Hiring Household Help in Ecuador: Maids, Cooks, Gardeners, and the Legal Requirements You Can't Ignore

Here's something that surprises most newcomers: domestic help in Ecuador isn't a luxury reserved for the wealthy. Most middle-class Ecuadorian families have some form of household help, and nearly every expat ends up hiring someone. At $15–25 for a professional cleaning visit, the math just makes sense.

But here's where expats get into trouble — they hire someone informally, pay cash, skip the legal requirements, and then face a labor complaint that costs them thousands. Ecuador's labor laws strongly favor the employee, and ignorance isn't a defense.

This guide covers what kind of help is available, what it actually costs, how to find reliable people, and — critically — the legal requirements you absolutely must follow.

Types of Household Help and What They Cost

Empleada Domestica (Housekeeper/Maid)

This is the most common hire. An empleada handles cleaning, laundry, ironing, and often cooking.

• Full-time live-in: $400–500/month plus meals and a private room. The legal minimum wage applies ($482/month in 2026), so many live-in empleadas now earn at or above $482. You also provide meals, a private room with bathroom, and reasonable working hours.
• Full-time day worker (lunes a viernes): $350–482/month. Arrives in the morning, leaves in the afternoon. The minimum wage technically applies if they work full-time hours (40/week), so budget accordingly.
• Part-time (2–3 days per week): $80–150/month depending on hours and duties. This is the sweet spot for most expat couples. Your apartment gets cleaned twice a week, laundry gets done, and you pay a fraction of full-time costs.

Cleaning Service (By the Visit)

If you don't want a regular employee relationship, you can hire a cleaning service.

• Per visit: $15–30 for a 2–3 bedroom apartment, depending on size and condition.
• Deep clean: $30–50 for a thorough scrub-down (moving-in or spring cleaning).
• Companies like CleanHouse in Cuenca and various Facebook-advertised services operate this way. The advantage: they handle their own IESS registration, so you have no employer obligations.

Laundry Person

Some expats hire someone specifically for washing and ironing, especially if they have a large household.

• Per visit: $10–20, usually once or twice a week.
• Many empleadas include laundry in their duties, so this is a separate hire only if you need it.

Cook

If you want someone to prepare meals, you can hire a dedicated cook or find an empleada who also cooks.

• Full-time cook: $350–482/month.
• Empleada who also cooks: same rate as a regular empleada, but make sure cooking duties are agreed upon upfront. Not every housekeeper wants to cook, and not every cook wants to clean.
• A common arrangement: your empleada prepares almuerzo (lunch) and leaves a prepared dinner in the fridge.

Gardener (Jardinero)

If you have a house with a yard, you'll want a jardinero.

• Weekly visits: $30–60/month (one visit per week for a few hours).
• Larger properties or landscaping work: $60–100/month.
• Most jardineros bring their own tools. They'll mow, trim hedges, maintain flower beds, and handle basic yard work.

Driver

Less common for expats, but useful if you don't want to drive in Ecuador.

• Full-time: $400–600/month.
• Part-time/as-needed: $15–30 per trip, negotiated directly.
• Some expats share a driver with neighbors to split costs.

The Legal Requirements: This Is Where Expats Mess Up

If you hire someone who works for you regularly — even part-time, even just two days a week — Ecuadorian labor law considers them your employee. And employees have rights that you're legally required to provide. Skip these requirements and you're exposing yourself to a labor complaint that could cost you a year's salary or more in back payments and penalties.

IESS Registration (Seguro Social)

You must register your employee with IESS (Instituto Ecuatoriano de Seguridad Social). This is non-negotiable. Even for part-time domestic workers.

Contribution rates (2026):

• Employer pays: 11.15% of declared salary
• Employee pays: 9.45% of declared salary
• Total: 20.60%

In practice, you pay the full 20.60% to IESS, then deduct the employee's 9.45% share from their salary. On a $482/month salary, that's $53.77 from the employer and $45.55 from the employee, totaling $99.32/month.

You register through the IESS website or at a local IESS office. You'll need your cedula (or passport), the employee's cedula, and a completed registration form. Many expats hire a contador (accountant) to handle the monthly IESS filings — expect to pay $20–30/month for this service.

Mandatory Benefits (Beneficios de Ley)

These are not optional. They are required by Ecuadorian law for all domestic workers.

Decimo Tercero (13th Month Salary): An extra month's pay, paid in December. It can be paid as a lump sum in December or prorated across 12 monthly payments (the employee chooses). Most prefer the lump sum for Christmas expenses.

Decimo Cuarto (14th Month Salary): One minimum wage payment ($482 in 2026), regardless of actual salary. Paid in August for the Sierra region (Cuenca, Quito) or March for the Costa region (Guayaquil). Can also be prorated monthly.

Vacation: 15 days of paid vacation per year after the first year. This increases by one day per year after five years of service.

Fondos de Reserva: After the first full year of employment, you owe an additional 8.33% of monthly salary. This can be paid monthly through IESS or accumulated. It's essentially a savings fund for the employee.

Utilidades (Profit Sharing): This technically applies if you're running a business, but for household employers it generally doesn't. Consult a lawyer if you're unsure.

The Real Cost of a Full-Time Employee

Let's do the math on a full-time empleada earning $482/month (minimum wage):

Item	Monthly Cost
Salary	$482.00
IESS employer contribution (11.15%)	$53.74
Decimo tercero (prorated)	$40.17
Decimo cuarto (prorated)	$40.17
Fondos de reserva (after year 1, 8.33%)	$40.15
Total	~$656/month

So that $482 salary actually costs you about $656/month when you include all legal obligations. Plan for this from the start.

Firing and Liquidation (Liquidacion)

This is the big one. If you need to let someone go, Ecuadorian law requires you to pay a liquidation that includes:

• Outstanding salary and benefits owed
• Proportional decimo tercero and decimo cuarto
• Unused vacation days
• Desahucio: three months' salary if you initiate the termination
• Indemnizacion por despido intempestivo (wrongful termination): if you fire without legal cause, you owe additional compensation based on years of service — up to 25 months' salary for long-term employees

This is why hiring decisions in Ecuador should be made carefully. Firing someone is expensive. The system is designed to protect workers, and labor courts almost always side with the employee.

Tip: If you and your employee mutually agree to end the relationship, you can do an "acta de finiquito" (mutual separation agreement) at the Ministry of Labor, which limits your financial exposure. Always do this formally — never just stop employing someone without proper documentation.

How to Find Good Help

Word of Mouth — Best Method

Ask your portero (building doorman), your neighbors, other expats in your building. The best empleadas find work through referrals and rarely need to advertise. If someone has worked for another expat family and that family gives a strong recommendation, you're in good shape.

Facebook Groups

• Gringo Post (Cuenca-focused) — has a classifieds section where both employers and workers post
• Cuenca Expats — regular posts about domestic help
• Expats in Quito — same for Quito
• Post that you're looking, or browse posts from people offering services

Cleaning Companies

For occasional cleaning without the employer obligations, established cleaning companies handle their own IESS and tax compliance. You pay their rate and don't worry about labor law. This is the simplest option if you just need a clean apartment twice a week.

Who to Avoid

• Random people who knock on your door offering services — no references, no accountability
• Anyone who insists on cash-only with no formal agreement
• Someone who doesn't want to be registered with IESS (they may already be registered under another employer, or they're trying to avoid the system — either way, it creates problems for you)

Managing the Relationship

Set Clear Expectations From Day One

Before the first day of work, agree on:

• Exact days and hours
• Specific duties (cleaning, laundry, cooking, ironing — be explicit)
• Products and supplies (do you provide them, or does the employee?)
• Areas of the house that need special attention or are off-limits
• How to handle breakage (it happens — have a policy)
• Time off, sick days, holidays

Written Agreement

Even for part-time arrangements, put the basics in writing. It doesn't need to be a formal contract — a simple written agreement signed by both parties is enough. Include salary, schedule, duties, and start date. This protects both of you if there's ever a dispute.

The Cultural Dynamic

Hiring household help in Ecuador is not like hiring a cleaning service in the US. There's a cultural relationship at play. Your empleada may bring you food from her hometown, tell you about her family, and consider herself part of your household. This is normal and positive.

At the same time, you need to set professional boundaries. Be respectful and kind, but be the employer. If something isn't being done to your standards, address it directly and politely — don't let it build up. If you're giving instructions in Spanish, make sure you're being understood. Miscommunication causes most problems.

Common Expat Mistakes

Overpaying dramatically: If the going rate for a part-time empleada is $100–150/month, paying $300 "because you feel bad" creates problems. It inflates expectations in the neighborhood, makes it harder for Ecuadorian families to compete for help, and can create an uncomfortable power dynamic. Pay fairly and within the local range — you can be generous with Christmas bonuses and occasional gifts.

Not registering with IESS: The most common and most expensive mistake. Even if your empleada says she doesn't want to be registered (and some will, to keep their full salary without deductions), you are legally liable. If she later files a complaint, you'll owe back contributions, penalties, and interest.

Skipping the liquidation: If someone leaves your employment — whether you fire them, they quit, or you move away — you owe a final settlement. Handle it properly through the Ministry of Labor.

The Tax Angle

If you hire a full-time domestic employee and you're filing Ecuadorian income taxes, their salary and IESS contributions are deductible expenses under the personal deduction category. Keep all payment records and IESS receipts. Your contador can handle the details at tax time.

Quick Recommendation for Most Expats

If you're a couple in a 2–3 bedroom apartment in Cuenca or Quito, here's what makes the most sense:

• Hire a part-time empleada for 2 days per week ($80–150/month)
• Register her with IESS (have your contador handle the paperwork)
• Get a jardinero if you have a yard ($30–60/month for weekly visits)
• Use a cleaning company for occasional deep cleans

This setup gives you a clean home, manageable costs, and full legal compliance. It's how most expats live here, and it works.

The biggest thing to remember: treat your household help with respect, follow the law, and pay fairly. These are real people with families, and for many of them, working in an expat household is one of the better-paying jobs available. Do it right and you'll have reliable, loyal help for years.