Need to locate a new housekeeper so I called some ads.

The first one wanted $100 per hour.

Hired the one who wanted $15. But I gave her $20 cuz that’s what I pay. She was thrilled.

Now we’ll see if she shows up!

Housekeepers can really "clean up" with they are a hustler.

They are getting harder and harder to find. Ours last about 6 months and they either get lazy, try to price gouge us, or just don't show up.

Easy to find house cleaners here (all those vacation homes.) Even deep cleaners. But good ones? I have no idea. The one and only one I've hired is rather meh. She doesn't really look UP, just the floors and middle distance. We've used her on a few rentals in the past and she didn't clean behind a really easy to move small fridge.

In my own house, again meh.

So what I hear you saying is you need to start a housecleaning business so you have plenty of cleaners for your units, and when you don't need them you can hire out your cleaners to all your local landlord buddies who are desperate for quality laborers?

Maybe split the difference: pay the cleaner $35/hour and you charge the customer $70. Sounds like a bargain for both sides and you reap the difference.

I've thought about doing this myself: creating a turnover company strictly for hiring out to land lords and PM companies when their cleaners don't show up. Cherry pick the good houses.

Btw, did that $100/hour include a "Start up" fee, sort of like a contractor's service call? The gal I used to use I paid her $50 to show up, and that got me 2 hours of work. Whether it took her 10 minutes or 2 hours, she got a reasonable amount for showing up. I can't imagine paying $100/hour for a 4 hour cleaning job, but my guess is we'll get there...some day!

I'm paying $30 an hour, but they are a small business that does credit and criminal checks and drug tests of all employees, and one of the owners (A mom and 2 of her daughters) are always part of the team that cleans. They do my house every other week, plus do all my rental turnovers.

I just paid $238 for a move in/move out cleaning of a 1 bedroom condo. I used a cleaning company

I just paid $238 for a move in/move out cleaning of a 1 bedroom condo. I used a cleaning company

The woman I used for cleaning recently retired. The quality was hit or miss. I always gave her the opportunity to rethink what she was charging, based on what I was looking for. In the end there were things she would do well and things that would hardly get touched (like not moving a stove to clean the filth out of reach or on the floor). She did an excellent job on my ten yr smoker/cat unit. She did a service for me after she retired and clearly was not motivated to clean at all, lesson learned.

Small,

Sounds like the game CLUE - it was the maid in the library with a candlestick!

We do screen using the same rental applicant checklist. Can be BERY telling!

On the flip side one applicant is asking for $9/hour. THAT makes me nervous :)