Vickie Hacking, Principal Advisor, Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE), reports.
APSE’s State of the Market 2026 survey provides a comprehensive picture of the challenges, trends, and evolving priorities within UK local authority building cleaning services. Conducted in late 2025 and early 2026, the survey captures perspectives from councils across England, Scotland, and Wales, offering a national snapshot of the sector’s direction of travel.
Office buildings and schools continue to be the dominant areas of activity for cleaning teams, with all respondents reporting responsibility for these settings. 2026 also saw an expansion in the variety of buildings cleaned, including markets, entertainment facilities, libraries, and community buildings, signalling diversification to support service sustainability.
Structurally, half of respondents stated their service now sits within a wider facilities management (FM) function, while 41.67% operate a standalone cleaning service. The shift toward integrated FM may reflect councils’ need to generate income and consolidate services under financial pressure.
Budget expectations remain mixed, 33.33% anticipate increased budgets in the coming year, while 41.66% foresee reductions. Staffing costs are the most significant financial pressure, with 100% of respondents reporting that pay-related expenditure has risen markedly. Services have responded by sourcing alternative equipment (63.64%) and adjusting cleaning specifications or staff hours (36.36%).
Despite mitigation efforts, many have had to pass price increases to customers, with a third doing so fully and a further 16.67% partially.
Workloads are expected to rise, particularly for managers with 72.73% of respondents anticipating an increase in their personal workload due to shrinking management capacity. Staff absence remains a consistent challenge, with 42.11% perceiving absence levels as too high.
A significant improvement emerged around pay, with 81.82% of councils now paying the higher Living Wage Foundation rate. Pay increases, although positive for workforce wellbeing, continue to exert pressure on service budgets.
Local authorities are increasingly adopting sustainable cleaning measures, reversing the pandemic‑era decline in environmental focus.
Looking ahead, staffing costs, recruitment, and retention emerge as the most significant challenges for the next two years. Growth opportunities are limited, with fewer councils expecting expansion into new contracts or private sector work.
Overall, the 2026 findings highlight a sector under acute financial and staffing pressure, yet one demonstrating resilience, adaptability, and a renewed commitment to sustainability.
To see the report, please visit:
https://apse.org.uk/index.cfm/apse/members-area/briefings/2026/26-07-state-of-the-market-2026-local-authority-building-cleaning-services/
About the contributor
Vickie Hacking
Principal Advisor
Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE)