Can anyone recomend a Taiwanese maid/housekeeper or or housekeeping service that you currently use? I have found numerous services online, but I would prefer going with an individual or service that comes recomended.
(BTW: The housekeeper would only need to do light housework and tidying up, no need for child or elder care.)
Which part of which city are you in and are you looking for a full time housekeeper, daily part timer, or a cleaner to come in a couple of times a week for a few hours each time?
My housekeeper perhaps will be willing to go to your area. I have been getting her help to clean my apartment and I have been happy with her. She is available in the afternoon and Saturday or Sunday. Good luck
Can anyone tell me the going rate for maid services from a young SE Asian woman?
We hired someone this weekend who was recommended by a friend of my wife. Young Indonesian girl. She did a good job, working steadily for 5 hours without a break (windows, bathrooms, floors, etc). This was the first time we ever hired a maid.
Apparently my wife didn’t discuss price with her in advance, because as she was leaving my wife pulled out NT$1,250 and the girl was visibly shocked that we were paying so much and she said she couldn’t take it, but she did when my wife insisted. My wife came up with that amount because 2 or 3 of her friends had said NT$200-300 is standard, so it came out to NT$250/hr.
Of course, compared to cram school wages – or pay from a real job – that’s a pittance. But I thought about it later and realized (a) that’s roughly double what MosBurger workers earn and (b) that’s US$8.00 per hour for an Indonesian maid in Taiwan, which actually does sound like pretty good money. By comparison, I expect that’s only a little below the minimum wage in the US, once a rich and powerful nation. Heck, I worked for many years at $3.20/hour or $4.00/hr. And, that’s more than US$40 for an afternoon’s work, perhaps more than she’d earn in a week back home.
I’m not complaining about paying NT$250/hr. I can afford it and I feel she did a good job. I just wonder if that’s roughly what most comparable workers receive for that type of work.
You shouldn’t apologize for paying her a decent wage. Recognize that many of these women are treated like dogs by their regular employers, so they can be startled when a fair shake comes their way. Also recognize that many of the maids that are available for ad hoc work, are available because they’ve run away from a bad employer and they are now legally ‘underground.’ So typically the Indo woman you found for this work in all likelihood has seen some difficult days.
For your reference, an Indo maid who lives in and is available for all types of work 24/7 typically receives ~NT$650/day, BEFORE they repay unconscionable agency fees. If I’m not mistaken they are also required to pay Taiwan income tax as well. Sometimes their employer provides adequate meals, sometimes not. Some employers have been known to illegally dock wages for ‘infractions.’ You get the picture.
Pay her what you think the service is worth, and don’t give a second thought to what ‘Chen’ down the street pays his servants.
I pay ND 250 per hour with minimum 2 hour per visit. She does an amazing jo, worth every penny - I was shocked that the rate was so low. I know her other clients pay the same rate, but I don’t know what others pay for their cleaners.
Your wife was totally right, we pay about the same and get high quality, reliable service from someone we trust. You know what they say, if you pay peanuts you get monkeys working for you.
Just remember that you as the employer can be fined up to NT$750,000 if you employ someone without work authorization. And the person who reports you gets an award. Don’t think it doesn’t happen to foreigners. It does and they have been fined hefty amounts in the past.
We hire local Taiwanese cleaners and they charge 250-300 per hour if you hire them privately, depending on the tasks. If you go through the company, they charge 350/hour, but then you get a receipt you can use for accounting purposes if you need it, and teh company is responsible for findign someone to come to your house should the the cleaner decide to move on.
Could I please have that (cleaning lady) information? Thanks.
Please PM me or e-mail me: [color=#FF0000]xxxxxx.xxxxxxxxxx@gmail.com[/color]
We are renovation our apartment and once it’s finished, we need to have it cleaned by a professional person. Thank you.
[color=#FF0000]Edited by moderator: Don’t put e-mails in posts. Best to keep that to pms. You can send your e-mail to people via pm, or add it to your profile.[/color]
One of our neighbours in our alley (not a foreigner, but a very non-wealthy old local lady) got busted a few months ago for employing her neighbour’s Indonesian maid. The maid has been deported and the neighbour has been fined almost NT$500,000! She’s now suicidal. Be very very careful, MT.
I do have the number of our cleaner, who lives in Shindian but can travel around Taipei city/southern Taipei county. She and her friends will come to your house and give you a quote. They usually quote a minimum of three hours, otherwise its not worth the travel time. She speaks Mandarin and Taiwanese only. If you would like to contact her, send me a PM, as I don’t want to post her telephone number here in the public forum.
I have a live in maid, she looks after both of my kids wonderfully, keeps the house clean all day… does everything.
Shes really nice too and only costs us $20,000nt a month.
From what i understand though this isnt availible to everyone, you need to pull strings to get them or something?.
My mum in law arranged it for us.
One of our neighbours in our alley (not a foreigner, but a very non-wealthy old local lady) got busted a few months ago for employing her neighbour’s Indonesian maid. The maid has been deported and the neighbour has been fined almost NT$500,000! She’s now suicidal. Be very very careful, MT.[/quote]
I’m not thinking about getting a maid, but I’m just interested. What evidence do they need to prosecute this offence?
Won’t they believe you have a Filipino friend who visits on a regular basis?
Also, a while ago when we were considering getting a maid, my wife told me that foreign helpers are only legally available as caretakers to elderly people. But my wife does have a habit of stating vague hearsay as solid fact (She could probably get a position at the NIA then I suspect.)
And they can prove that how? No paper, no crime.[/quote]
You’re kidding, right? The proof is the neighbour’s witness account and the fact that the person is seen entering or leaving your house. And no, they won’t believe that you just happen to have a Filipina friend.
Plus, its an administrative, not a criminal case, as far as I know (I could be wrong on that, though). So you simply get issued with a fine.