sent at time of billing and printed invoices are sent within a day of billing. The date of cleaning, number of cleaning hours, and amount charged to your credit card are itemized on each invoice. We will use email invoicing if you have an email address unless you tell us you would prefer a printed invoice. If you have not received an invoice, have questions about your invoice, or need us to provide a detailed account of a cleaning, please let us know as soon as possible.
Scheduling and Cancellation: Please schedule, and cancel, cleaning dates as far in advance as possible. We require 24 hours notice for cancellations, or the 3 hour minimum will be charged to you. The time we schedule to clean has been sold to you, and last-minute changes and cancellations prevent us from making your time slot available to other Cleaning Fairies clients. You will be receiving cleaning schedule sheets from us in the spring. Please fill these out as completely as possible. We will include extra sheets for you to use as your schedule fills in. Please use only these sheets, as they are easy for us to read and help prevent scheduling mistakes. Of course, you are always welcome to call or e-mail to add dates, or to confirm that we have your schedule.
*Check In/Check Out: We require a 6 hour window for rental turnover cleaning. For most of our clients, this means tenants check out at 9 a.m. and check in at 3 p.m. If your checkout time is 10 a.m. or later, we must have until 4 p.m. or later to clean. Please make sure that your rental agreements and leases with real estate agencies reflect this requirement. Trying to clean around tenants makes our job much more difficult. This means the process becomes more time-consuming for us, and more expensive for you. If your tenants have not departed by checkout time or have checked in early, it is our policy to leave, clean the other houses on our schedule, and return to your house last. A charge for making an additional trip to your house will be included on the cleaning bill for that day. Many realtors tell tenants who arrive early at your house to leave their luggage inside. We generally don't have a problem with this, but we cannot guarantee an immaculate house if incoming tenants use clean bathrooms or walk through areas that have already been vacuumed.
*Damage: We always do our best to check for damage done by tenants. We will let you know of any damage we notice as soon as possible so that the tenants responsible can be charged accordingly. However, we cannot guarantee that we will notice all damage to or theft from your house. You may want to ask your caretaker to do a detailed check of the house and its contents after the departure of each group of tenants.
*Laundry: We will do as much laundry on site as time allows during a turnover. Generally we are able to wash all laundry, but occasionally renters use extra towels/sheets. We suggest a locked cabinet (we need a key) to keep a second set of towels and sheets in. We need you to have at least two sets of towels and sheets in case we need to leave some towels drying when we leave. We strongly suggest any of our clients who rent to tenants have an account at Holdgate's Island Laundry. Holdgate's address is 4 Vesper Lane and their phone number is (508) 228-0750. We will drop off your laundry at Holdgate's and pick it up before your next turnover. Holdgate's will bill you directly. We charge $16.50 (one half hour of our $33 per hour rate) for drop-off and pick-up service.
*Supplies: We assume that you or your caretaker will keep your house supplied with laundry detergent, dish detergent, white shower liners and garbage bags. Please be sure to leave an adequate supply of soap, toilet paper, and paper towels, as well. We will be carrying a limited amount of the supplies listed below for emergencies. Please note when you see charges for these items you need to re-stock. Stocking your house with sufficient sheets, towels, bathroom rugs, etc. ensures that there will be enough for a turnover. Our experience is that tenants almost always use more linens than expected, so please allow for this.
*Cost of Supplies: Toilet paper - $1.00; Paper towels - $2.00; Trash bags, Shower liners - $4.00.
*Keys: We must have a key to your house. We cannot rely on caretakers, realtors, or tenants to leave a house unlocked. You may send a key to us at: 2 Greglen Ave., Suite 299, Nantucket 02554. We charge $16.50 (one half hour of our $33 per hour rate) for picking up keys from a realty company or caretaker. The same charge applies if we must duplicate your key, plus the cost of having the duplicate made.
Spring Cleaning: Many of our clients have us do a maintenance clean monthly even when they are not using it to keep it clean throughout the year. Others have not used their home in months and want it thoroughly cleaned. If we have not been in your house it will usually takes 1.5 to 2 times a normal clean to remove the amazing collection of bugs, webs and sometimes droppings. We clean inside all the kitchen cabinets and drawers as well as the outside faces. We also do a wipe and vac between the windows and storms. We get any marks off stair risers and walls, doors and switch plates. Get inside all vanity drawers and cabinets, closets and other enclosed areas.
End of Season Cleaning: Many of our clients want us to return their home to its “pre-tenant” state once the rental season is over. Please specify when you will be on-island, and what you would like done before your return. Some clients like us to straighten linen closets, clean out kitchen drawers, etc. For those of you who do not rent to tenants, please let us know what you would like done during our final cleaning of the season for you. Clear communication of your needs helps us clean to your satisfaction!
Contact Information: The phone/fax number for The Cleaning Fairies is 508-325-5044. Our mailing address is 2 Greglen Ave., Suite 299, Nantucket MA 02554. We ask that you contact us via e-mail whenever possible. Our e-mail address is info@cleaningfairies.net. We will respond to your e-mail within a day.
*These are pertinent only for people who rent their homes.