How Much To Pay A House Sitter (4 Factors to Consider)

Planning a vacation or heading out on a business trip? If you have pets, finding a reliable house sitter is a must to ensure they’re well cared for while you’re away. But how much should you pay for house sitter services?

This guide covers everything you need to know, including key factors influencing pricing, average rates based on location, and what you can expect to pay per night. Whether you’re hiring for a short trip or an extended stay, we’ll help you determine a fair and reasonable rate for your house sitter.

Average Nightly Cost for a House Sitter

We’ve found that the average cost for a house sitter ranges from $30 to $55 per night as of March 2025. However, the final price can vary based on several factors, including location, the sitter’s experience, and the tasks they’ll be responsible for.

To help you determine a fair rate for your area, we’ll walk through the key factors influencing pricing and what responsibilities to consider when hiring a house sitter.

Before diving into these details, we’ve included our personal instructions templates to ensure your sitter has all the information they need to provide top-notch care. You’ll also find a list of essential interview questions to help you vet potential candidates.

Tip: We recommend using a trusted house-sitting platform to find and hire sitters. These platforms often provide background checks and insurance coverage for added peace of mind.

Pet/ House Sitter Instruction Templates

Want our comprehensive checklist and instruction template for your next housesitter/ pet sitter? These templates will ensure your home and pets are cared for exactly how you want them.

They have everything from feeding, sleeping, and walking schedules to vet contacts, bin days, parts of the home where the animals are/ aren’t allowed, and dozens more questions.

House/PetSitter Instructions Template – For Home Owners – click here to download

Pre-House Sit Interview

It is essential to interview a potential housesitter before you commit. The interview may be in person or via video chat. We have created a questionnaire for both homeowners and house sitters to use.

These questions ensure you gather all the essential information you need to make an informed decision.

 What To Ask Potential House Sitters In The Interview 

 What To Ask Home Owners In House Sitting Interview 

Factors to Consider 

Determining a fair rate to pay your house sitter ensures you won’t get charged unfairly for the care provided. If hiring a friend, you want to ensure you’re paying them reasonably.

In contrast, if you plan to hire a professional housesitter, you want to ensure their prices are within the average pay range of other sitters. Here is a list of factors to consider when determining what to pay your housesitter. 

Location

The average rate for house sitting will vary significantly based on the geographical location of your home. A professional housesitter will cost more in large urban cities like New York City than in a smaller rural town like Salt Lake City.

For example, the average hourly rate for sitters in Charlotte, North Carolina, is $38 per night. In comparison, the average rate for sitters in New York City is $45 per night. 

Researching the rates for an average house sitter in your area is essential. 

Responsibilities 

Every house owner needs different responsibilities from their house sitter. The more responsibilities you need, the more you will be charged.

Some of the standard services of a sitter include: 

• Feed pets
• Walk dogs
• Clean litter box 
• Water plants 
• Taking out the garbage 

Additional services that you may ask your professional sitter to do are: 

• Collecting mail 
• Snow clearing 
• House cleaning 
• Pool cleaning 
• Taking a pet for their scheduled vet appointments

The level of animal care required should also be a factor in the pet care charge. Some pets require 24-hour pet care, especially for elderly or sick animals, puppies, or kittens.

Also, the type of animal contributes to the cost. For example, a cat sitter may cost less than a dog sitter because cats don’t need to be taken out for walks. Typically, a sitter will charge an extra $5 per visit for each additional pet and another $5 for puppies. 

If you require your house sitter to perform cleaning tasks, you’ll want to research the average cost of house cleaning. For example, house cleaning services cost between $25 and $50 per house or about $30 to $50 per room. 

Time Spent 

The rates for housesitters also depend on the time you’re requesting a sitter stay. Overnight stays should be charged daily, while occasional visits can be charged per hour. 

You’ll want to pay a little extra if you request extended time, emergency, late-night, or holiday visits. Also, decide whether you need your sitter for daily visits or have them stay at your house while you’re gone. 

Amenities 

Consider whether you’re providing any amenities or services for the sitter. For example, you may provide them with a kitchen, WiFi, and swimming pool access, allowing the sitter to enjoy their stay. You could offer these amenities and utilities in exchange for light chores. 

Commuting Costs

Consider the distance and costs for the sitter to commute to your home. Calculate the public transportation fees or gas that it would cost the sitter.

It’s entirely up to you to factor transportation costs into the rate you’re paying. However, if you’re asking a sitter to commute over an hour to your house, it’s worth compensating them for it. If hiring an international house sitter, you may want to discuss transport costs.  

Experience or Skill Level

Experienced housesitters generally charge more due to their higher level of expertise. That’s because they may have other valuable skills that can come in handy such as:

• Pet CPR certified 
• Trained in cat or dog first aid 
• House cleaning services 

Finding a professional sitter with extensive experience means they likely have many happy customers. You can search for their reviews on house-sitting sites and see what others have said of their services. 

How to Choose a House Sitter 

First, you’ll need to determine where you’ll want to look for a house sitter.

To find a house sitter, you have many options, such as: 

• Asking friends and family
• Asking for a recommendation on a house sitter 
• Going on house-sitting websites 

Remember that finding a sitter in a city is much easier than in a small suburban area. Once you have a handful of sitters, you can narrow your choice by vetting them individually.

Here are factors to account for when choosing the right house sitter: 

• Check their references. Make sure their clients receive a good experience. For example, did they walk home to a messy or clean house? 
  
• Arrange a meet-and-greet. Ideally, you want an in-person interview so you can see how they interact with your pet. Choose someone else if your pet needs to be coaxed to warm up to them. If you’re getting bad feelings about the person, it’s better to cut ties. You don’t want any horror stories to occur in your home! 
  
• Ensure their rates align with your house sitting costs. The sitter should offer a fair rate that fits within your budget. 
  
• Check to see if they present professional items, such as contracts, a cancellation policy, and payment arrangements. 

How Much Should You Tip a House Sitter? 

Before you tip your house sitter, ensure they’ve done everything you’ve agreed upon. If they’ve gone above and beyond, consider tipping 15% to 20% of the total bill. 

In addition, if they went through extra trouble to care for your pet, such as rushing them to the emergency vet, you may consider tipping them more. Tipping is a personal preference, so the choice is yours! 

When you’ve decided on your rate, ensure the detailed fee structure is enlisted in the contract. Also, schedule a meet and greet and provide adequate instructions to ensure everything runs smoothly. Not sure when to pay the pet sitter? This will help you make a decision.

Pet owners care for their pets and want to keep their pups or kitties happy while they’re away. Finding the perfect house sitter will help ease your anxiety about leaving your fur baby for an extended period.

If they do a great job, they can become a long-term house sitter you can call upon for future trips! 

Ready to Find the Perfect House Sitter?

Now that you know what to expect in terms of costs, responsibilities, and interview questions, it’s time to find a reliable house sitter you can trust. Whether you’re looking for short-term or long-term care, using the right approach makes all the difference.

Get started by checking out this step-by-step guide on how to find the best house sitter for your needs. Don’t leave it to chance—secure a sitter who will care for your home and pets like their own!