Private Household Staffing

Private Housekeeper Placement
for Discerning Households

About This Role

The professional who
learns your home.

Families who contact My Household Managed are looking for a career housekeeper: a professional who will learn their home, their preferences, and how they live, and who will still be there years from now. The standard they maintain is personal. The knowledge they build over time is irreplaceable.

My Household Managed places private housekeepers on a permanent basis with HNW and UHNW families in Chicago, Palm Beach, South Florida, and select households nationwide. Every candidate introduced has verifiable private household experience and references My Household Managed has spoken with directly.

Understanding the Role

A Maid Service and a Private Housekeeper Are Not the Same Thing

A maid service sends whoever is available. A private housekeeper becomes part of the household. Over time, a career housekeeper learns exactly where things belong, which products to use on which surfaces, how the principal prefers the home arranged, and what ready looks like for that specific home.

The consistency is the point. So is the discretion. A housekeeper in a private home is working inside someone's most personal space. The professionals My Household Managed introduces bring a standard of care that makes itself invisible, which is exactly how it should feel when the role is filled well.

A housekeeper placed through My Household Managed is a long-term permanent placement. This is a career professional in a career position, and the candidate pool is sourced and screened accordingly.

Scope of Work

What a Private Housekeeper Manages

Scope varies by household. At minimum, a private housekeeper handles:

  • Daily tidying, deep cleaning, and surface maintenance throughout the home
  • Laundry — washing, pressing, hand care for fine garments, dry cleaning coordination
  • Linen management — changing, laundering, folding, and proper storage
  • Kitchen care — dishes, appliances, surfaces, pantry organization and restocking
  • Closet and storage organization and ongoing maintenance
  • Restocking of household and personal care supplies
  • Coordination with other household staff or vendors when needed
  • Reporting maintenance needs to the principal or house manager

Many MHM housekeepers also assist with light cooking, errands, packing and unpacking for travel, and care for fine art, antiques, and collectibles — depending on experience and the household’s expectations.

Senior Roles

When the Home Requires an Executive Housekeeper

An executive housekeeper is a senior professional who began as a housekeeper, mastered the full craft, and over time was entrusted with more. They can perform every aspect of hands-on housekeeping to a white glove standard and bring specialist knowledge in fine textile care, stain removal, antiques, fine art, china, and crystal. They work quickly, efficiently, and seamlessly in the background without needing direction.

Some households engage an executive housekeeper to lead a team. Others simply want the most capable person available, someone who has worked in some of the most prestigious private residences and brings that standard regardless of whether a team is in place. A skilled executive housekeeper is rare to find independently. My Household Managed has consistent access to candidates at this level.

Adjacent Roles

Related Household and Estate Roles

Executive Housekeeper

An executive housekeeper leads the housekeeping function on a large estate: setting standards, training and supervising staff, managing inventory, and owning the full housekeeping operation. For households with a housekeeping team or multiple properties, an executive housekeeper provides the leadership layer that a single housekeeper cannot.

Learn about executive housekeeper placement →
House Manager

A house manager oversees the full daily operations of the household including staff, vendors, and the home environment. In many households the housekeeper reports to the house manager, who coordinates the broader household team. My Household Managed places house managers across all household sizes and structures.

Learn about house manager placement →
Estate Manager

An estate manager provides senior operational leadership across the household, grounds, vendors, and all staff including housekeeping. For principals with multiple properties or complex household operations, the estate manager and housekeeper or executive housekeeper work within a defined reporting structure.

Learn about estate manager placement →
Laundress

A laundress specializes in the care of fine clothing, household linens, and delicate textiles. The laundress and housekeeper often work closely together within the same household, with the laundress owning the textile care function and the housekeeper managing the broader cleaning and presentation of the home.

Learn about laundress placement →
FAQ

Common Questions About Private Housekeeper Placement

If you don’t see what you’re looking for, the Discovery Call is the right place to start.

How much does a private housekeeper cost? +
Housekeeper compensation varies based on household size, scope of work, and whether the role is part of a larger household team or a standalone position. Compensation varies based on household size, scope of work, experience level, and whether the role is standalone or part of a team. The Discovery Call is the right place to discuss current market expectations for your specific household.
What’s the difference between a housekeeper and an executive housekeeper? +
A housekeeper manages the cleaning, organization, and daily care of a private home. An executive housekeeper oversees a team of housekeepers, sets and enforces household standards, manages vendor relationships, and handles seasonal wardrobe and interior transitions. Executive housekeepers are typically placed in larger estates and multi-property households where one person cannot handle all housekeeping responsibilities alone.
How long does a housekeeper search take? +
MHM’s searches typically take four to six weeks from the start of the search. Specialized requirements — such as care for fine art, antiques, or particular cultural or dietary context — may extend the timeline.
Do you place live-in housekeepers? +
Yes. MHM places both live-in and live-out housekeepers depending on the household’s situation. Live-in placements require additional attention to compensation structure, accommodations, and time-off expectations — all of which are addressed during the search and built into the offer from the start.
What if the placement doesn’t work out? +
MHM stands behind every introduction with a four-month replacement guarantee. If a placement does not work out within the guarantee period and within the scope of the original search, MHM conducts a full replacement search at no additional fee.
What is MHM’s placement fee for a housekeeper? +
MHM’s fee is a percentage of the placed professional’s gross annual compensation, collected in part as a retainer at the start of the search and applied toward the total fee at placement. The specific percentage is discussed during the Discovery Call, after we understand the household and the scope of the search.
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