By Christopher Tan · Last updated:
Is It Legal to Hire a Part-Time Cleaner in Singapore? (HSS Explained)
What MOM's Household Services Scheme means for households, and how to check a cleaning company before you book.
Yes, as long as you book through a company. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) runs the Household Services Scheme (HSS) so that companies can provide part-time household help such as home cleaning. What you can't do is hire someone else's foreign domestic worker on the side.
What is the Household Services Scheme (HSS)?
According to MOM, the HSS allows companies to hire more migrant workers to provide part-time domestic services, such as home cleaning, grocery shopping, car-washing and pet-sitting. The company hires the worker and sends them to your home, so you're a customer of the company, not an employer.
The scheme started as a pilot in 2017 with 15 companies, and MOM formalised it as a permanent scheme from 1 September 2021. At that time, 76 companies were providing household cleaning to more than 10,000 households.
Selected HSS companies can also provide basic elder-minding services. MOM publishes the full list of allowable tasks.
Can I hire my neighbour's helper part-time?
No. MOM states that it is an offence for a foreign domestic worker to take on part-time work, with or without her employer's consent. Under the Work Permit conditions, a domestic worker does chores only for her employer, at the address on her Work Permit card.
So paying a friend's or neighbour's helper to clean your flat on her day off isn't allowed, however convenient it might seem.
How to check if a cleaning company is under HSS
- Check MOM's list. MOM publishes a list of HSS companies you can contact for part-time help.
- Ask the company. A provider should be able to tell you whether it's under the HSS and whether the cleaner is its employee.
- Read its website. Some providers mention it. On our home cleaning list, for example, MEIDE is described as listed under the government's Household Services Scheme.
Company names on MOM's list can change, so check the latest version rather than relying on an old screenshot.
Finding a part-time cleaner
Our home cleaning list covers 14 providers with their prices and booking terms. For what to expect on price, see how much a part-time cleaner costs.
This isn't legal advice. Rules can change, so check MOM's website for the latest.
Frequently asked questions
Can I hire my neighbour's helper to clean my home part-time?
No. MOM says it is an offence for a foreign domestic worker to take on part-time work, with or without her employer's consent. She may only do household chores for her employer at the address on her Work Permit card.
What services can HSS companies provide?
According to MOM, HSS companies provide part-time domestic services such as home cleaning, grocery shopping, car-washing and pet-sitting. Selected HSS companies can also provide basic elder-minding services.
How do I know if a cleaning company is under the HSS?
Check MOM's published list of HSS companies, or ask the company directly whether it is under the Household Services Scheme and whether the cleaner is its employee.
Before you book
Ask any provider whether the cleaner is its own employee and whether it is under MOM's Household Services Scheme, and try a session before committing to a package.