A Molly Maid franchise isn't a storefront a customer walks into — it's a residential-service territory built on recurring cleaning contracts, a bonded and insured staff roster, and a modest dispatch office behind the scenes. That changes what actually drives a resale: the client base and the people showing up at each home matter far more than any lease.
Molly Maid resales follow the franchisor's own approval process on top of the usual purchase mechanics — here's how the two run together.
Getting approved
The offer sets price and structure, conditioned on franchisor consent and a review of the territory's recurring-client base — the real driver of value here, more than any physical premises.
1–2 weeks†The franchisor reviews the proposed buyer and the territory being transferred, and may exercise a right of first refusal before the sale can proceed.
several weeks, typically†A franchise disclosure document may still be required for this resale — Ontario courts read the resale-disclosure exemption narrowly, so franchisor involvement in the sale can trigger it even where it's framed as a private deal.
assessed early†Getting to closing
Where the business operates from a small office or dispatch space rather than a customer-facing storefront, that lease still needs landlord consent to assign, though it's rarely the pacing item it is for a retail franchise.
2–4 weeks†Bonded and insured cleaning staff, and the recurring client contracts they service, are reviewed for continuity — client consent to the change of provider is typically handled as part of this step, alongside training for the incoming owner.
2–4 weeks†Funds and records change hands, staff and clients are formally notified, and the franchisor confirms the territory transfer is complete.
1 day, once conditions are met†CFA listing confirms a long-established Canadian franchise network; a well-known maid-service franchisor in Canada since 1979.
Ontario branches within its long-established Canadian franchise network.
This is the first real decision in a Molly Maid resale — and it changes what you're buying, what you're taking on, and how the franchise agreement moves.
| Question | Asset purchase | Share purchase |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | The territory's assets — the client base and recurring service contracts, staff, vehicles and equipment, and the franchise agreement's benefit. | The shares of the operating company — everything it owns, and everything it owes. |
| Seller's liabilities | Generally stay behind with the seller's existing corporation. | Generally come with the company, known and unknown. |
| Franchise agreement & territory | Consent required for the specific territory, often paired with a current-form agreement. | Consent required for the change of control itself — the territory generally stays with the corporation. |
| Client contracts | Recurring service agreements are typically reassigned with client notice, since the identity of the provider matters to a residential customer. | Contracts generally continue uninterrupted, since the contracting corporation doesn't change. |
| Staff | Employment Standards Act continuity rules typically apply to how bonded and insured cleaning staff carry forward. | Employment generally continues uninterrupted — the employer doesn't change. |
| Tax angle | Buyer gets a stepped-up cost base on the assets purchased. | Seller may access the lifetime capital gains exemption on qualifying shares. |
| Typical use | The default for most single-territory resales. | Less common — occasionally used where an operator holds several territories under one company. |
The territory's assets — the client base and recurring service contracts, staff, vehicles and equipment, and the franchise agreement's benefit.
The shares of the operating company — everything it owns, and everything it owes.
Generally stay behind with the seller's existing corporation.
Generally come with the company, known and unknown.
Consent required for the specific territory, often paired with a current-form agreement.
Consent required for the change of control itself — the territory generally stays with the corporation.
Recurring service agreements are typically reassigned with client notice, since the identity of the provider matters to a residential customer.
Contracts generally continue uninterrupted, since the contracting corporation doesn't change.
Employment Standards Act continuity rules typically apply to how bonded and insured cleaning staff carry forward.
Employment generally continues uninterrupted — the employer doesn't change.
Buyer gets a stepped-up cost base on the assets purchased.
Seller may access the lifetime capital gains exemption on qualifying shares.
The default for most single-territory resales.
Less common — occasionally used where an operator holds several territories under one company.
We tell you which structure fits — before you sign anything.
No open-ended hourly surprises — the cost is confirmed in writing before any work begins.
| Type of work | Fee | How it's confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Straightforward purchase or sale | Starting from $3,388.87 Our charges · taxes included | Confirmed in writing once we see the agreement. |
| Larger or more complex deal | Quoted to scope | Short call → fixed written quote before any work begins. |
| Searches, filings & third-party fees | At cost | Itemized on your invoice, not marked up. |
A single Molly Maid territory changing hands between one buyer and one seller, with an established client base and a straightforward staff transition.
Start my file →Several adjoining territories held by one operator changing hands as an operating company, or a resale where client-consent or a disclosure question needs to be worked through before terms are final.
Book a consultation →Not sure which you are? That's our job to figure out, not yours. As a rough guide, most deals under a couple of million dollars are the first kind — above that, you're usually in Mergers & Acquisitions territory.
The recurring client base and the staff who service it are typically the core value, not the physical premises. A buyer's diligence focuses on client retention, contract terms, and staff continuity far more than on any lease.
Employment continuity rules typically apply to how existing staff carry forward on an asset sale, but bonding, insurance status, and each employee's own agreement still get reviewed individually as part of the transfer.
Generally, yes in practice — residential clients are typically notified of a change in ownership since who's coming into their home matters to them, even where the contract itself doesn't require formal consent to assign.
Client contact information and service history are personal information under Ontario's privacy framework, so the transfer of that client list is handled as part of the deal's diligence, not treated as an afterthought.
Yes — an operator sometimes holds several adjoining territories under one company, and combining territories is more commonly structured as a share sale so each territory's franchise agreement and client base stay intact together.
Related
Where we close franchise resale deals
Treadstone Law is an independent law firm. We act for buyers and sellers of franchise businesses. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or retained by Molly Maid or its franchisor.
Tell us about your Molly Maid resale — we'll point you the right way and confirm the cost in writing before any work begins.