Dienstencheques
The service voucher or dienstencheque is a means of payment, subsidised by the government, which allows a private person to pay an employee of a recognised company advantageously for household work. This household work may include cleaning (also window cleaning), laundry and ironing, clothing repair, doing groceries and preparing meals.
It's important to know that the company Pluxee (formerly known as Sodexo) is the government appointed company to issue the service vouchers or dienstencheques. Pluxee does not provide the household help. There are a lot of commercial companies who provide the household help accepting dienstencheques as a means of payment.
To get service vouchers you need to subscribe online (in Dutch only) or buy them via your bank. The work or services performed can only be used for private needs.
The minimal order is 10 service vouchers, the maximum order is 1000 service vouchers for a family. The period of validity of service vouchers is 12 months.
In 2024, and before, the purchase of service vouchers gave right to a tax advantage of 1,8 EUR per service voucher. So, a service voucher of 9 EUR will actually cost 7,2 EUR after the tax reduction (numbers from Feb. 2024). But the price and this tax advantage changed starting in 2025 (see below).
AttentionNew in 2025: From 1 January 2025, the price of a service voucher will increase from 9 euros to 10 euros for the first 400 purchased service vouchers per calendar year. Anyone who purchases more than 400 service vouchers per calendar year will pay 11 euros instead of 10 euros per service voucher above the limit of 400. Also as of 1 January 2025, the tax benefit linked to a service voucher will also be abolished. More info about these changes here (in Dutch).
How do I find a cleaner?
In order to find a cleaner you simply need to search for a cleaning service near you and ask for the availability. Another common way to find help around the house is asking your network. The Facebook group "Expats in Leuven" is a great place to ask for a recommendation!
You can also use this data base to search for a help.
In order to find a one time cleaner you need to search for a company that specifically specializes in one-time cleanings.