Housekeeper Job Description
Use this profession-specific template to build a clear, practical Housekeeper job advert and role description for hotels, guest houses, B&Bs or managed accommodation. It highlights typical duties, essential requirements and sensible advert copy you can adapt to your business.
What does a Housekeeper professional do?
A Housekeeper cleans and maintains guest rooms and public areas, ensuring hygiene, presentation and guest privacy to the employer’s standards.
Housekeeper job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Housekeeper
About the role
We are looking for a reliable Housekeeper to join [Employer name] in [Location]. You will clean and prepare guest rooms and public areas, replenish supplies, report maintenance issues and maintain hygiene standards. This role is [full-time/part-time], with [hours/shifts] and an hourly pay of [£X–£Y or competitive pay].
Key responsibilities
- Clean, make and inspect guest bedrooms to the employer’s presentation standards, including changing bedlinen and restocking amenities.
- Clean and sanitise bathrooms and replenish toiletries and consumables.
- Vacuuming, dusting, polishing, removing waste and laundering or managing linen as required.
- Maintain public areas (reception, corridors, lounges) to required cleanliness and presentation standards.
- Report maintenance issues, damaged items or lost property promptly to the supervisor.
- Store, use and maintain cleaning equipment and chemicals safely, following COSHH and housekeeping procedures.
- Respect guest privacy and confidentiality at all times.
- Assist with laundry, inventory and stock-control tasks when required, and support colleagues during peak periods.
Essential skills and experience
- Right to work in the UK.
- Good standard of English to understand instructions and report issues.
- Physical fitness to perform manual tasks including bending, lifting and standing for prolonged periods.
- Proven experience in cleaning or housekeeping, or demonstrable ability to meet cleaning standards.
- Willingness to work required shift patterns, including early mornings, weekends or bank holidays if needed.
- A practical understanding of safe use of cleaning chemicals and basic infection-control procedures.
Desirable
- Previous experience in hospitality or serviced accommodation.
- Formal training or certificate in cleaning services or hospitality (e.g. NVQ/SQCF unit in Cleaning) or employer-provided training.
- Experience using commercial cleaning equipment (industrial vacuums, floor polishers) and linen-management systems.
- Basic IT or mobile-app literacy for logging tasks and maintenance reports.
What we offer
- Holiday entitlement (statutory or enhanced)
- Pension scheme (employer contributions)
- Uniform or work clothing provided
- On-the-job training and development
- Staff discount on accommodation and meals (if applicable)
- Flexible shift patterns or part-time hours available
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a Housekeeper role?
Housekeepers are responsible for the cleaning, presentation and basic upkeep of accommodation and public areas. They follow established cleaning schedules and health-and-safety procedures, manage linen and consumables, and report maintenance or security concerns. In hospitality settings housekeepers work closely with reception and maintenance teams to deliver a consistent guest experience.
Core duties
Room cleaning, bathroom sanitising, linen handling, public-area maintenance and reporting issues.
Typical hours
Shift patterns commonly include early starts, split shifts, weekends and bank holidays; part-time and full-time contracts are standard.
Health & safety
Work follows COSHH and manual-handling guidance and requires safe use and storage of cleaning chemicals.
Typical Housekeeper responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Clean
Clean, make and inspect guest bedrooms to the employer’s presentation standards, including changing bedlinen and restocking amenities.
Clean
Clean and sanitise bathrooms and replenish toiletries and consumables.
Vacuuming
Vacuuming, dusting, polishing, removing waste and laundering or managing linen as required.
Maintain public areas (reception
Maintain public areas (reception, corridors, lounges) to required cleanliness and presentation standards.
Report maintenance issues
Report maintenance issues, damaged items or lost property promptly to the supervisor.
Store
Store, use and maintain cleaning equipment and chemicals safely, following COSHH and housekeeping procedures.
Respect guest privacy
Respect guest privacy and confidentiality at all times.
Assist with laundry
Assist with laundry, inventory and stock-control tasks when required, and support colleagues during peak periods.
Housekeeper skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Right to work in the UK.
- Good standard of English to understand instructions and report issues.
- Physical fitness to perform manual tasks including bending, lifting and standing for prolonged periods.
- Proven experience in cleaning or housekeeping, or demonstrable ability to meet cleaning standards.
- Willingness to work required shift patterns, including early mornings, weekends or bank holidays if needed.
- A practical understanding of safe use of cleaning chemicals and basic infection-control procedures.
Useful where relevant
- Previous experience in hospitality or serviced accommodation.
- Formal training or certificate in cleaning services or hospitality (e.g. NVQ/SQCF unit in Cleaning) or employer-provided training.
- Experience using commercial cleaning equipment (industrial vacuums, floor polishers) and linen-management systems.
- Basic IT or mobile-app literacy for logging tasks and maintenance reports.
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Housekeeper job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Be explicit about hours and contract type
State whether the role is full-time, part-time, permanent, fixed-term or live-in and include likely shift patterns so candidates can self-assess fit.
List measurable standards
Describe expected outputs (e.g. typical number of rooms per shift, turnaround expectations) rather than vague phrases like ‘fast-paced’.
Mention training and progression
If you offer induction, ongoing training or routes to supervisory roles, state this to attract candidates seeking development.
Note physical requirements and PPE
Be clear about manual-handling, lifting or standing expectations and whether uniform or PPE is provided.
Use plain language
Avoid hospitality jargon; clear requirements and duties reduce unsuitable applications and speed up hiring.
Housekeeper salary considerations
Salaries for Housekeepers vary by location, employer type and working pattern. Rather than a single market figure, consider the factors below to set a competitive hourly rate or salary for your vacancy.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Housekeeper candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What are the working hours and shift patterns?
Candidates want clarity on start/finish times, whether shifts rotate, frequency of weekend or bank-holiday work and typical weekly hours.
Is induction and training provided?
Tell applicants if you provide on-the-job training, health-and-safety briefings and any career progression support.
Will uniform, PPE and cleaning products be supplied?
Make it clear whether you provide uniform, gloves and mask where needed, and who is responsible for laundering.
Is live-in or accommodation available?
If you offer staff accommodation (or can’t), state this so candidates know whether relocation or commuting costs apply.
How many rooms or areas is the role responsible for per shift?
Experienced candidates will want to know workload expectations to assess whether standards are achievable.
Where to post a Housekeeper job
Housekeeper vacancies reach suitable candidates through a mix of general UK job boards, hospitality-specific job sites and local community channels. Use sector-focused boards and hospitality Facebook groups for experienced candidates, advertise on local jobcentres or frequented community noticeboards for entry-level hires, and consider recruitment agencies that specialise in cleaning and hospitality for seasonal peaks or high-volume hiring.
Housekeeper job description FAQs
Do I need to run a DBS check for a Housekeeper?
DBS checks are not routinely required for general housekeeping work unless the role involves regular, unsupervised access to vulnerable guests or children. Conduct a risk assessment and follow safer-recruitment practice where needed.
What notice period should I offer new housekeeping staff?
Common notice periods range from one week for short-term or entry-level roles to four weeks for experienced or managerial positions. Decide based on contract length and local recruitment norms.
Should I advertise experience as essential or preferred?
Mark core capabilities (ability to meet cleaning standards, physical fitness, right to work) as essential and list hospitality experience or specific machinery skills as desirable to widen your candidate pool.
Is an NVQ or formal qualification necessary?
Formal qualifications are useful but not essential for most housekeeping roles. Many employers provide practical induction and in-house training; list certifications as desirable unless the role specifically requires them.
How detailed should the advert be about pay and benefits?
Be transparent on pay range or hourly rate, contract type and key benefits (holiday, pension, staff discounts). Clear info improves application quality and reduces unsuitable enquiries.
Ready to publish your Housekeeper vacancy?
Use this template to create a tailored job advert, add your specific pay, hours and location details, and post across the channels that suit your business to reach the right candidates.
