What Does a House Attendant Do?

A house attendant is responsible for maintaining cleanliness at a facility, organizing for events, and handling inquiries and requests for assistance. Residential facilities, government buildings used for public events, and hotels along with other leisure environments may have a need for a house attendant. This person works closely with housekeeping staff and other support personnel to make sure visitors and staff get the service they need. There are usually no special qualifications or requirements for working in this position, although it can help to have experience in customer service and maintenance roles.

The exact job duties of a house attendant can depend on the employer and the setting. In an environment like a residential facility, for example, the attendant may oversee the front desk, check people in and out, answer phones, and handle some routine paperwork. Sweeping, mopping, and other basic cleaning tasks to keep common areas looking clean may also be part of the responsibilities, along with some cleaning in private rooms, depending on the facility. House attendants also look out for the welfare of residents and monitor security to make sure the building is a safe environment.

At a facility like a meeting hall, the house attendant is in charge of making sure it will be ready for events when it is needed. This can include working in an office to answer questions, schedule events, and organize crews when they are needed. Regular cleaning can be supervised by this member of the staff, who is also in charge of event preparation. Arranging chairs, getting audio-visual equipment set up, and performing other tasks may fall under the responsibility of the house attendant, who also meets specific requests from people appearing in the venue. Someone might, for example, want arrangements for food delivery.

Hotels, resorts, spas, and similar environments may also use a house attendant for similar cleaning and guest service responsibilities. Housekeeping staff members are usually responsible for deep cleaning and room changeovers, but the house attendant can tidy in common areas, look out for problems, and rearrange rooms as necessary to meet the needs of guests and staff. The job can include answering phones, making sure staff are scheduled appropriately, and connecting with employees of the facility like massage therapists to see if they need specific assistance.

An attention to detail and the ability to multitask are helpful for a career in this field. House attendants may be cleaning rooms, watching the door for entering customers, and thinking about scheduling issues at the same time. Their goal is to help procedures run smoothly, which can make them invisible until a problem develops.