What a cleaning services contract should say

The short answer

Article 14 of the LFT requires a written contract stating the purpose of the service and the approximate number of workers. As additional contractual controls, define document deliverables, service levels, supervision, incidents, access, term, price, and exit arrangements. These are not all minimum requirements of that article, nor do they replace other legal obligations. A lawyer must validate the exact wording.

What the law requires and what is contractual practice

Under Article 14 of the LFT (Federal Labor Law), subcontracting specialized services must be documented in a written contract stating the purpose of the services and the approximate number of workers involved. The same article establishes that the client is jointly and severally liable if the contractor fails to meet its labor obligations to the workers used. Article 13 limits these services to those outside the client’s corporate purpose and primary economic activity, and Article 15 requires the contractor’s enrollment in the STPS public registry.

For tax purposes, Article 15-D of the CFF (Federal Tax Code) makes deductions and credits for these payments conditional on the contractor holding the registration required by Article 15 of the LFT and meeting the other requirements of the Income Tax Law and VAT Law. Your tax team determines what this means for your company.

The REPSE verification guide explains how to check registration step by step. Here, we assume you have already done so and focus on what the contract should say.

Important: a written contract, purpose, and approximate number of workers are formal requirements under Article 14 of the LFT. The other proposed clauses are tools for organizing the contract, but some address obligations that also arise from tax, labor, social security, safety, or privacy rules. Do not interpret this to mean everything else is optional.

Compliance provisions

1. Purpose and scope. Describe the service, not the staff: areas, frequencies, schedules, cleaning types (general, deep, specialized work), and exclusions. A vague scope description can lead to disagreements. If the contract refers to “making workers available,” ask Legal to review it, because the LFT prohibits personnel subcontracting (Art. 12).

2. Approximate number of workers. This is required content under Article 14. Also define how changes in headcount are reported and who provides notification.

3. Compliance documents. List what the provider delivers, how often, and to whom: valid registration and authorized services, dated compliance opinions from SAT, IMSS, and Infonavit, and acknowledgments of four-month contract reporting (ICSOE to IMSS; SISUB to Infonavit). SISUB is filed every four months: May 1–17, September 1–17, and January 1–17, according to Infonavit itself. A delivery calendar in an appendix prevents this from depending on reminders.

4. Consequences of nondelivery. Ask Legal to define remediation, suspension, or termination based on the breach and applicable law. Do not assume withholding payment is automatically valid: any payment measure or penalty requires a lawyer’s review and does not eliminate obligations to workers or authorities.

Operational provisions

5. Service levels and supervision. Measurable indicators (frequency compliance, response times, area conditions), verification methods (logs, walkthroughs, forms), and who signs off on acceptance. Without indicators, “poor quality” is only an opinion.

6. Reports. What the provider reports (schedule compliance, incidents, supply consumption if applicable), how often, and in what format.

7. Incidents and damage. Define notification, immediate response, deadlines, documentation, and investigation. The provider retains its obligations as an employer; the receiving facility retains its legally applicable safety and cooperation obligations and responsibilities. A clause cannot exclude labor rights or replace the emergency protocol.

8. Insurance. Coverage the provider must maintain (generally liability coverage and coverage appropriate to your facility risks), minimum amounts set by your risk team, and the obligation to provide current proof. There is no standard amount: it depends on your facilities and policy.

9. Confidentiality and access. Rules for physical access (credentials, schedules, restricted areas, keys), use of information staff may see, and confidentiality obligations. If the provider will process personal data, or if you give it lists of individuals, ask your lawyer to refer to the Federal Law on the Protection of Personal Data Held by Private Parties, whose current text was published in the DOF on March 20, 2025 (latest amendment indicated: November 14, 2025).

10. Third-party subcontracting. Define restrictions and prior written authorization, with Legal’s review. Client authorization does not legalize prohibited personnel subcontracting or exempt a third party from REPSE where applicable; verify specialization, registrations, responsibilities, and access before allowing entry.

Exit provisions and general rules

11. Term, renewal, and price adjustment. Start and end dates, automatic or express renewal, advance notice, and an adjustment mechanism (for example, an agreed index or formula) rather than renegotiating from scratch each year. This is an area where the price may change for reasons beyond the provider’s control, such as minimum wage adjustments; the contract must state how these are or are not passed through.

12. Early termination and transition. Grounds for termination by either party, notice period, amounts payable through the exit date, return of keys, credentials, inventories, and documents, and a reasonable transition period so the next provider can take over without service gaps. The effects of termination, termination for breach, or contractual penalties depend on the wording and applicable civil or commercial law; we do not summarize them here because they must be reviewed with your lawyer.

13. Jurisdiction and addresses. Applicable laws and courts, notice addresses, and representatives of each party. Ask your lawyer to confirm the appropriate arrangement, especially if the parties are in different states.

Common mistakes

1. Generic contract copied from another service. It does not reflect cleaning frequencies, areas, or risks.
2. Scope without appendices. Areas, schedules, and frequencies belong in an appendix that is kept updated.
3. Compliance documents without a calendar. Requested at onboarding and never again.
4. No exit clause. The problem arises when switching providers.
5. Headcount that differs from actual operations. Operations and Legal must validate it together.
6. Deciding solely on price. A very low rate is a reason to ask what is not covered, not proof of noncompliance.

Cautions

Core clause checklist (content guide)

*How to use: bring this to your meeting with Legal before signing or renewing, and mark where each row is addressed in the contract.*