Holidays Cottage Cleaner

National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty; Cranbrook; On-site; GBP 17,000 - 21,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension up to 10%

Free entry to National Trust places

Season ticket loan

EV car lease scheme

Perks at work discounts

Holiday allowance up to 32 days

Job summary

The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty is seeking a Holiday Cottage Cleaner to prepare cottages in Kent, with shifts at Sissinghurst and Scotney Castle. Changeovers are usually Mondays and Fridays, but may occur any day, including some Saturdays.

A zero-hour contract offers flexible hours within a seasonal pattern. The role includes thorough cleaning, presentation, and guest welcome, plus reporting repairs and replacing broken items when required.

Qualifications

• Focus on delivering great service to guests.
• Ability to work in a small team and on own initiative.
• Well-organised and adaptable to changing schedules.
• Willing to learn new skills for ongoing role tasks.

Responsibilities

• Clean cottages thoroughly and ensure they are ready for guests.
• Maintain cleanliness, presentation and welcome feel for visitors.
• Identify and report repairs or odd jobs; replace broken items when needed.
• Follow PPE guidelines and participate in safety measures.

Skills

Customer service

Team player

Organised

Adaptable

Willing to learn

Job description

We’re looking for a Holiday Cottage Cleaner to prepare our popular holiday cottages in Kent. This will be to cover shifts at Sissinghurst and Scotney Castle. Changeover days are often Monday and Fridays, but can be any day of the week and some Saturdays. Flexibility would be helpful.

Salary: £12.75 per hour

Contract: Fixed term contract until26-Feb-2027

Hours/ working pattern: Seasonal, flexible, weekends. This is a zero-hour contract, meaning we can’t guarantee a set number of hours each week.While we aim to provide a consistent work pattern, flexibility is needed as schedules may change based on business needs. We’ll try to give as much notice as possible. The role includes weekends and Bank Holidays but does not require evening or split shifts.

Interview dates: 21st, 22nd & 23rd October 2026.

Internally within the National Trust, you will be known as a 'Holidays Operation Assistant'.

For this role, you’ll need to complete our online assessment instead of using a C.V. or online application form. This will help us understand more about your strengths and give you more information on the role.

On changeover days, you’ll make sure that everything’s pristine and ready for the next guests to arrive. This will include making sure the cottage is thoroughly cleaned, well-presented and welcoming. We’d also like you to keep an eye out for anything that’s not as it should be, and report any repairs or odd jobs that need doing. If you need to, you’ll also replace any broken items from the store supplies.

Full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is provided for all teams, and extra measures are in place to protect staff.

You can view the full role profile for this role in the document attached. You don't need to have all the knowledge, skills and experience listed in the role profile; this is just to provide a full picture of what’s possible in this role.

Who we're looking for

We'd love to hear from you if you're:

• focused on giving great service to everyone you meet
• a team player, but also happy to work on your own initiative
• well-organised and adaptable
• willing to learn new skills.

The package

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary
• Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
• Season ticket loan
• EV car lease scheme (for roles that meet the salary criteria)
• Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts
• Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.

National Trust place

Sissinghurst, Sissinghurst, Cranbrook, TN17 2AB

Documents

Holidays Operation Assistant - A1.pdf

Requirements

Compliance.Eligibility to Work in the UK

Additional information

Closing Date: 18th October 2026

Interview dates: 21st, 22nd & 23rd October 2026.

Equal Opportunities Statement

The National Trust celebrates diversity and is committed to creating a fair and equal society, free from discrimination. You can read more about our commitment to inclusion and diversity here .

Safeguarding Statement

The National Trust is committed to a safe recruitment processes to help the organisation attract and appoint the right staff/volunteer for the role and responsibilities as set out in the vacancy advert. We will not accept applicants who are not suitable to work with children, young people or adults at risk. If you have any questions around your suitability for this vacancy, please contact the people service centre.