Should You Be Home When the Cleaners Come?

Written by MaidEX Cleaning Services Editorial Team · Reviewed by Milad Hoseini, Founder & CEO · Published October 13, 2026 · 6 min read

It's one of the most common questions people have before their first clean, and it's rarely about the cleaning itself — it's about comfort. Do you take the afternoon off and hover politely in the next room? Do you hand over a key and hope for the best? Is it weird to leave a stranger alone in your home?

Here's the short, honest answer: no, you don't have to be home when the cleaners come. Most regular clients aren't. But whether you *should* be is entirely your call, and there are good reasons for both. Let's walk through them so you can pick what actually suits your life.

The short answer: it's your choice

There's no rule that says you must be present, and there's no rule that says you must leave. Some people love being home; others love coming back to a finished house. Both are completely normal, and a professional cleaning service is set up for either. What matters most is that the cleaner can get in and knows anything they need to know before they start.

Being home: the pros and cons

Why people stay home. Being there for the visit lets you let the cleaner in yourself, show them around, and point out the things that matter to you — the shower that always needs extra attention, the surface that scratches easily, the room to skip. For a first visit especially, a quick walk-through can set the tone nicely. Some people simply feel more comfortable being present the first time, and there's nothing wrong with that.

The downsides. Cleaning takes time, and being home means blocking out that time. You'll also want to stay out of the rooms being worked on, so you're not really relaxing at home so much as waiting. And honestly, most people find it slightly awkward to sit and watch someone clean around them. That's not a reason to leave — it's just worth knowing going in.

Being out: the pros and cons

Why people leave. The biggest appeal is obvious: you leave a lived-in home and come back to a clean one, with none of the time cost. You get your day back. There's no awkwardness, the cleaner can work efficiently without navigating around you, and the whole thing happens invisibly. This is how the majority of recurring clients run it.

The one thing to sort out. If you're out, you need to arrange access and communicate anything the cleaner should know — an alarm code, a room to leave alone, a tricky lock. That's a two-minute job once, and after that it runs itself.

How access works when you're not there

You have more options than you might think, and none of them are complicated:

• Meet them and leave. Let the cleaner in at the start, then head out and let them lock up (or return to lock up yourself). Nice for a first visit.
• A key or lockbox. Leave a key in a combination lockbox by the door and share the code. Simple, secure, and common for recurring plans.
• Buzzer, fob, or concierge. In a Metro Vancouver condo or apartment, you can leave a fob with the concierge, buzz the cleaner up remotely, or arrange building access through your strata. Just check your building's guest and contractor rules first — some require sign-in.
• Smart locks. A one-time or scheduled code on a smart lock is clean and revocable.

Whatever you choose, tell us how access works when you book, and flag anything unusual. A little clarity upfront means a smooth visit every time. Our guide on how to prepare for a house cleaner covers the full pre-visit checklist.

Security and trust: why this matters

Handing over access to your home is a real act of trust, and you should never feel casual about it. That's exactly why *who* you hire matters more than whether you're home.

This is where booking a proper company beats an anonymous one-off. MaidEX is fully insured, and our cleaners are background-checked — so you know who's coming into your home, and you're protected if something goes wrong. We also offer a Spot Report property check, where cleaners can flag and photograph any issue they notice during a visit, giving you a record of what happened while you were out. If you want to dig into this properly, we wrote a whole honest guide on whether it's safe to hire a house cleaner in Vancouver.

The point is simple: once you trust the service, being home or not stops being a security question and becomes purely a convenience one.

What about pets?

Pets are their own consideration, and often the deciding factor for whether people stay home. Even a friendly dog can get anxious with a stranger and a vacuum moving through the house, and an open door during a clean is how cats get out.

If you'll be out, the easiest approach is to secure pets in a room, crate, or yard the cleaner won't be working in, and let us know they're there so the team can be considerate. If you'd rather be home to manage your pet yourself, that's a perfectly good reason to stay.

First visit versus recurring

A useful rule of thumb: be home (or at least meet them) for the first visit if it makes you comfortable, then relax into whatever suits you for the recurring ones. Being there once lets you set expectations, show the layout, and get a feel for the team. After that, most people happily switch to leaving a key or code and getting their day back. If you're new to the whole thing, our walkthrough on what to expect when hiring a cleaner for the first time covers the rest.

The bottom line

You don't have to be home when the cleaners come — plenty of people are, plenty aren't, and both are normal. Sort out access, secure your pets, and choose a service you trust. When you're ready, you can get an instant, upfront, flat-rate quote — charged with 5% GST only, no PST — with no phone call required at book your clean.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to be home when the cleaners come? No. Many people are out during their clean and come home to a finished house. You just need to arrange access — a key, a lockbox code, a smart-lock code, or a building fob or concierge — and let us know anything the cleaner should be aware of, like an alarm code or a room to skip.

Is it safe to let cleaners into my home when I'm not there? It comes down to who you hire. MaidEX is fully insured and our cleaners are background-checked, so you know who's in your home and you're protected. Our optional Spot Report also lets cleaners photograph and flag any issue during a visit, giving you a record of what happened while you were out.

How do cleaners get into a Vancouver condo or apartment? Common options are leaving a fob with the concierge, buzzing the cleaner up remotely, or arranging access through your strata or building management. Check your building's guest and contractor rules first, as some require visitors to sign in.

Should I be home for the first clean? It's a good idea if it makes you comfortable. Being there for the first visit lets you let the cleaner in, show them the layout, and point out anything specific. After that, most people switch to leaving a key or code for recurring visits.

What should I do with my pets during a clean? Secure them in a room, crate, or yard the cleaner won't be working in, and let us know they're there. This keeps a nervous pet calm and prevents cats or dogs from slipping out an open door while the team works.

About the author

Milad Hoseini

Founder & CEO, MaidEX Cleaning Services

Written by the MaidEX Cleaning Services Editorial Team and reviewed by Milad Hoseini, who founded MaidEX in Vancouver. MaidEX provides insured, background-checked cleaning across Metro Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. More about MaidEX →

How this guide was made

This guide draws on MaidEX's hands-on cleaning experience across Metro Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, along with publicly available sources. It was drafted with the help of AI tools, then reviewed and fact-checked by our editorial team and approved by Milad Hoseini, Founder & CEO, before publishing.