Maids & Co's fee is one month of the agreed gross salary plus VAT (21% in Spain; outside Spain, whatever applies). It is a single payment, with no subscriptions and no lock-in, due only once you take the person on and are happy. It is backed by a guarantee: a free replacement within 6 months in Madrid, Barcelona and Marbella and, wherever you are, a 50% refund of the fee if you're not satisfied in the first month.
THE BREAKDOWN
Maids & Co fee breakdown:what it includes and what it doesn't (2026)
Item
Detail
Included in the fee?
Search & selection
Profile definition and candidate shortlist (first profiles in under 3 hours)
Yes
In-depth interviews
Assessment of experience, skills and personal fit
Yes
Reference checks
We contact previous employers directly
Yes
Contract & Social Security registration
Guidance to keep everything legal from the first hour
Yes
6-month guarantee
Free replacement if the person leaves or doesn't settle in, in Madrid, Barcelona and Marbella; wherever you are, a 50% refund of the fee in the first month
Yes
Placement fee
One month's gross salary + VAT (21% in Spain; outside Spain, whatever applies) · single payment, only if you hire
This is the fee
Employee salary
2026 minimum wage: €1,221/month over 14 payments (€1,424.50 over 12) or €9.55/hour; paid separately, not to the agency
Before you hire domestic staff, it helps to separate two costs that are often confused: the employee's salary (what the person earns each month) and the agency's fee (what the firm that finds, interviews and vets that person charges you).They are different line items, paid to different people and worked out in different ways.
The salary is set by the official wage table: the 2026 minimum wage is €1,221/month over 14 payments (€1,424.50 over 12 payments) or €9.55/hour, rising from there with experience and duties (we break this down on our prices page). On top of that salary, Social Security contributions are a separate cost paid by the employer. The fee, by contrast, depends on each agency's model, and this is where they diverge sharply: some charge up front or through monthly subscriptions, whether the hire works out or not; others, like Maids & Co, only charge if you actually hire.
On this page we explain, in full transparency, what our service costs, when you pay and what it covers, so you can compare like with like and decide with the full picture.
WHAT YOU PAY
What you pay: an agency fee, not a salary
The fee is what Maids & Co charges for finding, selecting and vetting the right candidate.It equals one month of the agreed gross salary, plus VAT: 21% in Spain; outside Spain, whatever applies. For example, in Spain, if the agreed gross salary is €1,424.50, the fee would be €1,424.50 + VAT = €1,723.65 (indicative; yours will depend on the salary you agree).
That fee does not include the employee's salary, which is a separate cost you pay directly to the person each month through their payroll. The salary starts from the 2026 minimum wage (€1,221/month over 14 payments, €1,424.50 over 12, or €9.55/hour) and rises with experience and duties; the Social Security you pay as the employer is a separate cost. We break both down, with a calculator, on our prices page.
In short: the agency is paid once; the salary is paid every month for as long as the employment lasts. Mixing up the two figures is the most common mistake when comparing quotes.
WHEN YOU PAY
When do you pay? Success-based (nothing until you hire)
1
Step 1
€0 during the search
We work on a success basis: throughout the search you pay nothing. We define the profile, present candidates (the first in under 3 hours), arrange interviews and check references at no cost to you.
2
Step 2
A single payment when you hire
The fee is only triggered once you take the person on and are happy, as a single payment. There are no monthly subscriptions, no lock-in and nothing to pay up front. The service also includes 2 trial days with the candidate before you confirm the hire. If we don't manage to find the right person, you pay nothing.
3
Step 3
The amount, confirmed beforehand
We confirm the exact amount in advance and with no obligation, so you know where you stand before deciding.
WHAT IT COVERS
What the fee covers
Tailored selection
The fee covers the whole selection process, not just a list of contacts. It includes defining the profile with you, an active search across our own database and channels, and shortlisting only the candidates who genuinely fit your household.
Interviews and references
It also includes in-depth interviews, where we assess experience, skills and personal fit, and direct reference checks: we contact previous employers ourselves rather than simply asking for letters.
Contract and registration
And it goes beyond the person: we guide you through the contract and the Social Security registration, which is mandatory from the very first hour worked, so the arrangement is legal from day one. All of this as placement agency no. 1300000318.
WHY SUCCESS-BASED
Why the success-based model protects you
Charging only if you hire aligns our interests with yours: we earn nothing for sending you lots of profiles, only for placing the right person, the one who actually stays.Unlike models that charge up front or by subscription, where the agency is paid whether the hire works out or not, here we carry the risk.
That protection is completed by the 6-month guarantee with free replacement in our main hubs (Madrid, Barcelona and Marbella): if the person leaves or doesn't settle in within that period, we find a replacement at no extra cost. And wherever you are, if you're not satisfied during the first month, we refund 50% of the fee. Either way, you don't pay twice to solve the same problem.
It is also a trust signal: 4.8 stars across 93 Google reviews show the model works for the families who have already used it. Our price transparency is there precisely so you can compare without surprises.
GOOGLE REVIEWS
What families say
★★★★★
“We are very happy with our experience with Maids & Co. We had quite a demanding search, as we have three children under five and were preparing for a big international move from New York to Spain. Although we were unlucky with a few candidates who changed…”
Tatiana2 months ago · Google review
★★★★★
“Isabella and her team were fantastic in helping us find a nanny. From an initial call to align on profiles to the process and platform they use, together with the candidates presented, it was a smooth an easy process. They were very communicative and helped…”
David5 months ago · Google review
★★★★★
“Great and easy experience hiring our new house keeper with Maids & Co. They are very helpful and were continuously searching for the perfect candidate. We are very happy and will keep working with them in the future.”
Georgia6 months ago · Google review
★★★★★
“My experience having Maids&Co supporting me finding and choosing an assistent was the best! Very organized, plenty of good options, speedy and trustworthy. I recommend it.”
At Maids & Co, the fee equals one month of the agreed gross salary plus VAT (21% in Spain; outside Spain, whatever applies), in a single payment due only if you actually hire. We charge nothing during the search and no subscriptions. Other agencies use different models (up-front payment or monthly fees), so it is always worth asking exactly when and how they charge.
No. The fee is what the agency charges for the selection; the employee's salary is a separate cost you pay monthly through their payroll. The salary starts from the 2026 minimum wage (€1,221/month over 14 payments, €1,424.50 over 12, or €9.55/hour) and rises with experience; Social Security is a separate cost you pay as the employer. We break it all down, with a calculator, on our prices page.
No. We work on a success basis: nothing to pay until you hire. During the search, interviews and reference checks you pay nothing; the fee is only triggered once you take the person on and are happy.
In our main hubs (Madrid, Barcelona and Marbella) you have a 6-month guarantee: if the person leaves or doesn't settle in within that period, we find a replacement at no extra cost. And wherever you are, if you're not satisfied during the first month, we refund 50% of the fee. That is why the fee is a single payment and not a subscription: it covers the outcome, not just the introduction.
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