What's a fair rate for a competent holiday let cleaner?

[rosebud]

I think I may need to find a new cleaner soon. S/he would need to clean the cottage, wash & iron bed linen & buy cleaning materials / cake & milk for guests. My cottage is small with 2 bedrooms - it sleeps 3.

As I offer flexible changeovers s/he would need to be available any day (although most changeovers are Fri & Sat).

I would pay a generous rate for someone I could trust with high standards & attention to detail. Would welcome suggestions for how much I should offer (would prefer to pay a flat rate)

[ianh100]

Hi Rosebud,

I think there has been discussion on this before and it varies quite a lot. We pay our cleaner £11 per hour and she has a rate per item for laundry. She typically takes 2 hours to clean our 2 bedroom place, sometimes it takes a bit longer. The total cost is usually around £50 for a changeover plus our costs for welcome basket etc.

We try and do it once a month or so ourselves so that we can touch up any paintwork or small maintenance tasks.

[charles cawley]

Our area tends to b £10 per hour but most work is on a job and finish basis. As the majority of guests leave holiday lets in good order this more often than not works in favour of the cleaner.

Job and finish avoids difficult negotiations about how long xyz.

A separate rate for laundry based on number of beds is worth negotiating. It should be remembered that the work is not consistent which should be considered when agreeing a rate for the work.

[Guest]

[rosebud]

Many thanks.

Since I wrote my post last night my current cleaner - with me for a year & a half - has just resigned - her circumstances have changed.

[barbersdrove]

I use a reputable agency for cleaners though I usually get the same one. The cost to me is £13 pr hour £10 goes to the cleaner and the rest to the agency. It is useful to me to do it this was as for example my cleaner cannot come this week so I just text the agency and hey presto another appears. Also any issues are dealt with by the agency not me.

[Wonkeye]

I use a reputable agency for cleaners though I usually get the same one. The cost to me is £13 pr hour £10 goes to the cleaner and the rest to the agency. It is useful to me to do it this was as for example my cleaner cannot come this week so I just text the agency and hey presto another appears. Also any issues are dealt with by the agency not me.

Ditto for us

[rosebud]

Do your agency cleaners do the washing & ironing & buy items for the welcome tray - milk, cake (and in my case flowers picked from the garden throughout the year!)?

[Wonkeye]

Do your agency cleaners do the washing & ironing & buy items for the welcome tray - milk, cake (and in my case flowers picked from the garden throughout the year!)?

Yes, separate rate for laundry based on number of beds as mentioned by Charles. In our case, we don't have a welcome pack but a bottle of wine with a welcome label stuck on, ready prepared for the cleaner to take out.