A domestic couple who look after the property during the family's stays and keep it ready for the rest of the year
We select live-in couples for country, mountain or coastal second homes, used by the family at weekends, for whole seasons or on holiday.
A live-in couple for a second home is a couple who usually live on the property and organise their work around when the house is in use. Unlike the main residence, a second home is used mainly for rest, leisure and specific stays.
When the family is in residence, the house operates at full capacity, with considerably more intensity than a main residence: cleaning, cooking, laundry, bedrooms, shopping, table service and driving. When the house is empty, the work centres on supervising it, maintaining it and preparing it for the next arrival.
The couple must therefore provide an organised, demanding service during stays and work with autonomy and responsibility when the family is not at the property.
At Maids & Co we assess the couple jointly, check their experience of this kind of residence and their references, and structure the placement as two separate employment relationships. We particularly value the ability to anticipate arrivals, run the house without constant supervision and coordinate the busiest periods.
The type of property matters, but even more how and when the family uses it. That is why we look at its occupancy calendar, the usual number of people, how often there are guests and the upkeep it needs while it stands empty.
A house by the sea concentrates most of its activity in the summer months or in long spells of good weather, with relatives and guests, meals outdoors and constant use of terraces and pool.
Damp, salt air, outdoor furniture, awnings and glazing need constant attention. Once the season is over, the couple prepare the house for the quieter months.
The family uses it often, but for short stays: weekends, bank holidays and holidays. Before each arrival, the house must be clean and at the right temperature, with the larder stocked and the bedrooms ready.
Between stays, the work centres on the garden, kitchen garden or plot, watering, pruning, pets and small repairs.
It includes chalets in ski resorts across Europe, where winter concentrates the activity and couples used to this environment are sought. Before each arrival, the heating, boiler, fireplaces and access are checked, and snow may call for outside services.
During the stay there is more work with warm clothing, footwear and drying clothes. Outside winter, the focus is on preventive maintenance, inspections and work that is difficult to do in high season.
Some properties receive relatives and friends at Christmas, Easter, in summer or for celebrations. Bedroom preparation, meals, table service and laundry then increase, and the couple quickly adapt the organisation to the number of people in the house.
When the number of guests requires it, the couple help coordinate temporary extra staff: cooking, cleaning or table service.
In a second home, the usual split combines indoor and outdoor service, and the couple must adapt to very different working rhythms.
Cleaning and preparing the house between stays, bedrooms, bed and bath linen, laundry and ironing, the larder and the family's everyday cooking.
During absences, the couple deep-clean wardrobes, linen and windows. Where there is a cook or chef, they coordinate with that professional.
Upkeep of gardens and outdoor areas, watering, lawn, basic pruning, the pool and its filtration, terraces and outdoor furniture.
In properties that stand unoccupied for periods, these duties make sure the grounds are in good condition when the family returns.
Supervision of heating, air conditioning, pumps, water systems, shutters and damp, small repairs and preventive maintenance.
Spotting a problem while the house is empty means it can be fixed before the next arrival, avoiding bigger problems while the house is in use.
Before each arrival, the couple get the systems, bedrooms and grounds working, even when the stay is decided at short notice.
Afterwards, they organise the property for the next period: airing, checking the systems, protecting certain items and following up outstanding issues.
Shopping before the family arrives, restocking the larder, errands, basic management of vehicles and, where it is part of the role, pick-ups from airports and stations.
Depending on where the property is, a driving licence can be important for both partners.
Receiving and supervising suppliers, technicians and tradespeople, keyholding, alarm systems and regular checks of the property while the family is away.
This continued presence makes it possible to spot problems and coordinate work in good time.
Three points that call for particular attention in a second home. The full explanation is on the main domestic couples page.
Each partner signs their own contract with the head of the household. Registration under the Special System for Household Employees is compulsory from the first hour worked, even if the family only occupies the property a few weeks a year.
Gardening and driving for the household are household service too (RD 1620/2011 art. 1.4).
If the couple regularly look after lettings to third parties, their whole employment becomes an ordinary employment relationship (RD 1620/2011 art. 2.3). If it is occasional, it remains household employment.
In 2026, monthly pay may not fall below €1,424.50 per person over 12 payments or €1,221 over 14 (RD 126/2026 art. 1).
Work beyond 40 hours of actual work a week is overtime, capped at 80 a year and paid at least at the ordinary rate or compensated with time off (RD 1620/2011 art. 9.3; Workers' Statute art. 35).
Standby is limited to an average of 20 hours a week unless compensated (art. 9.2); rest between working days and the 36-hour weekly rest are mandatory (arts. 9.4 and 9.5).
The pay range is in cash and does not include accommodation. If accommodation and board are valued as salary in kind, they cannot exceed 30% of the total salary, they count towards Social Security contributions and they never take either partner's cash pay below the minimum wage (RD 1620/2011 art. 8.2).
Use of the accommodation ends with the contract. It is advisable to set out in writing who pays for electricity, water and heating in the months the family is away.
The pay of a live-in couple for a second home depends on the responsibility, the couple's experience and how intense the seasons are: guests, level of service, cooking, the grounds, driving, languages and autonomy during absences.
As a guide for Spain, it is usually between €3,000 and €6,000 gross a month for the two of them. Accommodation is considered separately.
In other European countries, pay can be considerably higher and varies with the country, the cost of living, the local labour market and the specific terms of the position.
We select two professionals who must fit individually and in the way they work together, with a single point of contact for the family.
We define the residence, its periods of occupancy, the duties of each partner and the terms of the position.
We assess couples with relevant experience, check their track record and present those who fit best.
We arrange the interviews and support the family through the assessment and decision.
We support the couple's start, with a separate employment relationship for each partner under the law of the country.
Although the intensity of the work varies between stays and absences, a live-in couple is employed continuously all year round, with pay, hours, rest and any supplement defined from the outset.
A stable relationship, especially valuable in a home used intermittently, also allows the couple to know the property, its systems, its suppliers and the family's preferences in depth.
Two contracts, two registrations and accommodation in kindIn a second home, a live-in couple may spend long periods at the property without the family, so accommodation, clear terms and good communication with the family are especially important.
We select live-in couples for second homes in every part of Spain: country houses, coastal properties and mountain residences, adapting the selection to the particular features of each location.
The process can be run remotely, combining video interviews with the in-person stages needed before the couple start.
Where we workWe also select live-in couples for second homes in other European countries. We pay particular attention to the documents needed to work legally in the destination country, the languages and the couple's international experience.
Employment terms follow the rules in force in each country. Our work focuses on searching for, assessing and selecting the couple, checking references and supporting the process until the couple start at the property.
Household staff for EuropeIt is a couple who live in the second home and organise their work around when the house is in use. During stays they handle cooking, bedrooms, laundry, shopping, table service and guests; while the family is away, they supervise, maintain and prepare the property.
They supervise and maintain the property: airing and checking the house, garden and pool, small repairs, checking the systems, coordinating suppliers and preparing the house for the next arrival, even at short notice.
As a guide for Spain, between €3,000 and €6,000 gross a month for the two of them, depending on experience and the responsibilities of the role. Accommodation provided by the family is considered separately from this salary guide.
What a couple costs in 2026: full breakdownNo. The salary is annual and can never fall below the minimum wage in any month. Busier periods can be rewarded with a supplement agreed from the outset, within the limits on working time.
Yes, provided the service is well organised. When occupancy is high or there are frequent events, temporary extra staff may be required, and the couple can assist in coordinating them.
Yes. The right approach is two contracts, one per person: in Spain, each partner signs their own with the head of the household and has their own registration under the Special System for Household Employees, including in the months when the family is not at the property.
Yes. The process can be run remotely when the location calls for it, combining video interviews with the in-person stages needed before the couple start at the property.
Yes. We select live-in couples for second homes in other European countries, paying particular attention to the documents needed to work legally in the destination country, the languages required and the couple's international experience.
Household staff for Europe
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Read moreFirst vetted couples in under 3 hours. The fee is paid only on hiring.
