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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Cleaner let cats into living room

648 replies

slithytoveisascientist · 12/10/2023 11:27

Last week she let them into bedroom and luckily I caught it before anything happened. I reminded her and she was very apologetic and promised to be more careful.

This week she has left the living room door open and the cats have gone in and scratched my leather sofa. It’s never had any damage before and I’m gutted.

AIBU to ask to claim on her insurance for a repair, and will I even have any success?

Cleaner let cats into living room
OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Hazey19 · 15/10/2023 18:30

YABVU sorry.

Pleaseme · 15/10/2023 19:23

Sbera · 15/10/2023 18:03

Forgive me as I’ve not read the entire thread so this may have been covered. I’m sorry your settees have been ruined.

I don’t think you are being unreasonable as you’ve effectively given an employee/contractor some clear instructions that they haven’t followed, whether people agree with the instructions or not.

So the insurance question and whether you’d have any luck. For context I work in the nanny industry and look after our insurance for nannies in the family home. So a very similar set up.

It’s likely the insurance the cleaner/cleaning company has is public liability insurance.

How this works is as follows.

  1. You claim on your own insurance for the damage to the settees
  2. There will be a difference between the actual cost and what your insurance pays out. For example, your excess. Possibly your time that you could charge for for waiting in for a repair company or replacement delivery.
  3. You effectively sue the cleaner for this difference. You have to take the cleaner to (usually small claims) court at your cost.

Case study.
A nanny split some cleaning product on some wooden work tops and damaged them.
The family claimed on their own insurance which had an excess of £300. The family also took a day of work to be in when replacement worktops were fitted at a cost of £300 for a days work. (They had to prove this was an unpaid day off work rather than just I’ll work from home that day)

The family sued the nanny for the £600 additional cost. To take the nanny to court cost them a £1000 solicitor bill.

The nanny had public liability insurance which she kicked in. This had an excess of £50 on the policy.
Nanny paid this £50 and the public liability paid the remainder of £1550.

It’s lengthy and annoying but just the way public liability in a domestic premises works.

Just an FYI it may be worth checking your own insurance policy to see if it has either employer liability insurance or mirror public liability. It you don’t have this then the cleaner could quite easily counter claim they are not protected in your home causing a far bigger headache. Most home insurance policies have this as standard to cover things like tradespeople but there are a couple where it is an added feature.

Hope that helps understand the process.

I think the difference is the nanny caused the damage. The cleaner left an interior door open, that didn’t damage the sofas. Are the cats and their actions the cleaners responsibility, the ops responsibility or no one’s responsibility given they are wild animals? It’s not really as clear cut as the example given.

readingrocks · 15/10/2023 19:33

I like my cleaner to have a clear, safe time and put Tiddles in one room while he/she works. She is asleep within five minutes and is not unhappy about it. Your house is a place of work for your cleaner. Give her the best chance at doing a great job and keep your pets out of the way. Just curious what your contingency is if your cats were to scratch/bite/trip up your cleaner?

Sbera · 15/10/2023 19:38

Oh 100%
it’s not clear cut at all. The point of my post was just to illustrate how the process “could” work if you explored it.

PhantomUnicorn · 15/10/2023 20:07

OH my goodness.. this thread has been a ride from start to end...

OP, I'm sorry you seem to have suffered the fate of idiots who can't read...

YANBU to expect your cleaner to shut doors, at all.

Val36 · 15/10/2023 20:23

There are your cats therefore your responsibility. You need to close them in somewhere when cleaner is coming. Cats can sneak in so quickly, yes I know you asked her to close a door and maybe she forgot but at the end of the day they’re still your responsibility not hers.

BPDory · 15/10/2023 20:46

Kind of on the fence about it. I mean I agree she should have closed the door after she was done, but she's paid to clean not to take care of the cats and their where abouts. If you want someone to ensure the cats are kept where they're supposed to be then hiring a pet sitter might be worth considering. I doubt you'll have any success in claiming if you try, but you might be successful if you can prove she'd agree to close the door. It's also worth considering that if you do she's unlikely to continue working for you and if the agency (or other cleaners she associates with) feel they may be at risk of being sued/having a claim against them it may be difficult to replace her.

But I'm more surprised you have cats. They're destructive and playful and well known for enjoying the feel of leather under their claws, if adapting your home to their needs wasn't something you were prepared to do before you had them they seem like an odd choice of pet.

JustAnotherOpinion123 · 16/10/2023 01:27

slithytoveisascientist · 12/10/2023 11:39

They didn't sneak in

Door was wide open

They aren't around when she is cleaning they hate the noise

Does no one think she should have kept the door shut when asked?

I can relate. DH doesn't like the cats going upstairs - they have the run of downstairs and constant access to outside.
It has been the case for the 2.5 years we've lived in this house. Most visitors have been told this and without fail, every time we have visitors, at least one of the cats manages to sneak upstairs. Most remember we don't like them going upstairs based on the usual "oh no sorry" response as they run out the door, but don't typically remember until it happens.

They have done some damage to our carpets but we would never think to ask our guests to reimburse us for damage - they are our cats, we chose to have them, we can only do so much in reducing damage and really the rules we have in place for our cats are not going to be a guests priority. Your cleaner's priority is getting the house clean, not cat sitting.

Its annoying but part of cat ownership. I'm impressed that this is the first time you've had an issue, particularly with them being house cats!

Tawkabreather23 · 16/10/2023 02:22

Oh I agree with you 100% she didn’t do as asked and your property is damaged .
Id be upset . I have a cat and I don’t let them in sitting room at night for this reason or when I go out at day. Well loved older cat but cats destroy stuff if they are left to do so .

You asked and she ignored now your property is damaged. .

LeedsMum87 · 16/10/2023 04:08

If your sofa is relatively new, did you get insurance out on it when you bought it? If so, most cover pet damage. When you call to claim tell them it happened that day. They will repair or replace.
we got a new sofa last year and paid extra for insurance as we have a baby and a dog and accidents are likely to happen at some point!
I get it’s annoying about the cleaner leaving the door open but sounds like an honest mistake.
Whenever we have people in the house doing any work we keep our dog in the office with me or my husband so she’s out the way but also there’s no risk of her running outside if the front door is open. You could do the same in future with your cats so they don’t go where they’re not allowed to?

GirlsAndPenguins · 16/10/2023 08:06

It’s a difficult one. I know you said they don’t like the noise but what about if they came in when she was dusting or moving her things?
You surely can’t be 100% certain it was after she left?
I think she should close the door, but obviously if cats were there before she went to close the door she would leave it open. I personally wouldn’t be removing the cats, I’m not a cat fan!

Anyotherdude · 16/10/2023 08:20

It seems strange to have a main pet (cat or dog) and to restrict them to just two rooms. Cats, like dogs are naturally curious and need mental stimulation, so I feel it is quite cruel to restrict them to small areas of the house.

That said, it’s clearly irritating that the cleaner left the door open, but unreasonable to expect her to pay for the damage - that’s what YOUR home insurance is for…

Original poster
slithytoveisascientist · 16/10/2023 08:42

GirlsAndPenguins · 16/10/2023 08:06

It’s a difficult one. I know you said they don’t like the noise but what about if they came in when she was dusting or moving her things?
You surely can’t be 100% certain it was after she left?
I think she should close the door, but obviously if cats were there before she went to close the door she would leave it open. I personally wouldn’t be removing the cats, I’m not a cat fan!

I am 100% sure

So is she

She never sees the cats

OP posts:
Original poster
slithytoveisascientist · 16/10/2023 08:43

Anyotherdude · 16/10/2023 08:20

It seems strange to have a main pet (cat or dog) and to restrict them to just two rooms. Cats, like dogs are naturally curious and need mental stimulation, so I feel it is quite cruel to restrict them to small areas of the house.

That said, it’s clearly irritating that the cleaner left the door open, but unreasonable to expect her to pay for the damage - that’s what YOUR home insurance is for…

They are restricted FROM two rooms

1 bed and 1 living room

They are allowed in the rest - they basically have access to a three bed house with garage

OP posts:
ConfusingTrousers · 16/10/2023 08:51

Those cats knew exactly what they were doing and are enjoying the drama.

givemeasunnyday · 16/10/2023 09:04

Sorry, but I don't approve of people having cats and then limiting what areas of the house they are allowed in. You are not a cat lover. I don't have expensive furniture because I have cats, they share my home and they are allowed wherever they want to go - and if they scratch something, then so be it.

AlphaBravoGamma · 16/10/2023 09:17

givemeasunnyday · 16/10/2023 09:04

Sorry, but I don't approve of people having cats and then limiting what areas of the house they are allowed in. You are not a cat lover. I don't have expensive furniture because I have cats, they share my home and they are allowed wherever they want to go - and if they scratch something, then so be it.

Well luckily for the world, you aren't the sole arbitrer of what's allowed and what's not!

We have 1 room that's totally off limits for cats, it contains things that would harm them (but essential for work) and is also used as a bedroom for visitors who are allergic to cats. We also have a room that has leather sofas, and they are only allowed in there when there's someone in there. And even with supervision in that room, one of them managed to pull down the small TV and break it.

This thread is an excellent example of the appallingly bad levels of comprehension amongst the mumsnet readers. Is comprehension no longer part of the GCSE English syllabus?

WonderWoman1009 · 16/10/2023 09:36

Honestly, no I don't think you're unreasonable for being annoyed. I have dogs and there's a few rooms they aren't allowed in ie. Toddlers bedroom and our bedroom without supervision. The latter is because our frenchie has had accidents before and he's only allowed in with us if we know he's been out to the toilet. I would be furious if my cleaner had left the gate open and he got in and weed on our bed, despite being asked not to allow them in. I think the comments making you out to be the unreasonable one are very harsh. That being said I think you'd have a tough time with her insurance as they are your cats and you can't prove they did the damage because of her leaving the door open. If she can't follow simple instructions, maybe find someone else.

PhantomUnicorn · 16/10/2023 10:43

Anyotherdude · 16/10/2023 08:20

It seems strange to have a main pet (cat or dog) and to restrict them to just two rooms. Cats, like dogs are naturally curious and need mental stimulation, so I feel it is quite cruel to restrict them to small areas of the house.

That said, it’s clearly irritating that the cleaner left the door open, but unreasonable to expect her to pay for the damage - that’s what YOUR home insurance is for…

you wont like us then, dogs not allowed upstairs.. he's restricted to the downstairs which is just the lounge & Kitchen/Dining room.

user123212 · 16/10/2023 11:34

A cleaner doesn't have much money. Why would you do that to her? You're threatening her livelihood over a sofa.

Hibiscrubbed · 16/10/2023 11:53

user123212 · 16/10/2023 11:34

A cleaner doesn't have much money. Why would you do that to her? You're threatening her livelihood over a sofa.

She owns the cleaning company and has employees. Doubt she’s on the breadline.

Hibiscrubbed · 16/10/2023 11:56

Anyotherdude · 16/10/2023 08:20

It seems strange to have a main pet (cat or dog) and to restrict them to just two rooms. Cats, like dogs are naturally curious and need mental stimulation, so I feel it is quite cruel to restrict them to small areas of the house.

That said, it’s clearly irritating that the cleaner left the door open, but unreasonable to expect her to pay for the damage - that’s what YOUR home insurance is for…

You won’t like me then, I have cows and horses and I restrict them to outside. I’d be furious if the housekeeper left the back door open and they all got in.

Original poster
slithytoveisascientist · 16/10/2023 13:52

user123212 · 16/10/2023 11:34

A cleaner doesn't have much money. Why would you do that to her? You're threatening her livelihood over a sofa.

I'm shocked by all these assumptions and find them very patronising

I'm almost certain she earns more than me

OP posts:
AliceOlive · 16/10/2023 15:57

slithytoveisascientist · 16/10/2023 13:52

I'm shocked by all these assumptions and find them very patronising

I'm almost certain she earns more than me

Show quote history

I’ve had multiple cleaners who had second homes on the beach.

My current cleaner told me he makes tens of thousands cleaning out houses for estates.

AliceOlive · 16/10/2023 15:58

ConfusingTrousers · 16/10/2023 08:51

Those cats knew exactly what they were doing and are enjoying the drama.

This is the truth of it all.