Hourly or live-in housekeeper: which fits your household, schedule and budget — SPECTRUM DOMUS
Hourly or live-in housekeeper: which fits your household, schedule and budget
The choice between an hourly and a live-in housekeeper is not a matter of preference: it follows the household's real timetable. If the work fits into fixed hours each week, part-time is simpler and cheaper. If the house needs someone at dawn and again at night, or an elderly resident cannot be left alone, live-in covers what scattered hours cannot — but it brings obligations of its own that cannot be improvised.
Both arrangements are lawful and both follow the same framework: Royal Decree 1620/2011, which regulates the special employment relationship of household service. What changes is the working day, where the person lives, the applicable minimum wage and, above all, presence time. This guide compares them against the 2026 SMI: €1,221 gross per month across 14 payments (€17,094 a year, €40.70 a day) under Royal Decree 126/2026.
1. What each arrangement means
An hourly housekeeper — also called external or part-time — lives in her own home and comes on the days and hours agreed. She may work for several families, provided each relationship has its own contract and registration. Her salary is proportional to the hours: the legal minimum is not the full SMI but the share corresponding to the hours worked.
A live-in housekeeper lives in the employer's home. That does not mean she works around the clock: her maximum working week is 40 hours, she is entitled to continuous night rest, and the time she is available without working — presence hours — has rules of its own and is paid.
In both cases there is an employment relationship, a written contract when it lasts more than four weeks, and Social Security registration before the first day. There is no cheaper informal version: without registration it is an infringement, and the relationship is presumed permanent and full-time.
2. Comparison: hourly versus live-in
The table gathers the points where the two really diverge. The rest — contract, registration, holidays, notice — is common.
| Criterion | Hourly (external) | Live-in |
|---|---|---|
| Where she lives | In her own home; comes on the agreed days | In the employer's home |
| Working hours | Part-time: the weekly hours agreed | Full-time, up to 40 hours a week |
| Minimum wage | 2026 SMI pro rata to the hours (€1,221 × 14 payments is the full-time reference) | 2026 SMI: €1,221 gross × 14 payments |
| Board and lodging | None: the worker covers them | Individual room, bathroom access and meals; up to 30% of salary in kind if agreed in writing |
| Night rest | Not applicable: she does not stay overnight | At least 10 continuous hours |
| Presence hours | Usually none: time worked is paid | Maximum 20 hours a week, paid as ordinary hours and compensated with extra rest |
| Rest between shifts | 12 hours | 12 hours, compatible with the 10 hours of night rest |
| Holidays | 30 calendar days a year, paid according to the agreed hours | 30 calendar days a year, at least 15 continuous |
| Several employers | Common and compatible, with a registration per employer | Not viable in practice |
| Administration for the family | Registration, monthly payslip and hour tracking | Plus a presence record and living conditions |
| Which household it suits | Regular cleaning, occasional support, predictable schedules | Care that covers nights, homes with several residents, long family absences |
3. Pay: pro rata, board and lodging, and what cannot be deducted
The 2026 SMI is €1,221 gross per month across 14 payments. On part-time hours that full amount is not paid: the minimum is calculated pro rata to the hours worked. The regulation sets no hourly rate, only the rule of proportionality, so the hourly figure follows from the monthly salary divided by the agreed hours. Two households with the same hours can therefore pay different amounts if one prorates the extra payments and the other does not.
With live-in arrangements, board and lodging comes into play. Up to 30% of the salary may be paid in kind — room and meals — but only if expressly agreed in writing in the contract. Without that clause the salary is paid entirely in money, and even with it the cash part cannot fall below the legal minimum.
A detail often forgotten: a live-in housekeeper does not "cost less" because she lives in the house. She receives part of her pay in kind, yes, but her hours are full-time and her presence hours are paid. Comparing a live-in salary with that of an external worker doing four hours a day compares two different things.
4. The rules that exist only for live-in arrangements
Live-in work carries specific obligations that part-time work does not. These are the ones that cause most conflict when improvised:
- At least 10 continuous hours of night rest. It is rest, not presence or working time, and it cannot be interrupted with tasks.
- Presence hours: maximum 20 a week. That is time spent available to the family without active tasks. It is paid as ordinary hours and must be compensated with extra rest. This is where the live-in regime is most often abused.
- A maximum working week of 40 hours and at least 12 hours of rest between shifts.
- Decent accommodation: an individual room, access to a bathroom and adequate meals.
- 30 calendar days of holiday, at least 15 continuous, never replaced by money.
- Privacy: rest time and the person's private life are not part of the contract.
On part-time hours the presence and night-rest rules do not apply, because the person does not stay overnight. The maximum working day, rest between shifts, holidays and registration still do.
5. When to choose each arrangement
Hourly works when:
- The service is regular cleaning, ironing or cooking on fixed days.
- The family has a predictable schedule and needs nobody at dawn or at night.
- You want to start with a few hours and extend later if it works.
- The house is empty part of the year or used seasonally.
- The person prefers to keep her own home and combine several households.
Live-in works when:
- An elderly or dependent person cannot be left alone at night.
- The children are small and the adults' comings and goings are unpredictable.
- The house needs presence spread across the day: breakfast, lunch, dinner and order in between.
- The family travels or is away often and needs the house kept running.
- The service includes tasks that do not fit into a realistic part-time day.
A middle route is common: extended part-time with occasional presence hours, agreed in writing and paid. It solves part of the problem without taking on accommodation, but it does not replace a live-in housekeeper when there are nights to cover.
6. Mistakes that cost money
- Paying a live-in salary "all inclusive" without counting presence hours. Available time is paid; if it is not on the payslip, it is outside the law.
- Deducting accommodation with no contract clause. Up to 30% in kind is valid only if it is in writing.
- Confusing night rest with availability. Those 10 hours are rest; interrupting them is work, and if it repeats, the hours are badly recorded.
- Not registering an hourly worker "because it is only a few hours". The domestic regime does not distinguish by number of hours.
- Setting pay below the SMI on the grounds of meals. The cash part of the salary has its own legal minimum.
The consequences are not theoretical: the Labour Inspectorate can fine missing registration or pay below the minimum, and without a written contract the relationship is presumed permanent and full-time. The full framework is in the special employment relationship of household service.
7. Where to look, by arrangement and by city
The two arrangements move in different markets: live-in roles are sought mainly in areas with large homes and foreign residents, hourly work in cities and metropolitan areas. These pages gather the profiles available in each area:
- Housekeeper in Marbella — live-in and full-time roles on the Costa del Sol.
- Caregiver in Málaga — support for elderly people, with night presence if needed.
- Nanny in Seville — part-time hours and school-run schedules.
- Cleaner in Málaga — hourly cleaning in the city.
If the doubt is who should be the employer, the comparison is in domestic staff hired directly or through a cleaning company. And if you would rather delegate registration and payroll, see agency and payroll service.
Frequently asked questions about hourly and live-in work
Do I have to register an hourly housekeeper with Social Security?
Yes. Registration is required before the first day, exactly as with a live-in worker. What changes is the contribution base, proportional to the hours.
What is the minimum salary for a live-in housekeeper in 2026?
The SMI: €1,221 gross per month across 14 payments (€17,094 a year). If part of the salary is paid in kind it must be agreed in writing and cannot exceed 30%.
How many presence hours can a live-in worker be asked for?
A maximum of 20 hours a week, paid as ordinary hours and compensated with extra rest. At least 10 continuous hours of night rest must also be guaranteed.
Can I move from live-in to hourly if the situation changes?
Yes, but it is a contract modification: do it in writing with the new hours and salary, and report the change to Social Security.
Does a live-in housekeeper have to eat with the family?
No. What the regime requires is adequate food and a space of her own; shared meals are a household decision, not a legal condition.
What does it cost to find these profiles?
Registration is free. The plans are €35, €59 or €108 (VAT included), a one-off payment with 30 days of access, and they pay for finding and verifying, not for the salary.
Want to see verified profiles for part-time or live-in work in your city? Browse the catalogue, check the plans or write to us and we will help you define the hours before you hire.