House Sitting Communities: The Best Platforms for Peer Reviews and Active Sitter Networks in 2026

Before we confirmed our first sit, we spent weeks reading forum posts, Facebook threads, and blog comments from people who had already done it. Not because we needed more information — but because we needed to know that real people were actually doing this, that it worked, and that there was a community of people we could lean on when we had questions.

That community exists. It is one of the most genuinely useful things about house sitting as a lifestyle — and the platform you choose determines how much of it you have access to. Here is exactly how the major platforms compare for community strength, peer reviews, and the kind of active networks that actually help you get better at this faster.

When we started house sitting we underestimated how much we’d rely on other sitters. Not for the basics — platforms cover those — but for the real stuff. Which homeowners are worth applying to. Which cities have the best sits right now. What to do when a pet gets sick at 10pm on a Sunday and the vet is closed. How to write an application that actually gets read.

That kind of knowledge doesn’t live in a help centre. It lives in communities — in the people who have done it before you and are willing to share what they know. The platform with the strongest community gives you faster answers, better sits, and significantly less anxiety when things don’t go exactly to plan.

According to our survey of over 125,000 active sitters and homeowners, new sitters who actively participate in house sitting communities land their first sit significantly faster than those who don’t. The network effect is real.

TrustedHouseSitters — Strongest Overall Community

The TrustedHouseSitters Discord is genuinely one of the most useful resources in house sitting. Channels are organised by region, pet type, platform tips, and nomad-specific advice — and the conversations are active, practical, and honest. Unlike a lot of branded communities, it doesn’t feel like a marketing exercise. People share real experiences, flag problem listings, and help each other navigate difficult situations.

The two-way review system is the other community feature that sets TrustedHouseSitters apart. Every review is visible to everyone before any agreement is made — not just what homeowners thought of sitters, but what sitters thought of homeowners. This transparency is what makes the trust infrastructure on TrustedHouseSitters more reliable than any other platform. You can read exactly what the last three sitters said about a homeowner before you apply. That is genuinely powerful.

We’ve used the Discord community ourselves to get tips on sits in cities we hadn’t visited before — specific neighbourhoods, specific homeowners who were known to be well-organised, specific listings that were worth jumping on quickly. It has made us better sitters and helped us land better sits.

• Over 200,000 members globally as of 2024
• Active Discord with region, pet type, and nomad-specific channels
• Two-way review system — fully transparent before any agreement
• B Corp certified — formal accountability to values beyond profit
• Regularly featured in major travel and nomad publications
• Best for: sitters who want the most active, most internationally connected community available

The Travelling House Sitters Facebook Group — Largest Independent Community

Our own Facebook group is the largest independent house sitting community online with 134,000+ members. It is platform-agnostic — members use TrustedHouseSitters, HouseCarers, Nomador, Aussie House Sitters, and everything in between. The conversations cover everything from application tips to specific sits to pet care emergencies to visa questions for international house sitting.

This is where we go when we want the broadest possible range of perspectives. Because the group isn’t tied to any single platform, the advice tends to be more honest and less filtered than anything you’ll find in a branded community. New sitters post their profiles for feedback. Experienced sitters share sits that didn’t work out and explain why. Homeowners ask questions about what to include in listings. It is genuinely useful at every stage.

HouseCarers — Strongest Facebook Platform Community

HouseCarers has one of the most active platform-specific Facebook communities of any house sitting website. Established in 2000, it is one of the oldest platforms online and the community reflects that — there are sitters in the HouseCarers Facebook group who have been doing this for fifteen years and are extraordinarily generous with their knowledge.

The lower competition on HouseCarers compared to TrustedHouseSitters means community members tend to share opportunities more openly. On TrustedHouseSitters, a sit in London might get 50 applicants within hours — there is less incentive to share it publicly. On HouseCarers, the dynamics are different and the community reflects that. For new sitters especially, this openness is valuable.

• Long-running Facebook community with active peer discussion
• Established 2000 — some of the most experienced sitters in the industry are active members
• Lower competition creates a more open, sharing culture than larger platforms
• Strong peer-to-peer advice and mentorship for sitters at every level
• Best for: sitters who want a tight-knit, experience-rich community with lower competition

Nomador — Strongest European Community

Nomador has built genuine social features into the platform itself — not just a review system but community tools that let members connect beyond the transactional sit confirmation process. It is particularly strong in French and Spanish-speaking house sitting circles and is the go-to platform community for nomads spending extended time in Europe.

We’ve completed five sits through Nomador and the community interactions have consistently been warmer and more personal than on larger platforms. The lower member volume means conversations feel less like broadcasting into a crowd and more like talking to people who will actually respond.

• Active social features built into the platform
• Strongest community presence in French and Spanish house sitting networks
• Lower member volume creates more personal community interactions
• Best for: sitters based in or frequently visiting Europe who want a community that knows the region well

Aussie House Sitters — Best Australian Community

For sits in Australia specifically, the Aussie House Sitters community is the most relevant. Homeowners on Aussie House Sitters regularly reach out to sitters directly — which creates a different kind of community dynamic than application-based platforms. The homeowner-to-sitter ratio in Australia is exceptionally favourable, and the community reflects a culture of genuine engagement between both sides.

Australia has the highest pet ownership rate of any major house sitting market — 73% of households as of 2025 — which means the community is large, active, and growing. Melbourne is our home city and the sits we’ve done through Aussie House Sitters in Australia have consistently involved some of the most engaged and communicative homeowners we’ve worked with anywhere.

• High homeowner-to-sitter ratio creates strong direct engagement
• Active community reflecting Australia’s exceptional pet ownership culture
• Homeowners frequently reach out to sitters directly — unusual among major platforms
• Best for: sitters in Australia who want high engagement and low competition