House sitter guidelines for happy house sitting stays...

Please read these house sitter guidelines carefully. They will help to ensure that all TrustedHousesitters members enjoy seamless and happy house sits.

Start by completing your sitter profile

Before your house and pet sitting adventure can begin (and naturally after you’ve purchased your membership plan), you’ll need to complete your sitter profile. Head to your dashboard, select ‘Edit your profile’, and complete each section. We’ll share a few more details below to guide you through the process!

• Fill in your profile details. These are your basic personal details, including your name, job title, and the details of your co-sitter.
• Complete the verification process. This includes a verification of your email address, phone number and an ID check. You can also get your co-sitter verified at this point - select the option to get your co-sitter verified for more details about our Duo Sitter add-on.
• Tell us about you. In the ‘About you’ section, start by uploading high-quality photos of yourself (and pets you’ve cared for if possible). This section is your chance to share your motivations for house and pet sitting, and what traits and experiences make you a great, trustworthy sitter.
• Tell us about your experience. In the ‘Your experience’ section, tell us about the types of pets you’ve cared for in the past, and the experiences you’ve had with them. Share your pet care skills, and introduce owners to any pets you’ve looked after in the past.
• Request your references. In the ‘References’ section, you can request character references from someone who knows you well - consider asking an employer, landlord, or a member of a community you’re part of.
• Share your house sitting preferences. In the ‘Preferences’ section, tell us about the kinds of places you’d like to house sit, the animals you’d prefer to look after, and a few other factors - like whether you’ll need sits suitable for remote work.
• Tell us your availability. This is optional, but you can choose to share the dates you’re available for house sitting under the ‘Availability’ section.

When applying for a house sit

• Be flexible. Consider local sits when you first start out and offer to meet the owner in person if possible. 
• Cast your net wide. Apply for a range of house sitting stays in different locations and during a range of dates. 
• Be proactive. Check your saved search alerts for the latest house sits suited to you, and always keep your eyes peeled for new listings you might be interested in.

Personalise your applications. Personalise every message you send, reference the specifics of the listing, and highlight why you’re suitable for the owner’s pets and home. Perhaps you have lived in a similar environment or have relevant pet care experience?

When applying for a house sit

• Be flexible. Consider local sits when you first start out and offer to meet the owner in person if possible. 
• Cast your net wide. Apply for a range of house sitting stays in different locations and during a range of dates. 
• Be proactive. Check your saved search alerts for the latest house sits suited to you, and always keep your eyes peeled for new listings you might be interested in.
• Personalise your applications. Personalise every message you send, reference the specifics of the listing, and highlight why you’re suitable for the owner’s pets and home. Perhaps you've lived in a similar environment or have relevant pet care experience?

Securing a house sit

• Understand the needs of the pets and home. Gather as much information as possible about the nature of the home, pets, and location to ensure you’re equipped to fulfil the house sit successfully. Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions! Make sure the owner confirms how many pets you’ll be looking after, what their habits are and whether they have any behavioural issues.
• Review the Welcome Guide. Once your sit is confirmed, read the owner’s Welcome Guide carefully to make sure you’re clear on all aspects of their home and pet care expectations.
• Arrange a chat with the owners. Meet the owner and their pets either in person or online. This is a great chance to get to know one another a little, and to get any questions answered.
• Agree on arrival and departure dates. When agreeing your arrival and departure dates with the owner, allow extra time for unforeseen circumstances such as delayed flights.
• Agree on communication during the sit. Find out how often the pet parent would like to hear from you during your stay and in what form they would prefer to receive updates - whether that’s via email, photos or maybe a video call.

During your house sit

• Stay in touch with the owner. If the owner has agreed to updates during the sit, sharing news about their home and pets will help to maintain a positive relationship. Communicate clearly, fairly, and respectfully at all times and keep them informed of any developments back home.
• Follow pet parent instructions. Stick to the pets’ feeding, exercise, socialization and sleep schedule, and ask pet parents permission if you’d like to take their pet somewhere out of the ordinary. If an emergency occurs, stick to the plan you’ve agreed with the owners.
• Respect the trust an owner places in you. Protect the confidentiality and privacy of their home and don’t share any information or images that might compromise this position of trust.
• Keep the home clean and tidy. Maintain the property to a high standard and inform the pet parents as soon as possible if any unforeseen damage occurs.
• Stick to the agreed guest policy. Don’t invite anyone else into the owner's home without prior permission from the owner. If this has been agreed, remember that your guest respects the home and pets that you’re caring for, and that your guest behaves in accordance with your agreement with the home owner. 
• Get clued-up on local rules. Be mindful of local laws and customs and be warm, open, and friendly to the owner’s friends and neighbors.

As your house sit comes to an end

• Prepare for the owner’s arrival home. Prepare for the owner’s arrival home by ensuring the property is clean and tidy and their pets are happy and relaxed. Some sitters choose to prepare a meal or stock the fridge with a few basics as a token of thanks for a wonderful stay.
• Consider the handover. Provide a comprehensive handover by giving an update on how the pets are doing, and anything they might need to know before you leave.
• Prepare for any reimbursements. Keep receipts from agreed purchases for the home and pets so that you can be reimbursed.

After you complete your house sit

• Leave your review. Leave the owner fair, factual, and balanced review based on your experience as a whole. This will help other sitters decide whether or not the sit is the right opportunity for them.
• Time to apply to your next house sit!

Useful resources

• Top 10 cat sitting tips
• Sustainable travel and tourism: Tips for responsible travel
• How to connect with free pet sitters