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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Is she expecting too much?

19 replies

lauribec · 20/01/2026 07:39

My auntie recently inherited a house and has started to run an air b&b with it. I had a baby 2.5 years ago, got made redundant by my employer when baby was a couple of months old and messed about by them (had such a negative toll on me) so she pretty much decided I could just be her cleaner. I basically just thought I’ve got no better options currently and it’s a bit of money.

Its a large 3 bedroom house and she said to me she would pay £100 per changeover but this was also to include me popping in and doing any extra bits that she needed doing (she lives away) having packages delivered to my home and taking them to the let, dealing with any workmen etc. I’m happy to help out but when you work out the amount of time I’m putting in I’m not even making minimum wage!

The house takes a long time to clean to a good standard and until recently this also included me doing all washing, drying, ironing and making all the beds. According to my mum (her sister) she’s realised that it’s a bit much and she’s now offering for my mum who’s recently retired, to do her laundry.

I thought that’s great, it’ll really help! She offered mum £15 for the laundry, we assumed that was per bed set but no it was for the 3 beds! Mums suggested £15 per set and she was met with her saying she would have to reduce my wages to accommodate paying for the laundry. She told her she couldn’t do that (I’ve got 3 kids)

Not the first time she’s tried to reduce my pay either, we had a last minute booking come in (big earner for her) previous guests had only just left and it wasn’t left in the best way. She asked if I needed her to get an agency worker in to help out but told me if she did that she’d be reducing my wages!

Twice at the end of last year she was asked if she’d be willing to rent the properly out for 9-12 months and she agreed at the drop of a hat. Completely oblivious that it would leave me with no income. She said she wanted to do something nice for someone (one lady was flooded but ended up taking alternative accommodation) it’s left me feeling totally deflated.

She’s also mentioned to my mum that if the house doesn’t make good money this year she’s going to look into long term renting it next year (totally her decision - but it’s left me feeling quite rubbish when she was adamant I would be doing the cleaning)

My dad gets really frustrated with the whole situation 😂 his employers run air b&bs and they’re all saying how I’m being mugged off 😂 I was thinking I dedicate 5 hours to the house and she’ll either have to pay extra for more work or find someone else to do it? (They’d definitely be charging her more)

It’s just sad really as it’s leaving a bad feeling between family.

OP posts:
ThatZippyFinch · 20/01/2026 07:47

Talk. To. Her.

It is that simple.

and if you don’t like the result, don’t clean anymore

SoIMO · 20/01/2026 07:49

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SkinnyOatFlatWhiteForMePlease · 20/01/2026 07:52

Set out your terms and stick to them, it’s then up to her if she’s willing to accept that.

She is using you though, it’s probably time to look for alternative cleaning jobs.

SkinnyOatFlatWhiteForMePlease · 20/01/2026 07:53

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On top of this you are preparing beds for the next guests, dealing with deliveries and general maintenance and security of the premises.

ShetlandishMum · 20/01/2026 08:13

I suppose you don't have a contract? I would walk out and leave it to her with a good luck.

satsumas26 · 20/01/2026 08:14

SkinnyOatFlatWhiteForMePlease · 20/01/2026 07:53

On top of this you are preparing beds for the next guests, dealing with deliveries and general maintenance and security of the premises.

^ my DP does this for an Airbnb I own/managed before I met. We spilt all takings 50/50 as he does the work, I just own the place & pay for consumables

£100 isn’t a lot as I expect it must be 4+ hours work or more every time … you should be asking min wage to cover every hour of your time as a minimum

DurhamDurham · 20/01/2026 08:21

I would have a chat with your aunt, discuss expectations from each of you. Tell her you would like a contract and go from there.

If she doesn’t agree with your terms and you don’t like hers you’ll need to leave. Has she been paying you cash in hand? Or can you track the wages going into your bank account? I’d be tempted to contact HMRC.

Namechangeforthis88 · 20/01/2026 08:26

If she can't afford minimum wage for the work involved then it's not a viable business.

rookiemere · 20/01/2026 08:30

£100 may be acceptable per clean, but not for all the extra visits on top. You have more power than you realise, as if you quit she would need to find a cheap cleaner/housekeeper at short notice.
Why don’t you prepare your own contract. The £100 gets her 5 hours of your time. That could be 5 hours of cleaning or 4 hrs plus one trip for a delivery ( round each trip up to an hour). There might be issues in doing it legally so maybe just an email stating what you will and will not do going forward.

rookiemere · 20/01/2026 08:31

Also look for another job.

SoIMO · 20/01/2026 08:34

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itsthetea · 20/01/2026 08:37

As a tide you over it was fine , but it’s fine to look for your own properly paid job now

ideally meaning you can ditch her before she’s ready but that might be too much to hope for

dontmalbeconme · 20/01/2026 08:39

£100 at £20/hr for 5 hours for cleaning an empty 3 bed house is fine. It's all the extras and errands that are muddying the water, as it's ad hoc with no guarantee of how much time you'll spend each week ...

If you were working for an agency, you'd likely be paid minimum wage, so you'd need to work around 8 hours to earn £100.

You need to decide whether you want to keep workimg for your aunt or you'd rather find another job.

SoIMO · 20/01/2026 08:44

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honeylulu · 20/01/2026 08:47

Tell her what works for you and if she doesn't agree or reneges, find a different cleaning job. It is really as simple as that.

You might think "but she's family, I don't want to let her down" but such things don't seem to bother her when she's screwing you over to suit herself!

oscalo · 20/01/2026 08:49

I'd keep it if it is on the books, with NI and tax etc. sorted (for your entitlements protection etc.), and a written agreement. Overtime for the odds and ends.

Discuss it with her and clear the air. The amount paid for cleaning sounds ok, it's the unpredictable add ons that are the issue here I think.

If you're ok with cash in hand, you can still discuss things.

THisbackwithavengeance · 20/01/2026 08:49

This is what happens when you work cash in hand for family. She expects to pay you mates rates and genuinely believes she’s doing you a favour by letting you clean plus I assume you’re claiming universal credit and that’s why you won’t get a “proper” job which is the obvious solution surely?

boredwfh · 20/01/2026 08:55

My cleaners charge £80 per changeover, that includes laundry for a 3 bed terrace. 1 bathroom & downstairs toilet. I add that cleaning fee to the booking. Every now & then I ask them to do a a bit extra and pay accordingly. They’re a professional set up with their own launderette. So if I get long term bookings they get less work but I’m not their only client. The problem is this is your only income. Why don’t you set and take on more properties. Good Airbnb cleaners are worth their weight in gold & will make you stand out against normal cleaners.

Shuufty · 20/01/2026 11:55

Look for another job. This gig type of work is never a guaranteed income and she is not paying you enough anyway. You can do better elsewhere. There is too much perceived, one sided obligation here and it will drive a wedge between your family.

You have all that experience now. Set yourself up doing some cleaning for other clients once your little one has preschool or similar. It is a great job for fitting around preschoolers and school run on weekdays.

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