How to Hire a Live-In Housekeeper in the UK
For families with demanding schedules or homes that need regular attention, a live-in housekeeper can take responsibility for much of the practical work involved in keeping the household organised.
A live-in housekeeper is a professional housekeeper who lives at the family home in accommodation provided as part of the role. They work agreed hours and may take care of cleaning, laundry, household organisation, errands and other duties depending on what the family needs.
If you are considering hiring a live-in housekeeper in the UK, it helps to define the role carefully before you start looking for candidates. Nannies Matter recruits professional housekeepers for private homes across London and the Home Counties, including both live-in and live-out arrangements.
This guide explains what to consider, from duties and accommodation to salary, interviews and finding someone you can trust to work and live in your home.
What Does a Live-In Housekeeper Do?
A live-in housekeeper takes responsibility for agreed household duties while living at the property. Their job description will depend on the size of the home, the family's routine and whether other staff are employed.
Typical duties could include:
- Daily and weekly cleaning
- Laundry and ironing
- Changing and caring for bed linen
- Keeping rooms tidy and organised
- Managing cleaning products and household supplies
- Grocery shopping and household errands
- Preparing simple meals where agreed
- Caring for pets
- Preparing rooms for guests
- Helping the household prepare for events
- Working alongside other household staff
Some housekeepers also have cooking experience and may be employed in a housekeeper-cook role. Others focus more closely on cleaning, laundry and maintaining the home.
Our article on what a full-time housekeeper does explains in more detail how much this kind of role can vary according to the property and the family's needs.
Agreeing the responsibilities before hiring gives candidates a clear idea of the job and helps you focus on people with suitable previous experience.
Is a Live-In Housekeeper Right for Your Household?
A live-in arrangement works well for families who need regular support across most of the week and have suitable accommodation available.
It may be worth considering if:
- Your home requires substantial daily upkeep
- Your work and family schedule leaves little time for household tasks
- You need support early in the day or later in the afternoon
- Laundry and household organisation take up significant time
- You travel regularly and want someone to help maintain the property
- You have pets that form part of the daily household routine
- You employ other household staff
- You have a larger home or private estate that requires consistent attention
A live-in housekeeper is not only suitable for a large country property. A busy family in London or the Home Counties may also find that having somebody based at the home provides the consistency they need.
However, living in is not automatically the right choice. Nannies Matter's wider housekeeping services include different arrangements, and some families will be better suited to a housekeeper who attends during agreed hours and returns home afterwards.
What Is the Difference Between a Live-In and Live-Out Housekeeper?
The main difference is where the housekeeper lives. A live-in housekeeper has accommodation at the property, while a live-out housekeeper travels to and from work.
Live-in housekeeper | Live-out housekeeper | |
Accommodation | Provided as part of the arrangement | Lives independently |
Working pattern | Works agreed hours while based at the property | Attends for agreed hours |
Often suits | Households needing regular or more involved support | Households with more defined requirements |
Privacy | Requires clear boundaries around work and private time | Greater separation between work and home |
A live-in arrangement can provide more flexibility around the shape of the working day, but it does not mean the housekeeper is permanently available.
Working hours, duties, days off and privacy will still need to be agreed clearly. This protects both the family and the housekeeper from misunderstandings.
What Accommodation Should You Provide for a Live-In Housekeeper?
A live-in housekeeper should have suitable private accommodation where they can relax when they are not working.
The exact arrangement will depend on the property. In some homes, accommodation may be within the main house. Larger properties may have separate staff accommodation.
Think about:
- A private bedroom
- Suitable bathroom facilities
- Adequate storage
- Where the housekeeper can spend their personal time
- Whether kitchen or living areas are shared
- Which areas of the home are private to the family
- Any rules around visitors
- How the accommodation will be used during holidays or other absences
Living and working in the same property can blur boundaries if expectations are unclear. Both parties should know when the working day begins and ends.
Privacy also works both ways. The housekeeper needs their own space, while the family needs someone who understands the discretion expected within a private household.
What Working Hours and Duties Should You Agree?
Before hiring, decide what a normal working week should look like.
A full-time live-in position might cover five days each week, but the days and hours should reflect the household's actual routine. Some families need weekday support, while others may occasionally require evenings or weekends.
You should establish:
- Normal start and finish times
- Working days
- Weekend expectations
- Cleaning responsibilities
- Laundry and ironing
- Cooking, if required
- Grocery shopping and errands
- Pet care
- Guest preparation
- Any agreed duties involving children
- Holiday arrangements
- Travel requirements
- How the housekeeper will work alongside other staff
Be particularly clear about childcare. A housekeeper may carry out some child-related household duties, but a family requiring substantial childcare may actually need a nanny housekeeper. That role is designed specifically to combine care of children with agreed housekeeping responsibilities.
A detailed job description gives candidates a realistic picture of the position and makes it easier to identify the right experience.
How Much Does a Live-In Housekeeper Earn in the UK?
A live-in housekeeper's salary in the UK varies according to experience, location, hours and the responsibilities involved.
Factors that can affect salary include:
- Previous private household experience
- Number of working hours and days
- Weekend or evening requirements
- Location
- Size of the property
- Cooking responsibilities
- Care of valuable or specialist items
- Travel requirements
- Whether the housekeeper oversees other staff
- The complexity of the household
For this reason, an average salary should only ever be treated as a broad guide. Two live-in positions can involve very different workloads and levels of responsibility.
Accommodation forms part of the overall employment arrangement, but providing somewhere to live does not remove the need to agree appropriate pay.
Families employing a housekeeper directly should also consider the wider costs of becoming an employer. GOV.UK's guidance on employing someone to work in your home explains that responsibilities can include payroll, employment rights, insurance and tax arrangements depending on the circumstances.
What Should You Look for in an Experienced Live-In Housekeeper?
Practical housekeeping ability matters, but it is only part of the decision.
A live-in housekeeper will have regular access to your home and will become familiar with your family's routines. Discretion, judgement and reliability are therefore particularly important.
Look for candidates with:
- Relevant experience in private homes
- Strong references
- Good organisational skills
- Attention to detail
- The ability to work independently
- Discretion
- Clear communication
- Respect for professional boundaries
- Experience with the type of property you own
- The ability to work alongside other staff where required
Consider the specific needs of your household as well. A candidate who has spent several years working on a large estate may have different strengths from somebody accustomed to managing all housekeeping duties independently in a smaller family home.
The right candidate should suit the way your household works, not simply have the longest CV.
How Should You Interview a Live-In Housekeeper?
A structured interview should explore both the candidate's housekeeping experience and how well they may fit into your home.
Before interviewing, prepare a clear job description. This means every candidate is discussing the same role and gives you a more useful basis for comparison.
Ask about:
- Their most recent housekeeping roles
- The types and sizes of properties they have worked in
- Previous live-in positions
- How they organise a normal working day
- Their approach to specialist surfaces or valuable items
- Laundry and wardrobe-care experience
- Cooking experience, where relevant
- Experience with pets or children
- Working alongside other household staff
- Preferred working patterns
- How they respond to feedback
- Why previous roles ended
Nannies Matter's guide to how to interview a housekeeper also explains why practical, specific questions tend to reveal more than simply asking whether somebody can perform a particular task.
For a live-in position, discuss the accommodation as well. Candidates should understand what is provided and how privacy, visitors, days off and shared spaces will work.
What Checks Should You Carry Out Before Hiring?
A good interview should be followed by appropriate checks.
Speak to previous employers where possible and confirm the candidate's dates of employment, duties and reliability. References can be particularly useful when somebody will have significant access to your home.
You must also carry out a right to work check for anyone you employ.
Other checks may include identity verification and appropriate background screening depending on the role.
Nannies Matter's recruitment and matching process is designed to reduce the amount of initial screening families need to do themselves. We take time to understand the household and the position before identifying and vetting candidates who appear suited to the role.
What Are Your Responsibilities as the Employer?
If you employ a live-in housekeeper directly, you take on responsibilities as their employer.
Depending on the arrangement, these may include:
- Checking their right to work
- Agreeing pay and working hours
- Providing the required employment information
- Operating payroll
- Providing paid holiday
- Arranging employers' liability insurance where required
- Meeting workplace pension duties where applicable
- Keeping appropriate employment and payroll records
The fact that the housekeeper lives at your property does not remove these responsibilities.
Make the working arrangement clear before the housekeeper starts. Pay, accommodation, working hours, holidays and duties should all be agreed so that both parties know what to expect.
How Can Nannies Matter Help You Hire a Live-In Housekeeper?
Finding somebody with good cleaning skills is only one part of hiring for a live-in position. You also need someone you trust to spend substantial time in your home and who fits comfortably around your family's routine.
Nannies Matter takes time to understand the household before beginning the search. We discuss the property, working hours, accommodation, duties and any particular experience you need.
Through our professional housekeeper recruitment service, we can then identify candidates whose backgrounds fit the position. Our approach is based on providing a focused shortlist rather than expecting families to work through large numbers of unsuitable applications.
You can interview the shortlisted candidates yourself and make the final decision.
This personal fit is particularly important with a live-in role. Experience matters, but so do communication, discretion and whether you feel comfortable having that person as part of your daily household routine.
Find a Live-In Housekeeper With Nannies Matter
Nannies Matter has helped families recruit nannies, housekeepers and other household staff since the early 2000s. We work with private households across London and the Home Counties, including Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.
If you are looking for an experienced live-in housekeeper, we can help you define the position, identify suitable candidates and manage the initial vetting and shortlisting process.
Call Nannies Matter on 07736 337065 or use our online contact form to discuss what your household needs.