House Sitting Etiquette – What Do House Sitters Do (And Don’t Do +BONUS House Sitting Guidelines)??

House sitting is one of the most rewarding and exciting experiences for travelers. In this post, we’ll explore house-sitting etiquette, exploring the key dos and don’ts and essential guidelines to ensure a smooth and respectful experience.

We’ll cover what to expect during a house sit, the essential questions to ask and discuss with the homeowner, and tips on how to avoid any potential mishaps or misunderstandings. This information is mainly for house sitters, but there is also a lot of good information for homeowners.

What is House Sitting?

Let’s get a clear idea of what house sitting is. Wikipedia defines house sitting as:

“House sitting is the practice whereby a person leaving their house for some time entrusts it to one or more “house sitters”, who by a mutual agreement are permitted to live or stay in the property temporarily, in exchange for assuming any combination of responsibilities.”

You can find house-sitting jobs on a good house sit website or through word of mouth, referrals or flyers.

Some house sitters don’t charge and swap their time for free accommodation, while others do charge. If you want to know how much to pay a house sitter, you can find out the averages for each city on the post.

Usually, house sitting is a simple task of keeping the home running smoothly, keeping it tidy, and tending to the needs of the pet. 

However, that is not always the case. Every home and homeowner is different and will expect different things from their housesitter. Before locking into a house sit, you must be on the same page with the homeowner and know precisely what they expect.

So, what should you expect when house-sitting?

What Should You Expect When House Sitting?

Each house sit is unique and different. However, each house sit will have similarities. When talking to a homeowner about the house sit, you should at the very least expect:

• A clean, safe home at handover.
• Set dates of the house sit.
• Set pets and duties for the pets.
• An update/communication schedule.
• Set duties for around the home. 
• A clear understanding of the pets, their medical history, and any quirks or issues they may have.

What Shouldn’t You Expect When House Sitting?

Again, every house sit is different, but here are some red flags or things you should watch out for and discuss with the homeowner before accepting the house sit.

• A dirty or unsafe home.
• The home is not as pictured or described (if you never had the chance to visit the house first).
• Suprise animals or tasks for the animals. 
• Homeowners, friends, or family checking up on you, unless agreed upon.
• Suprise tasks or duties around the home. 
• To pay for any bills/services while staying at the home (unless previously agreed upon).

House Sitters Duties

Each house sit is different; however, at a base level, you must follow set responsibilities and duties. 

• Be responsible, trustworthy, and safe. This includes being punctual 
• Feeding, exercising, and taking care of the animals were agreed upon.
• Ensure the home is safe and well looked after while the homeowner is gone. This includes any cleaning and home or garden maintenance agreed upon before the house sit.
• Communicating with the homeowner to the agreed communication schedule. 
• Depending on your duties you may want to charge, this is what we suggest charging for pet sittting.
• To hand over the home in the same condition (if not better) than when you arrived and to notify the homeowner of anything broken or changed.

Home Owners Duties

Like your responsibilities, the homeowner must adhere to their responsibilities. 

• Provide a safe and clean home as described or seen by the pre-house sitter.
• To provide the house sitter with accurate pet information and disclose any behavioral or medical issues.  
• To disclose to the house sitter if there are any monitoring devices in the home or for the animals. 
• To provide food, medication and anything else the pets need for their absence. 
• Provide the house sitter with adequate living and sleeping arrangements. This includes everything from running water and power to Wi-Fi and a safe, clean bed/room.

What Are Some Unrealistic Expectations From the Homeowner?

Occasionally, we stumble upon an advertised house sit or speak to a homeowner with unrealistic expectations of a house sit. These expectations can vary significantly due to cultural differences, age differences, or just homeowners hoping to get more out of their housesitters. 

As a house sitter, it is not uncommon to be asked to keep on top of swimming pool/ hot tub maintenance and cleaning, general lawn mowing or gardening. This is fine if you agree to it in the interview.

Some unrealistic expectations can be:

• To work around the home. This can include building, moving, cleaning, or anything else that keeps the home clean and tidy, besides essential maintenance. We have seen some house sits advertised where the homeowner expects the house sitter to scrub walls, remove trees, and even build a deck! 
  
• For the house sitter to stay with them before they go away. Sure, you can go over and meet the homeowner and the pets (this is encouraged), but the homeowner expects you to stay with them for days before they depart, which is not always acceptable. There are certain situations where this is necessary (like when we looked after a yacht on a remote island in the Caribbean) but generally, we will see this as a red flag.
  
• The housesitter pays the bills. We always ensure we have sorted this out with the homeowner before accepting the sit. 
  
• Having the house sitter pay a bond. House sitting is all about trust. There should never be any money changing hands either way – even if it is just as s bond. 
  
• Leaving or returning on different days with no notice. Sometimes, there are emergencies where this can’t be avoided, but as a general rule of thumb, the homeowner must stick to the agreed-upon dates! 
  
• To look after animals that have not been agreed upon before the sit. 
  
• Having friends or family come to check on the home or stay over. 
  

How to Ensure Your House Sit Runs Smoothly (Make Sure You Get the House Sitting Guidelines)

Now, know what you should provide and what you should expect from each homeowner. But how do you ensure that each house sit runs smoothly? You need house-sitting guidelines!

The key here is to be organized and get all the information. When starting out house sitting, this can be a little difficult. You never know exactly what you must discuss with the homeowner or learn about the home and pets. 

Over the past five years, we have learned everything you need to know before starting a house-sitting assignment. Our house-sitting course has detailed guides on what information you need to get before the house sits, a handover checklist, and a moving-out checklist to ensure you never get caught out.

Need a House Sitter?

Here is all the information you need on how to find a reliable housesitter. We give this list to friends and family who are looking for a sitter.

What Information to Get Before the House Sit

When applying for a house sit, the homeowner should have a detailed listing with information about the home, pets, and what they expect.

They should also have images of the home, pets and any other significant parts of the house sit. 

Once you have applied for the house sit and the homeowner is interested, it is highly recommended that you have a Skype chat (if you can’t meet in person) to get a feel for the homeowner, pets, and home. 

While talking to the homeowner it is essential that you get a thorough rundown of the house pets and exactly what the homeowner expects you do to while they are away. 

We highly recommend having a checklist and pen and paper while discussing the sit with the homeowner.

Some things to think about and ask are:

• Do they expect you to pay or chip in for bills? 
• The behavior of the animals. This is important when looking after dogs. How they act at the park, at the beach, around others, off the lead, on the lead, at home, etc…
• The medical history of the animals and any ongoing medical care or symptoms. 
• What housework or general maintenance needs to be done while they are away? This can include gardens, yards, pools, BBQs, or hot tubs.
• Quirks of the house or possible issues that could arise. 
• What food you can and can not eat/need to replace. 
• Where will you sleep during the house sit or does the homeowner even need you to stay the night?
• If there are any off-limits areas of the property or home. 
• Are you allowed to leave the pets while on sit? 
• If the pets are allowed inside, on furniture, allowed human food, and what they are allergic to.
• Are you allowed guests over while house sitting?
• If it is a remote location and you do not have your own transport, will you be using their car and do they expect you to pay for petrol, insurance, and on-road costs?
• What happens in a pet emergency?
• If the area is prone to natural disasters and what their evacuation plans are and how you should handle those situations. 

Pre-House Sit Interview

It is essential to interview a potential homeowner or housesitter before you commit. We have created a questionnaire for homeowners and housesitters. These questions ensure you gather all the essential information you need to make an informed decision.

 Click to Read: What To Ask Potential House Sitters In The Interview 

 Click to Read: What To Ask Home Owners In House Sitting Interview 

Key Takeaways

House sitting is a fantastic way of life and a unique experience. Most of the time, it runs smoothly, and that all comes down to preparation. 

• Get all the information.
• Communicate with the homeowner and be transparent. 
• Meet the homeowner and pets and see the home before locking in the seat if possible. 
• Have a backup plan for any situation.

Are you looking for more information on how to become a house sitter or elevate your house-sitting status to an in-demand professional house sitter? 

Want More House Sitting Information?