7 steps to make au pair accommodation lawful in South Africa

7 October 2026

If you’re hosting a live-in au pair, you need to provide fit, private accommodation with access to water and a bathroom, and you can only deduct for it if you’ve both signed a written agreement, capped at around 10% of pay. You still owe minimum wage, proper rest time, and written notice terms, whether or not she lives in.

TL;DR:

Give her the only key to a lockable bedroom, and ensure a lit exit route, safe wiring, and unrestricted access to a working bathroom.

Before move in, put wages, hours, duties, overtime, leave, UIF, and notice terms in a written contract; document visitors, quiet hours, and shared spaces separately.

After employment ends, accommodation continues for one month after termination or until the lawful termination date; confirm final pay and departure arrangements in writing.

Duties should stay within the written agreement; living in does not justify extra unagreed hours, unrelated household work, or reduced minimum pay.

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What makes an au pair room fit to live in
Pay, deductions, and the 10% guideline
Contracts, house rules, and where the boundaries sit
What happens to accommodation when the job ends
Your pre-hosting checklist
How AuPairly helps you check the person before the paperwork
Treat her as a professional and as a housemate
Find your next au pair through AuPairly
FAQ
Sources

What makes an au pair room fit to live in

A room isn’t fit for an au pair just because it’s got four walls. Sectoral Determination 7 sets out basic habitability rules for live-in domestic workers, and the same thinking applies when you’re hosting an au pair under similar arrangements.

The room needs to be weatherproof, with a window that lets in daylight, and a door that locks from the inside. That’s not negotiable. Beyond that, she needs somewhere to put her things: a wardrobe or shelving, a bed that isn’t a fold-out couch in the lounge, and decent ventilation so the room doesn’t turn into an oven in summer.

The room must be weatherproof with a window and natural light.
The door must lock, and she should hold the only key.
She needs access to a working bathroom and clean water, shared or private.
Wiring and plug points should be safe, with proper lighting for night-time use.
There should be a clear, lit route to an exit in case of fire.

If the bathroom is shared with the family, that’s fine under guidance on habitability standards, as long as access isn’t restricted at odd hours or made awkward.

Pro Tip: Walk into the room with fresh eyes before she arrives: would you be comfortable sleeping there yourself?

Pay, deductions, and the 10% guideline

Providing a room doesn’t mean you’re providing a bargain. You still owe full pay for the hours worked, proper rest breaks, and one full day off a week, accommodation or not.

Where you can deduct for housing, it only works if she’s agreed to it in writing beforehand. Sectoral Determination 7 allows this kind of deduction, but only with that signed consent in place, and guideline interpretations put the cap at around 10% of wages.

Deductions need written agreement, signed before the first pay cycle.
The guideline cap sits at roughly 10% of wages, not a flat fee you choose.
The deduction must appear clearly on the payslip, not buried as a vague line item.

Around 10% is the commonly cited guideline ceiling for an accommodation deduction, and sticking close to or under it keeps you on safe ground.

Say her gross pay is R5,000 a month. Our salary calculator can help you check these numbers before you put anything in writing.

Contracts, house rules, and where the boundaries sit

A handshake agreement isn’t enough. Everything needs to go into a written contract before she moves in, not after a problem comes up.

Wage and hours: state the rate, the schedule, and what counts as overtime.
Duties: list what she’s responsible for, and what she isn’t.
Accommodation details: describe the room, the deduction amount, and her written consent to it.
Leave and UIF: set out annual leave, sick leave, and UIF registration.
Notice period: agree how much notice either side must give to end things.

Beyond the contract, write down the house rules too: quiet hours, visitors, use of the kitchen, and whether friends can stay over. The Code of Good Conduct for Accommodating Live-In Domestic Workers frames her room as her home, not just a staff bunk, which means the same courtesies you’d expect for a lodger apply here too.

Where possible, apply household rules equally. If the family doesn’t have guests after 9 PM, she shouldn’t be held to a stricter standard. Off-duty hours are hers, and work requests shouldn’t creep into them.

Pro Tip: Put visitor rules and laundry arrangements in writing from day one. They’re the two things families argue about most.

What happens to accommodation when the job ends

Ending the arrangement doesn’t mean she’s out the same day. Under Sectoral Determination 7, you’re required to keep providing accommodation for one month after termination, or until the lawful termination date, whichever applies.

Accommodation continues for one month post-termination, or to the lawful end date.
If she stays on by mutual agreement, a deduction can still apply, provided it’s agreed in writing and stays within guideline limits.
Final pay, notice, and move-out logistics should all be confirmed in writing, not assumed.

Give reasonable notice and reasonable time to pack up and find somewhere new. A rushed, undignified exit creates disputes that a few extra days would have avoided. Our safety guide walks through what a fair notice period looks like in practice.

Your pre-hosting checklist

Before an au pair moves in, run through this list. It takes an afternoon and saves you weeks of headaches later.

Check the room: weatherproof, lockable, window, safe wiring, clear fire exit.
Check water and bathroom access: working taps, hot water, and no restricted hours.
Draft the contract: wage, hours, duties, accommodation terms, deduction consent, leave, and notice.
Agree pocket money and extras: write down anything beyond the wage, like data or transport.
Run background checks: ID verification, references, and a criminal record check where relevant.
Walk through house rules together: visitors, laundry, quiet hours, and shared spaces.
Set emergency procedures: who to call, where the first aid kit is, and what to do if she’s unwell.

Pro Tip: Do the walkthrough with her present, not before she arrives. She’ll spot things you won’t think to check.

How AuPairly helps you check the person before the paperwork

We built AuPairly so families don’t have to juggle agencies, Facebook groups, and word of mouth just to find someone trustworthy. Every profile on our platform is reviewed before it goes live, so you’re not starting from nothing.

Reviewed profiles mean you’re not guessing who you’re messaging.
Secure messaging lets you ask about availability, experience, and expectations directly.
Optional ID, reference, and criminal record checks give you extra confidence before move-in day.
Fast matching means you’re not waiting weeks to find someone local.

Run these checks before you start talking through accommodation and contract details. It’s a lot easier to agree on house rules once you already trust the person sitting across the table.

Treat her as a professional and as a housemate

The best placements we see are the ones where families set expectations early and stick to them. A quick weekly check-in, ten minutes over tea, catches small frustrations before they turn into big ones.

Apply the same house rules to her as you would to anyone else living under your roof, and respect her privacy in the room and her time off. Simple routines, like agreeing in advance who does the washing up on her days on, head off most of the friction we hear about.

— Nicole

Find your next au pair through AuPairly

We make it simple to find a vetted au pair without paying agency fees. Browse reviewed profiles by region, message candidates directly, and add an ID, reference, or criminal record check before you commit to anything.

Fast matching means less time searching and more time interviewing.
Reviewed profiles and optional checks add a layer of confidence before a live-in placement.
Plans start from R249 for 7-Day Access, so you can try it before deciding on anything longer term.

Have a look at our pricing page, or browse au pairs in your area to see who’s available near you.

FAQ

What is an au pair job in South Africa?

An au pair job usually involves childcare, light household duties connected to the children, and sometimes live-in arrangements with a host family. It’s distinct from a full domestic worker role, though many of the same accommodation and pay principles under Sectoral Determination 7 apply when she lives on site.

Is an au pair cheaper than a nanny?

Costs vary depending on hours, experience, and whether the arrangement is live-in or live-out. Families can compare options through resources like our salary calculator, which factors in deductions and typical pay ranges.

What are au pairs not allowed to do?

An au pair shouldn’t be expected to work hours beyond what’s agreed, take on unrelated domestic duties outside the contract, or have her minimum wage reduced simply because she lives in. Providing accommodation doesn’t excuse skipping rest time or fair pay, as outlined in guidance on live-in worker rights.

How long can an au pair stay with a family?

There’s no fixed national limit, since this depends on what both parties agree to in the written contract. When the arrangement ends, Sectoral Determination 7 requires accommodation to continue for one month after termination, or until the lawful termination date.

Sources

If anything about your situation feels unclear or disputed, it’s worth checking official labour department resources or speaking with a labour law expert directly.