Household Staff Agency in France: Vetted Staff for Paris and the French Riviera
We connect households looking to hire household staff in France with the very best, discreet domestic professionals.
Co-founded in London by French former butler and nanny for high-net-worth families. Our recruiters are former household staff, we understand what you need from domestic staff in your home.
We can manage all French payroll, social charges, insurance coverage, and employment contracts – ensuring complete peace of mind.
Recognised by Forbes France as a trusted French-founded expert in luxury domestic staffing since 2015.
Contact us today to start hiring staff hand-picked for you.
Why Hire Household Staff in France with Morgan & Mallet?
We’re the only international household staffing agency with offices worldwide, including Paris, Monaco, London, and New York.
Founded in London by French ex-household staff, we grew quickly into France by helping clients navigate the country’s complex employment regulations.
We’re trusted advisors, not just recruiters. We offer a three-month placement guarantee, plus ongoing support with French employment law, work permits, post-placement check-ins, and staff management advice.
Our multilingual recruiters blend local knowledge with global networks to find the best candidates while handling international contracts and compliance.
96% of our placements succeed long-term, with every candidate verified through reference and background checks.
Cities And Regions We Cover In France
We place household staff across all of France, including:
Paris is our largest market in France and our busiest.
Here we recruit housekeepers, nannies, domestic couples and many more roles.
As an example, Gilles Kuhn one of our recruiters in France recently recruited a personal assistant for a high-net-worth family in the 8th arrondissement of Paris.
Tasks included managing their daily schedule, handling paperwork, and helping with property searches.
In Nice we recruit for many roles including nannies, caregivers, domestic couples and more.
We recently recruited a live-in caregiver for a 99-year-old woman living independently in Nice.
The role includes daily care, companionship, and light housework.
Cannes can be a seasonal market, which picks up during the summer months.
We recently recruited a caretaker couple for a large villa used as a second home in Cannes.
The couple look after the property, maintain the pool and gardens, and ensure security.
Another seasonal market in France which is busier during the summer months.
Morgan & Mallet recently recruited an estate manager couple for an American ultra-high-net-worth family’s private residence in Saint-Tropez.
They run the property, manage staff, and handle the budget.
A year round market, far smaller than Paris, but we still receive many requests here for staff.
We recruited a domestic couple/caretaker recently for a young family in a 600 m² architect-designed home in Lyon.
They handle cleaning and watch over the property.
Provence has large private villas and estates, many of which we place staff for.
Marina Shevchenko, one of our recruiters recently placed a head gardener/groundsman for a client with a 1.5-acre estate in Provence designed by a leading landscape architect.
He maintains the grounds for the principal who loves gardening.
We work internationally, with offices across different global locations and a worldwide team of experts, enabling us to source exceptional private staff in France and beyond.
Our National Services and Expertise in France
We provide specialized staffing solutions for family offices, high-net-worth households, private residences, and embassies across France.
Our clients own global property portfolios ranging from Riviera villas to Loire Valley castles and coastal homes.
Roles we regularly place include:
Household & Estate
Childcare & Education
Lifestyle & Family Office
Culinary
Security
Frequently Requested Household Staff Roles Nationwide
Having offices in Paris and Valbonne on the French Riviera allows us to understand the local market and what our clients need.
Below are the roles we recruit for most often across France, with real job description details taken from our own job database of over 4000 placements from the last ten years.
Many clients use us to hire butlers in France.
We recently recruited a butler for a prestigious family company in Pauillac.
The butler led and organized all private and professional events at the estate’s châteaux, provided French-style table service, maintained grand silverware and antique tableware, and managed pantry stocks while respecting traditions and protocol.
One of our most popular roles in France, housekeepers are frequently placed by our team.
Gilles Kuhn recently placed a housekeeper for a client’s primary residence in Fontenay-sous-Bois.
The housekeeper carried out daily cleaning of the 700 m² residence, including maintenance of expensive furnishings, managed laundry and wardrobes, and worked with outside service providers.
Our nanny recruitment services in France help our clients recruit hand-picked staff that meet their exact needs for their households.
Lia Martins Correa one of our recruiters recently placed a nanny for a couple with two young children in Nantes.
The nanny picked up children from nursery and school, organized activities, managed evening routines including snacks and baths, and prepared children’s meals.
Chauffeurs are in demand in Paris especially, but we place them throughout France.
Morgan & Mallet recruited recently an executive chauffeur for a CEO of a large company in Nanterre.
The chauffeur provided professional and personal transportation, planned routes, handled airport transfers, and carried out admin jobs for the vehicle fleet.
A popular role across France, we place private chefs in a range of cities.
Gilles Kuhn has recently placed a sous chef for a luxury estate near Avignon in the Vaucluse region.
The chef prepared Provençal cuisine and international dishes made with seasonal products, supervised apprentices, managed purchasing and inventory.
Many of our clients have hired personal trainers on their full-time staff to help with their fitness regimes.
Morgan & Mallet recruited a personal trainer with Reformer Pilates certification for a high-profile client who traveled between France and internationally.
The trainer did one-on-one training sessions, adapted routines for injuries, did mobility work, and worked with schedules in different residences.
Employing Household Staff in France: What International Families Need to Know
When you hire a nanny, housekeeper or private chef for a home in France, you then become their legal employer. French law has a name for this and calls it a particulier employeur. It means a written contract, monthly declarations to URSSAF, and social charges on top of the salary you decide on with your candidate.
You declare pay through CESU, or through Pajemploi if the role is caring for a child under 6. URSSAF works out the charges, issues the payslip, and since 2020 has handled your employee’s income tax at source.
The convention collective nationale des particuliers employeurs et de l’emploi à domicile, in force since January 2022, does everything else. Your employee earns 2.5 days of paid leave for every month worked, up to five weeks a year. Notice on dismissal goes from one week below six months of service to two months after two years. Cover for incapacity through IRCEM is compulsory, though a mutuelle is not.
There is though one point that catches out a lot of international owners. The 50% crédit d’impôt for employing someone at home only applies if you are tax resident in France. Families taxed here on French-source income alone, aren’t able to claim it.
Morgan Richez, co-founder of Morgan & Mallet, has seen the same thing on every cross-border placement: “Even between the UK and France, the rules are not the same at all. We need legal advice for every jurisdiction where there’s a property.”
Our Paris and Antibes teams can work either way. We guide you through employing staff directly, or we act as employer of record so you get one monthly invoice covering payroll, charges and compliance. Call Paris on +33 1 87 66 79 59.
National Market & Salary Overview
The top five most requested positions Morgan & Mallet receive from clients in France are:
- Personal Assistants
- Butlers
- Housekeepers
- Property Caretakers
- Private Chefs
We offer payroll services to manage all legal, payroll, and tax compliance for staff hired in France.
Position | France Salary Range |
|---|---|
Head Housekeeper | €55,000 – €80,000 |
Live-in Nanny | €45,000 – €60,000 |
Butler | €45,000 – €60,000 |
Private Chef | €45,000 – €60,000 |
Chauffeur | €45,000 – €60,000 |
The Morgan &
Mallet Story
Laurine Mallet and Morgan Richez met working in exclusive London households – Laurine as a nanny, Morgan as a chauffeur and executive butler. they found that wealthy families lived globally, but agencies worked locally.
They Morgan & Mallet themsleves and now the company is a well respected luxury international household staffing agency.
They insisted on personal vetting for every candidate. Placements include a three-month guarantee and check-ins every ten days.
Morgan & Mallet recruiters often advise on labor laws, fair pay, and contracts, not just recruitment.
What Our Co-Founder Says…
What should international clients know about hiring household staff in France?
“French labor law protects employees far more than most international clients expect. It covers everything from contracts to firing procedures, so you need to understand it before you hire.
Using a payroll service makes the whole process much simpler by handling the legal side and heavy paperwork involved.
Also, French-English bilingual staff are hugely in demand. Places like Monaco are constantly looking for nannies and household staff who speak both languages.”
Recent Placements & Testimonials
Meet Your French
Recruiters
Antibes
office address
540, 1ère Avenue 06600 Antibes France
phone
+33 4 23 24 28 56
opening hours
Monday - Thursday : 9AM - 6PM
Friday : 9AM - 5PM
Saturday & Sunday : Closed
Paris
office address
10 rue de Penthièvre 75008, Paris - France
phone
+33 1 87 66 79 59
opening hours
Monday - Thursday : 9AM - 6PM
Friday : 9AM - 5PM
Saturday & Sunday : Closed
We partner with France’s most respected households and families. Browse all our current domestic staff vacancies by clicking below.
Frequently Asked
Questions
How to legally pay a housekeeper in France?
Paying a housekeeper legally in France requires handling payroll taxes and social charges. The total cost typically runs nearly double the employee’s net salary.
Morgan & Mallet offers two options: direct employment with our guidance through France’s requirements, or our employer-of-record service. With the second option, we handle all payroll, taxes, and compliance while you get one monthly bill.
How can foreigners legally hire private staff in France?
Foreign homeowners hiring household staff in France must follow strict French employment laws, making you legally responsible as the employer during work hours and related duties.
French labor law sets standard weekly working hours with strict overtime rules for household employees. The total cost significantly exceeds the employee’s net salary due to social charges and mandatory payments.
Which roles are most in demand for UHNW families in France?
Nannies and housekeepers are the most requested positions for French households. Bilingual candidates get priority placement.
House managers and personal assistants are highly sought after for family offices. Families want staff who can think for themselves and handle complex duties without constant direction.
The South of France drives demand for domestic couples who can manage vacation properties. During winter season, the French Alps see staffing needs from UK families visiting ski properties.
How does Morgan & Mallet verify and vet private staff before placement?
Morgan & Mallet uses a multi-stage process that checks both technical skills and personal qualities. We test for discretion during every interaction – candidates who share secrets about former employers are immediately removed from placement.
Reference checks are mandatory with no exceptions. We require direct phone calls with at least three previous employers and use specific questions to confirm the candidate actually worked in the role they claim.
In France, we run criminal background checks for all placements. The matching process considers personality fit as carefully as skills.
What support does Morgan & Mallet provide after a staff member has been hired in France?
Every Morgan & Mallet placement includes a three month guarantee period. If the staff member doesn’t work out for any reason during this time, we provide a replacement at no extra charge.
We stay actively involved during the first three months. Our recruiters check in with both you and your new staff member roughly every 10 days to fix any concerns before they become problems.
For clients using our employer-of-record service, we manage all ongoing payroll, taxes, and HR compliance. You get one monthly bill while we handle the complex French paperwork.
Hire Trusted Household Staff in France With Confidence
Contact Morgan & Mallet today for French household recruitment and receive a response within 24 hours from a recruiter fluent in your language.
France has strict labor laws covering vacation, health insurance, contracts, and termination rights.
Our full-service payroll solution handles all compliance, tax filings, and administrative duties, protecting you from costly mistakes and legal disputes.
All our candidates have at least three years, proven, verified experience.
Criminal record checks are completed for every shortlisted candidate through the French Ministry of Justice.
- Your recruiter supports placements in every part of France, from Nice to Nantes.
- Every placement includes a three month guarantee period.
Get in touch and we’ll find the right fit for your home in France.
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