Planning to travel and worried about what to do with your home and pets while you are away? Having a house and pet sitter is a great home and pet care option while you travel.
One aspect that can come up is figuring out “who pays for what”. Here’s a handy guide from House Sitters Canada with everything you need to know about how this all works.
Most house and pet sitters provide great home and pet care in exchange for free accommodation, and they do not charge a fee for their sitting service. You enjoy peace of mind knowing your pets and home are cared for, and your sitters can enjoy living like local while taking care of your home. Some sitters do charge for extra responsibilities, but they’ll always mention this upfront in their sitter profile, so you can decide if you are willing to pay for their service.
For short stays, it is usually the homeowner who is responsible to pay for utilities like power, heating, and Wi-Fi. If your sitter is staying at your home for months, you might agree to split costs, especially if they’re using the heating/ cooling and water for a longer period. Whatever you agree on, make sure you record the details in your My Messages. Your sitter can then refer to it while you are away, and you can both clearly see what has been agreed to.
It is important to have open, clear communication before the house sit begins. On House Sitters Canada, you can message each other through our private messaging system. This means all communication is recorded for future reference for both parties to refer to.
A quick message like, “Just to confirm, we will cover power and leave extra pet food in the pantry!” makes sure everyone is on the same page.
Your sitter will cover their own groceries, but many homeowners say, “Help yourself to tea, coffee, and use any herbs and spices in the pantry”. Make sure you let them know what’s up for grabs and what’s off-limits. This prevents any issue if you return home and find important food stuffs used up.
As the homeowner it is your responsibility to provide enough pet food, medication and toys for the duration of the house sit. Some owners also leave some emergency money in case the sitter runs out of pet food etc. Garden tools, cleaning supplies, or firewood are also the homeowner’s responsibility. Leaving a welcome gift with a personal note your sitter’s arrival can also be a nice gesture.
Accidents can happen and sometimes this means breakages, even by the most careful of house sitters. If they break a glass, they will probably replace it for you before your return. If your 15-year-old washing machine finally gives up, then as the homeowner that is your responsibility to replace.
Ask your sitter to contact you if anything does happen so you can work with them to organise a suitable solution.
It is up to the house sitter to organise and pay for their own travel expenses to get to your house sit. After all, they are saving on accommodation by living and traveling around Canada as a house sitter. They will have no accommodation costs while taking care of your home and pets, so it is their responsibility to fund their travel to get to you.
If you’re asking them to manage your Airbnb guests or take care of a lot of animals with high needs, that can be above a normal house-sitting arrangement. A fair daily rate and a written agreement makes sure that the sitter knows what duties they are responsible for, and that they will be compensated for these extra duties. You might also agree to contribute some money if your home is in a mid-renovated state, your property is in a very remote area.
Thousands of homeowners and house sitters find each other every year with House Sitters Canada. House sitters save money by taking care of people’s homes and pets, and homeowners save money on kennels, and know their pets are safe and cared for at home.
With a house sitter you can travel stress free and enjoy the best form of home security while you are away.
Ready to find your perfect sitter? Join as a homeowner now.
Great website, great service! Quick, efficient service when I needed clarification. The website is easy to navigate. I appreciated the extension of my subscription after COVID19 grounded everything. I highly recommend their service. Myrna
