From the filings
The Maids is the only approved supplier of its required software and SMART Start onboarding package, and every location must buy telephone and computer hardware and software meeting its standards. Across 369 US territories (338 franchised, 31 company-owned), franchised outlets held flat year over year, and the brand sits inside Gladstone Management.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Ongoing fee load
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing, before rent, labour or any technology fee.
8.9%of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
Franchisor behaviours
24 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 3 explicit no's; 7 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesFranchise agreement
The Franchisee acknowledges and agrees that TMI has the right to access, both electronically and through hard copy of printed data, all data and other information, including customer lists, maintained by the Franchisee on such computer equipment for purposes of monitoring compliance by the Franchisee with its…
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
The Franchisee will, at its expense, provide TMI with a monthly profit and loss statement and an annual profit 27 and loss statement.
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
We currently are the only approved supplier for the required software and the SMART Start Package.
Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?
YesItem 11
We have established an Advisory Council currently comprised of eight franchisees and one franchisor representative.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesFranchise agreement
TMI periodically may modify the lists of approved goods, services and suppliers, and the Franchisee will comply with such modified lists of approved goods, services and suppliers.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
We and our affiliates reserve the right to derive revenue and material consideration on account of franchisee purchases and leases without restriction.
Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?
72Item 8
Collectively, the purchases described above are about 22% to 28% of your overall purchases and leases in establishing the Franchised Business, and 78% to 72% of your overall annual purchases and leases in operating the Franchised Business.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesFranchise agreement
If the Franchisee proposes to use or sell any goods and services which TMI has not approved, or purchase any goods or services from suppliers that TMI has not approved, the Franchisee must first notify TMI in writing and provide sufficient information, specifications and samples concerning the goods or service and/or…
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
The Franchisee acknowledges that TMI has the absolute right and interest in and to all telephone numbers and directory listings associated with the Marks, and the Franchisee hereby authorizes TMI to direct the telephone company and all listing agencies to transfer the Franchisee’s telephone numbers and directory…
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
The Franchisee must comply with all applicable data security standards set by the payment card industry.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
TMI or its authorized agent shall have the right to audit or review the Franchisee’s books and records.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
TMI may from time to time revise the Manuals and the Franchisee expressly agrees to operate its Franchised Business in accordance with all such mandatory revisions.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
Your business office must be in a commercial building that we approve and cannot be in a residential structure.
Marketing
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesItem 7
No later than thirty (30) days prior to the opening of your The Maids® Business, you must spend a minimum of $5,000 in connection with pre-opening marketing activities for your The Maids® 21 Business (“Grand Opening Marketing”).
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesItem 11
In addition to the Marketing Fund Fee you pay to us, you must invest a minimum per month on the local marketing of your The Maids® Business (“Local Marketing Requirement”).
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
You must use only supplies, equipment, certain computer hardware and software, and other items used in your The Maids® Business that we specify and approve, including certain Mr. Clean® branded products.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
In particular, you must use and offer each of the systems, services, equipment and products we designate.
Payments
Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You must process all credit cards through designated credit card processing providers.
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesFranchise agreement
The Franchisee will, from time to time during the term of this Agreement, execute such documents as TMI may request to provide the Franchisee’s unconditional and irrevocable authority and direction to its bank or financial institution authorizing and directing the Franchisee’s bank or financial institution to allow…
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesFranchise agreement
The Franchisee will at all times have at least one Manager on duty that is responsible for supervising the employees and the business operations and for the sales and promotion of the Franchised Business.
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
The Franchisee will require its employees to wear only the standard attire or uniforms which have been established and approved by TMI.
Point of sale
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesFranchise agreement
The Franchisee acknowledges and agrees that TMI has the right to access, both electronically and through hard copy of printed data, all data and other information, including customer lists, maintained by the Franchisee on such computer equipment for purposes of monitoring compliance by the Franchisee with its…
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
We reserve the right to impose a charge of up to $250 per day plus trainer expenses for additional training depending upon the type, location and duration of the training provided.
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesFranchise agreement
The Franchisee, and/or the Franchisee’s designated team member who has been approved in advance by TMI’s CEO to attend, must attend each of The Maids® National Convention which TMI holds periodically and pay TMI the applicable fee;
Who buys here
The decision-maker a vendor sells to at this scale, and the gaps they’re paid to close, derived from our data by segment and unit count, not a guess.
HQ leadership: CEO/President + VP Ops/Franchise + a first dedicated IT/systems owner.
369 US territories — 338 franchised and 31 company-owned — already buy their required software and SMART Start onboarding package exclusively from The Maids, and franchised outlets held flat year over year. In fiscal year 2025 the company reported $232,971 in revenue from software maintenance and related fees, 1.2% of its $19.7 million total revenue — a defined technology line already running through headquarters that a vendor can size directly.
CEO and Board Director Cathy Skula, Chairwoman Erika Highland, CFO Calum Middleton, COO Dave Smith and CMO Steve Gregersen lead The Maids, part of Gladstone Management. The company is currently the only approved supplier for the required software and the SMART Start package, which means that core purchasing decision runs through this headquarters team rather than through any of the 106 franchisees that operate its 338 franchised territories.
The required software and the SMART Start package are mandated exclusively from The Maids under Item 8. Item 11 requires every location to purchase and use telephone and computer hardware and software, including desktops or laptops, Office 365 and internet connections, meeting the company's standards, and to maintain all modifications and upgrades to those standards at the franchisee's expense.
The Maids specifies most supplies, equipment and computer hardware and software that a location must use and approve, and is currently the only approved supplier for the required software and the SMART Start Package; there is no other product or service for which the company or its affiliates hold sole-supplier status. A franchisee seeking an alternate supplier can submit specifications for evaluation. Item 17 of the FDD sets renewal, transfer and termination terms, which is where a software vendor should look for the cadence of contract renegotiation.
The embedded PDF viewer below carries the full 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. Start with Item 11 for the computer-system mandate, Item 8 for the required-software and SMART Start terms, and Item 2 for the leadership roster. Talk to FranCloud for a ranked list of home-services franchise systems like this one, sized and scored for software fit.
Questions vendors ask
Every number on this page traces back to this document. Read it in full, page by page. Buy the original PDF to download, search, and annotate it.
View only A one-time purchase: the original filing, yours to keep.
FDD alert
We’ll email you the moment The Maids files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
181 operators run 181 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Top states by locations
| CA | 23 |
|---|---|
| FL | 19 |
| TX | 12 |
| NJ | 9 |
| MA | 8 |
Ownership
unknown of gladstone management.
Related Home services brands
Primary franchise filings · updated September 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.