Preparing a domestic worker’s accommodation: a room that protects privacy and rest

What the rules expect of the employer

Among the employer’s known obligations towards a live-in domestic worker are suitable accommodation, food and health care, alongside her wage on time, daily and weekly rest and leave. The approved contract sets out these obligations, so read it before signing, and ask the licensed provider about any unclear clause.

You’ll find the rights and obligations in detail on the rights and obligations page and in the guide to employer obligations and worker rights.

The room

A private space with a door that closes

A separate room for the worker — not a corner of the kitchen, store room or hall. A door that locks from the inside gives her privacy and security.

Ventilation and air conditioning

A window or suitable ventilation, and an AC that works in summer — a hot room without cooling in the Kingdom’s heat isn’t fit for sleep or rest.

Bed and bedding

A comfortable bed with a clean mattress, a pillow, a cover and sheets — just as you’d expect for anyone in the house.

Space for belongings

A wardrobe or drawers for her clothes and personal things, a mirror, and enough light.

Power and contact

A socket to charge her phone, and a way to contact her family — keeping in touch with her family at home is one of the things that most eases being far away.

Bathroom and personal hygiene

If possible, a bathroom of her own, or one guests don’t use, gives her a lot of comfort. If it’s shared, agree clear times and arrangements that protect her privacy and the family’s. Provide the basic personal hygiene items at the start, until she gets to know the house and nearby shops.

Food

Enough food is a live-in worker’s right — not leftovers from the table. It’s best to ask her in the first days what she eats and doesn’t eat; she may have different eating habits, or foods she avoids for religious or health reasons. Provide enough food and water, and time to eat in peace rather than standing between tasks.

Rest: what happens behind the closed door

A good room doesn’t help without real time to rest in it. The worker needs unbroken daily rest for sleep, a weekly rest day and leave, as the contract and rules set out. When she’s in her room during her rest time, that time is hers: no knocking on the door for requests that can wait.

Avoid her room being a passageway or a store family members go into to fetch things. Respecting her space builds trust from the first week. Read the first week with a new domestic worker.

If the flat is small

Not every home is a villa with a worker’s room designed in from the start. In small flats, a family may need to rearrange the home before requesting a live-in worker: turning a study or store room into a suitable room, with a window, AC, a bed and a wardrobe — not just clearing a corner of it.

If that isn’t possible, an hourly service or a non-residential monthly service through a licensed company may suit your home better than a live-in worker. The right decision is the one that suits the space and everyone’s comfort, not one that squeezes a person into a place unfit to live in. Read comparing recruitment, monthly and hourly services.

Heat, air conditioning and power

In the Kingdom’s summer, AC is a necessity for sleep and rest, not a luxury. Make sure the AC in the worker’s room works well before summer, is maintained along with the rest of the house’s units, and that using it isn’t a point of contention. A room where the AC is switched off to save electricity isn’t fit for rest after a day’s work.

Her documents and personal belongings

The worker’s passport and personal documents stay with her, not with the family. A safe place in her room to keep her documents, phone and money is part of suitable accommodation. Her phone and personal belongings are hers, and nobody has the right to search or take them.

A checklist before the worker arrives

• A clean separate room with a door that closes, and working ventilation and AC.
• A bed, mattress and clean bedding, a wardrobe, mirror and lighting.
• A suitable bathroom, and basic personal hygiene items.
• A charging socket, and a way to contact her family.
• A safe place to keep her documents and belongings.
• A sheet with family and emergency numbers, and information about the house in a language she understands.

If the service is monthly through a licensed domestic labour company and the worker is employed by the company, ask the company about accommodation arrangements — she may live with you or in the company’s housing depending on the service. Read comparing recruitment, monthly and hourly services.

Why this matters for the family too

Suitable accommodation isn’t only an obligation; it’s an investment in a calm and stable relationship. A worker who sleeps well and feels safe works more attentively, settles in faster, and speaks openly if she faces a problem instead of keeping it to herself. Many families who describe a long, successful experience with a worker mention respect and comfort before anything else.

If you’re looking for a licensed provider, read how to choose a licensed recruitment office, and request offers from licensed providers in your city.