House Manager vs. House Management Company: Which One Your LA Estate Needs

A house manager is an employee you hire to run your home. A house management company is a contracted team that does the property side of that job (vendors, inspections, housekeeping, deliveries) and carries the staffing, insurance and backup itself. For most Los Angeles estates the choice comes down to one question: how much of the work is about the family, and how much is about the house?

We get this question often from owners who search for “house manager Los Angeles” and are not sure whether they want to hire a person or a service. This guide lays out the difference, what each option is good at, and how to decide.

What does a house manager do?

A house manager is a household employee, usually full time, who runs the day-to-day of one residence. The role often mixes property work with personal work: supervising the housekeepers and the nanny, handling the family’s calendar, receiving guests, running errands, paying household bills and keeping the house stocked.

Because the house manager is your employee, you are the one who recruits, checks references, sets the salary, runs payroll and covers the gap when that person is sick, on vacation or leaves. If you are going this route, our guide on how to hire a house manager for your estate walks through the hiring process step by step.

What does a house management company do?

A house management company is a contracted team that answers for the property. At FJ Luxury Services, house management means one accountable team that coordinates housekeeping, maintenance, vendors such as landscaping, pool, HVAC, pest control and security, deliveries and contractor access, inspections, and the opening and closing of second homes, with a written report every month.

The company employs and vets its own staff, carries the insurance and covers absences. You deal with one point of contact instead of managing people. Our page on what an outsourced estate manager in Los Angeles handles shows the scope in detail.

House manager vs. house management company: side by side

When does hiring a house manager make sense?

Hire a house manager when the family is in the house most of the year and the job is as much about people as about the property: a busy household with children, frequent guests, several staff members to supervise every day, and errands that need someone on site. In that case you want one person who knows the family’s habits and is there every morning.

When does a house management company make sense?

A house management company fits better when the property is the main job. Typical cases we see in Los Angeles:

• Second homes in Malibu, Bel Air or the Hollywood Hills that stay empty for weeks and need inspections, opening and closing.
• Owners who travel and want someone checking the house, meeting vendors and receiving deliveries while they are away.
• Several properties that need the same standard, often managed by a family office. See cleaning and house management for property managers and family offices.
• Owners who do not want to be an employer: no recruiting, payroll or replacing staff when someone leaves.

Can you use both?

Yes, and many estates do. The house manager takes care of the family and the household staff, and the house management company is the accountable layer for the property: vendors, inspections, cleaning standards and reporting. In that setup the company reports to the house manager or the family office, and the house manager stops spending the day chasing contractors.

How to decide in five questions

1. Is someone in the family at the house most days? If yes, a house manager is more useful.
2. Do you own more than one home in the area? If yes, a company covers them more easily.
3. Do you want to be the employer, with payroll and replacements? If not, use a company.
4. Is the hardest part vendors and maintenance, or the family’s schedule? Vendors point to a company; the schedule points to a house manager.
5. What happens today when the person in charge is away? If the answer is “nothing gets done”, you need coverage a company can give.

If you want to compare these roles with an estate concierge or a property manager as well, read estate concierge vs. house manager vs. property manager.

Frequently asked questions

Is a house management company the same as an estate manager?

Not exactly. An estate manager is usually an employee who oversees a large property, its staff and sometimes the family’s finances. A house management company covers the property side of that work with a contracted team.

Can a house management company manage my existing housekeepers?

Yes. At FJ Luxury Services many clients keep their own housekeepers and vendors and hire us as the accountable layer above them.

What does a typical week look like with a house management company?

With FJ Luxury Services it usually means a weekly inspection, vendor coordination, a written report and an on-call point of contact for anything urgent.

How is house management priced?

By property size, the number of vendors and how often the home is inspected. FJ Luxury Services quotes every retainer after a confidential walkthrough.

Thinking about a company instead of a hire? See our house management service in Los Angeles or call (747) 966-0525 for a confidential walkthrough and a written proposal within 24 hours.