Why do so many cleaners work off the books?
Because the legal path seems complicated: official language, forms, fear of costs — and often a language barrier on top. So everything stays cash-in-hand, no invoice. On top of that, there is often uncertainty about whether you are even allowed to work — and the answer is yes more often than many people think: Who is allowed to be self-employed in Austria? The problem with undeclared work: you carry all the risk alone. No pension, no sick pay, no accident cover, plus fines if there is an inspection. The good news: the legal path is much easier than it looks.
What do you actually lose with undeclared work?
- Pension: every year without registering is a year missing from your pension — forever.
- Sick pay: if you are sick, you earn nothing and no one catches you.
- Accident cover: a fall from a ladder while cleaning windows — without insurance, you pay for treatment and lost income yourself.
- Growth: without an invoice, there is no advertising, no website, no good prices. You stay invisible and replaceable.
- Peace of mind: the fear of the Finanzpolizei is always there in the background.
How do you work legally? Your two paths
Path 1: Self-employed with your own registered business (the flexible path)
You register the unregulated trade "house care" — free, no exam, and you work legally from the day you register.[1] You set your own prices and choose your own customers, and you are covered through SVS.[2] This is the right path for most people: Becoming a self-employed cleaner.
Path 2: Employment in a household or the service voucher (Dienstleistungsscheck)
Alternatively, households can employ you directly — for occasional, short jobs, there is the Dienstleistungsscheck (service voucher).[3][4] You are then covered by accident insurance, but less flexible: the household is your employer, and several households mean several registrations. For regular work with many customers, self-employment is usually more practical.
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Register the "house care" trade
Free, online via the Unternehmensserviceportal or at the trade authority — step-by-step guide. From this point on, you work legally. -
SVS coverage starts automatically
With registration, you are covered for health, accident, and pension insurance. Around 175 €/month at the start — what you get for that. -
Write invoices
A clean invoice after every month — as a small business, without VAT. Your customers keep paying the same price, just officially now. -
Adjust your prices
Working legally lets you charge with confidence: 24–30 €/hour is standard in Vienna. That covers your insurance — and more.
Do the honest math once
What about customers — do they even want this?
Mostly, yes. Many households would love a registered cleaner who provides an invoice — they just cannot find one. With a trade license, invoices, and a professional appearance, you become the first choice for exactly these customers. And if someone does turn you down for it: your own website, a Google listing, and recommendations bring you better customers — see Platform or your own business?
Who helps you make the switch?
bop was built exactly for this: the app guides you through business registration and SVS in your language, writes your invoices, and explains every letter from an authority — so "legal" does not have to mean complicated. Sign up on the homepage with no obligation, and you will be there from the start.