Founding
Starting a cleaning company in Austria – step by step
From the right trade licence to the first registration with the health insurance fund – the process as it really works in Austria, including the pitfalls.
Contents
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In short: To clean offices, shops or medical practices in Austria you need the regulated trade “Denkmal-, Fassaden- und Gebäudereinigung” (monument, façade and building cleaning) – with proof of qualification or a trade-law managing director. The free trade “Hausbetreuung” (caretaking) is not enough. Then come legal form, start-up advice (NeuFöG), trade registration, SVS, tax office and – once you hire – registration via ELDA before work starts. This article does not replace legal or tax advice. As of October 2026.
We are a cleaning company in Vienna. When people ask us how to get started, the questions are almost always the same: Which licence? Sole trader or GmbH? What does a cleaner really cost? This guide walks through the steps in the order that makes sense in practice – and points out where founders most often lose money.
1. Which trade licence?
“Cleaning” is not one single trade in Austria. There are two routes, and they differ significantly in what you are allowed to offer.
Regulated craft: building cleaning
The regulated trade covers, among others, ongoing contract cleaning and deep cleaning (also after construction), cleaning of offices, hospitals, care homes, industrial sites and vehicles, and façade, glass and window cleaning. If you want business clients, you will almost always need this licence.
Proof of qualification: the master craftsman exam plus entrepreneur exam, or combinations allowed by the access regulation, for example:
- an apprenticeship in building cleaning (or a relevant vocational school) followed by several years of practice as an employee,
- several years as self-employed or as a plant manager plus professional practice,
- a relevant degree (e.g. chemistry, civil engineering) plus practice.
You can also have your individual qualification recognised (§ 19 GewO). The WKO start-up service or the trade authority will tell you which option fits. Details: Trade licence for cleaning in Austria – building cleaning (regulated) or caretaking (free)?.
Without your own proof: a trade-law managing director
If you don’t (yet) have the qualification yourself, you can appoint a qualified trade-law managing director (§ 39 GewO). In a GmbH this person must be a member of the management body or be employed for at least half of the normal weekly working hours with full social insurance. That is a real cost you need to build into your first years’ pricing.
Free trade “Hausbetreuung” – and where it ends
The free trade “Hausbetreuung” (caretaking, simple cleaning) needs no proof of qualification. According to the federal list of free trades it covers cleaning of stairwells, corridors, cellars, laundry rooms and lifts in residential buildings (normal soiling), household-like flat cleaning, window cleaning without special safety measures, simple gardening, pavement cleaning and snow clearing.
It explicitly excludes activities reserved for the building-cleaning craft – the list names façade cleaning and office cleaning. Cleaning offices with the free trade risks proceedings for unauthorised trading.
2. Legal form
Many start as sole traders (optionally registered as e.U.): few formalities, cash-basis accounting up to the legal thresholds, but unlimited personal liability.
A GmbH separates business and private assets more strongly. Since 1 January 2024 the minimum share capital is €10,000, at least €5,000 paid in cash. You add notary, commercial register, double-entry bookkeeping and annual accounts. With staff, keys and liability risks this is worth considering – after a conversation with a tax adviser.
3. Start-up advice and NeuFöG
Before registering anything, get advice at the WKO start-up service and have the NeuFö 2 form confirmed. The New Business Promotion Act exempts certain stamp duties and administrative fees directly connected with the start-up, and commercial register fees.
Particularly relevant for cleaning: the exemption from certain payroll costs (employer contribution to the family burden equalisation fund, housing subsidy contribution, accident insurance). It applies within 36 months of the founding month for a maximum of twelve months, starting with the month you employ your first person – in the first year without a cap on headcount, afterwards only for the first three employees. Condition: no comparable business activity in the last five years.
4. Registering the trade
At the trade authority (in Vienna the district office) or online via the business service portal (USP/GISA, with ID Austria). With NeuFö 2 there are no fees. For the craft you attach proof of qualification or the managing-director documents. Registration makes you a member of the Chamber of Commerce (WKO).
5. SVS and tax office
With the licence you are compulsorily insured with the SVS. 2026 rates: pension 18.5 %, health 6.8 %, self-employed provision 1.53 % of the contribution basis, plus accident insurance of €12.95 per month; minimum contribution basis €551.10 per month (minimum contribution €160.81 plus accident insurance). Final contributions follow the income tax assessment – back-payments often arrive years later. Build reserves.
At the tax office you report the start of business via FinanzOnline and get a tax number and, if needed, a VAT ID. Below €55,000 gross turnover per year you can use the small-business VAT exemption (since 2025): Small-business VAT exemption, SVS and taxes in the first year.
6. Insurance
You work in other people’s premises, often with keys or access cards. Business liability insurance including key loss and damage to treated surfaces is essential – many clients ask for proof: Insurance for cleaning companies – what you really need.
7. Pricing before your first quote
The most common mistake is not the wrong licence but pricing too low. Charging the collective-agreement wage “plus a bit” forgets special payments, payroll costs, holidays, sick leave, travel time and your own office work: Calculating the hourly rate for cleaning – the right way. Monthly prices per site: office cleaning prices per m².
8. First employees
The collective agreement for building cleaning applies. 2026 minimum hourly wages: wage group 6 (ongoing office cleaning) €12.37, wage group 2 (special cleaning incl. windows and façades) €13.30. From 1 January 2027 the groups are restructured according to the agreement (WG 1 €15.76, WG 2 €13.54, WG 3a and 3b €13.23 each, WG 4 contract cleaning €12.73 – please check the current text): Collective agreement for building cleaning in Austria explained.
Every person must be registered with the ÖGK via ELDA before starting work – even for a trial day: Registering employees in Austria – employer account, ELDA, written statement. Working time rules: Working time, breaks and records in the cleaning industry.
9. First clients and equipment
Start with your network, a complete Google Business Profile and direct contact with offices, practices and property managers in your area: Winning your first 10 business clients – sales for cleaning companies. Base every quote on a site visit and a service specification: Writing a quote for contract cleaning – with service specification. Lean basic equipment is enough at first: Cleaning equipment and supplies for starting out – the basics.
Common mistakes in the first twelve months
- Wrong licence: cleaning offices with the free caretaking trade.
- Prices too low: payroll costs and unproductive time not included.
- Late registration: trial day without ELDA.
- No reserve for the SVS back-payment.
- No written service specification: disputes about what “contract cleaning” includes.
More: The 10 costliest mistakes of cleaning company founders.
Checklist
- Define services and clarify the licence (craft or caretaking)
- Organise proof of qualification or a trade-law managing director
- Decide on the legal form with a tax adviser
- Start-up advice at WKO, get NeuFö 2 confirmed
- Register the trade (authority or USP)
- Tax office: start of business, tax number, VAT ID if needed
- Plan SVS contributions, build reserves
- Liability insurance incl. key loss
- Calculate your hourly rate, prepare a quote template
- Before hiring: employer account, ELDA, wage grade
Frequently asked questions
Can you clean offices with the free “Hausbetreuung” trade?
No. Office cleaning is reserved for the regulated building cleaning trade.
Do I need a GmbH?
No. Many start as sole traders. A GmbH separates assets more strongly but brings more formalities – decide with a tax adviser.
When must staff be registered?
Before they start work, via ELDA – even for a trial day.
Sources
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