Hiring domestic staff directly or through a cleaning company: which fits — SPECTRUM DOMUS

Domestic staff hired directly or through a cleaning company: the real decision

When a household needs regular cleaning, the question is not "who cleans better" but who will be the employer. There are two routes and they are not interchangeable: hire a person directly, so the family takes on the employment relationship, or buy a service from a company, which is the employer and treats the family as its client. Social Security registration, the applicable minimum wage, how an absence is covered, who directs the work and how it is paid all change.

This article compares both options on the criteria that actually decide — legal obligations, cost, flexibility and risk — and ends with a practical rule for each household. The salary reference is the 2026 SMI: €1,221 gross per month across 14 payments (€17,094 a year, €40.70 a day), set by Royal Decree 126/2026.

1. The difference that decides everything: who the employer is

In domestic employment the family that hires is the employer, and the relationship is governed by Royal Decree 1620/2011, which regulates the special employment relationship of household service. That means a contract, Social Security registration before the first day, a salary no lower than the SMI, working hours, rest periods and holidays. It makes no difference that the task is only cleaning: if the person works for the household and under its instructions, the domestic regime applies.

With a cleaning company the employer is the company: it recruits, hires, registers and pays its own staff, while the family pays an invoice for a service and carries no payroll or contribution obligations.

The line between the two is who really directs the work. A service company brings organisation, equipment and replacements, and answers for the result. If in practice it only sends a person whom the family directs as if she were its own employee, with no structure of its own, the relationship can end up classified as illegal transfer of workers. Before signing, check that the company has its own staff, materials and a supervisor for the service.

2. Point-by-point comparison

Neither column is "the cheap one": each shifts the cost somewhere else.

3. Hiring directly: what the family takes on

The direct route concentrates every employer obligation in the family:

• A written contract when the relationship lasts more than four weeks, with hours, salary, probation period and living conditions if any.
• Social Security registration before the person starts, and contributions for as long as the relationship lasts.
• A salary never below the SMI: €1,221 gross across 14 payments in 2026 and, for shorter hours, the minimum calculated pro rata to the hours worked.
• Payslips and contribution receipts available to the worker.
• Holidays and rest: 30 calendar days a year, at least 15 of them continuous, plus the rest between shifts.
• Replacements: if the person is ill or on holiday, the household manages without her.
• Ending it: notice and, if the dismissal is ruled unfair, 20 days' pay per year worked capped at 12 monthly payments.

In exchange the family gains direct control: it chooses the person, sets the standard and adjusts tasks with no intermediary. Every obligation in detail is in limits and obligations of a domestic worker.

4. Hiring a cleaning company: what you are actually buying

With a company you do not buy one person's time, you buy a service. That includes:

• The whole employment relationship: registration, contributions, payslips and the applicable collective agreement are the company's business.
• Covered absences: if the assigned person cannot come, the company sends someone else and the service continues.
• Less administration: one invoice a month, no registration and no payslips to file.
• Organisation and equipment: its own method, materials and supervision.
• A price with VAT and margin: you pay for the hour of service, not the person's salary.

The limits are real too. The family does not choose who enters the house, the standard comes from the service contract, and any change is negotiated with the company. In homes with delicate objects, pets or very specific routines, that distance weighs more than the administrative saving.

5. Cost: never compare the hourly price with a salary

The commonest mistake is weighing the company's invoice against the housekeeper's salary. They are not the same thing. The invoice covers wages, contributions, materials, travel, supervision and the company's margin, plus VAT. The salary paid directly is only part of the cost: the employer's contribution is missing, and the family pays it separately every month.

The right comparison is total monthly cost of the service against total cost of employment, for the hours the household actually needs. For two or three hours a week the company is usually more expensive per hour but requires no administration. For a stable shift of several hours a day, direct employment costs less per hour worked, though it means registration, payslips and covering absences. And one factor appears on no invoice at all: management time and legal responsibility, which in the direct route belong to the family.

For a stable service, work out the full cost first. What it costs to hire home staff in Andalusia breaks down salary, contributions and extra expenses.

6. When to choose each option

Hiring directly works when:

• You need stable, predictable hours rather than an occasional visit.
• You want to choose the person, set the standard and adjust tasks with no intermediary.
• You want continuity: the same person knows the house and the family's habits.
• You can handle the paperwork or delegate it to a payroll service.
• The service goes beyond cleaning: cooking, ironing, support for the family, childcare or elder care.

A cleaning company works when:

• You need a few hours a week or occasional reinforcement.
• You do not want employees of your own, or registrations and payslips to manage.
• Absences must be covered without the house going unserved.
• The property is a second home or a seasonal rental with irregular use.
• You prefer a single invoice and a single contact for issues.

A third route is common: hiring directly with the help of a placement agency that verifies identity, references and experience, leaving the employment relationship with the family. That is the Spectrum Domus model: a one-off payment to unlock verified contacts, no monthly subscription, and the job formalised afterwards with Social Security registration.

7. If you hire directly: by city and by profession

The market does not behave the same across Andalusia: on the Costa del Sol demand usually outstrips supply and candidates move fast. These pages gather the profiles available in each area:

• Cleaner in Málaga — hourly cleaning and part-time shifts in the city.
• Housekeeper in Marbella — full-time and live-in roles on the coast.
• Cleaner in Seville — hourly service for flats and family houses.
• Housekeeper in Fuengirola — households with foreign residents and high season.

If the doubt is between part-time and live-in, the comparison is in hourly or live-in housekeeper. And if you would rather delegate registration, payroll and contributions, see agency and payroll service.

Frequently asked questions about hiring directly or through a company

Who pays Social Security if I hire a cleaning company?

The company. The person is on its payroll, so it registers her and pays the contributions; the family only pays the service invoice.

What if I hire a cleaner directly for two hours a week?

There is still an employment relationship and still a registration: the domestic regime does not distinguish by number of hours. The minimum is calculated pro rata to the hours, with the 2026 SMI (€1,221 gross across 14 payments) as the full-time reference.

Can I pay a cleaner without a contract if it is only a few hours?

No. The contract must be in writing when the relationship lasts more than four weeks, and registration is compulsory before the first day. Without a contract the relationship is presumed permanent and full-time.

Can the company change or dismiss the person who cleans my house?

Yes: it is her employer. The family cannot dismiss her; it can ask for a different assignment or end the service contract.

What if the company only sends one person and I give the orders?

That is the warning sign. If the company contributes no organisation or equipment and the family directs the work as if she were its own employee, the relationship can be classified as illegal transfer of workers. Check staff, materials and supervision before signing.

What does it cost to find verified staff?

Registration is free. The plans are €35, €59 or €108 (VAT included), a one-off payment with 30 days of access, and they do not include salary or contributions: they pay for finding and verifying, not for employing.

Want to compare verified candidates before deciding? Browse the profile catalogue, check the plans or write to us and we will help you choose the right arrangement for your household.