Explainer: Do app-based housekeepers need to be reported under Vietnam’s new rules?

The concern has emerged following growing public attention to Decree No. 283/2026/ND-CP, issued on July 15 and taking effect on September 10, 2026.

The decree sets administrative penalties for violations in the areas of labor, social insurance, and Vietnamese workers employed overseas under contract.

Under the decree, employers may receive a warning if they fail to sign a written labor contract with a housekeeper.

It also imposes fines of VND1 million to VND3 million (US$37.98-113.95) on employers who fail to notify the commune-, ward-, or special zone-level People's Committee, in accordance with regulations, of the employment or termination of employment of a housekeeper.

According to lawyer Dang Van Cuong, head of Chinh Phap Law Firm under the Hanoi Bar Association, many households now use hourly housekeeper services provided by companies or digital platforms.

In such cases, the worker typically signs an employment contract with a company or service provider, while the homeowner is merely the customer using the service.

The legal relationship is primarily a civil or commercial one between the customer and the service provider, rather than a direct employment relationship between the homeowner and the housekeeper.

Therefore, if a homeowner simply books a housekeeper through an app, hiring someone to clean the house for a few hours, provide housekeeping services, care for an elderly person, or babysit by the hour, and the worker is employed and managed by the service provider, the homeowner is, in principle, not considered an employer under Vietnam's Labor Code.

As such, the homeowner is not required to notify the commune-level People's Committee under this regulation.

By contrast, if a homeowner directly hires a housekeeper, pays them a monthly salary, manages their working hours, assigns them regular duties, and an employment relationship is established between the two parties, the homeowner must fulfill all obligations prescribed by law, including notifying the local authorities.

Clearer guidance needed

Lawyer Dang Van Cuong said that, if properly understood, the regulation is not intended to create additional administrative procedures but to improve the management of housekeeper employment, a sector with unique characteristics because housekeepers perform their jobs in their employers' homes.

The notification requirement helps local authorities keep track of residency and employment in their areas while also helping protect the legitimate rights and interests of both housekeepers and employers in the event of disputes.

To avoid the misunderstanding that anyone who hires a housekeeper must report it to the authorities, relevant agencies should issue clearer guidance on the specific circumstances in which the notification obligation applies, particularly for hourly housekeeper services provided through companies, digital platforms, or mobile apps.

Providing clearer public information on the scope of the regulation would help people comply correctly while preventing penalties from being imposed in inappropriate cases, or causing unnecessary concern.

Some experts have suggested that authorities simplify the notification process by expanding the use of technology, or allowing residents to submit notifications through shared Zalo groups.