What House Rules Should You Set for Your House Sitters?

Setting clear house rules for your house sitters is the foundation of a successful house sitting arrangement - Whether you're leaving for a weekend or several weeks, providing your sitters with detailed guidelines upfront prevents misunderstandings and ensures your expectations are met from day one.

Below is a comprehensive guide to the key house rules every Canadian homeowner should consider sharing with their house sitters.

Table of Contents

• What Should You Cover in Your General House Sitting Guidelines?
• Outlining The Daily Responsibilities For Your Sitter
• How Should House Sitters Handle Home Maintenance?
• What Do House Sitters Need to Know About Utilities and Amenities?
• Setting Clear Safety and Emergency Procedures For Your Sitter
• Your Personal House Rules
• Setting Communication Expectations and Preferences
• What Additional Notes Should You Leave for Your House Sitters?
• Print It Out For Easy Reference

What Should You Cover in Your General House Sitting Guidelines?

Your general guidelines set the tone for the entire house sitting arrangement, so it's worth being thorough from the start.

Arrival and Departure

• Confirm the expected arrival time and whether you'd like your sitters present when you return home.
• Provide clear instructions for key collection and return, including any lockboxes or building entry codes.

Contact Information

• Share your personal contact details along with a list of emergency contacts.
• Include your local veterinarian's name, address, and phone number in case of any pet care concerns.

Home Security

• Walk your sitters through any alarm systems, deadbolts, gate codes, or smart locks.
• Clarify when doors and windows should be secured, particularly overnight or when leaving the property.

Outlining The Daily Responsibilities For Your Sitter

Daily responsibilities form the core of any house sitting arrangement and should be spelled out clearly so nothing falls through the cracks.

Pet Care

• Provide a detailed feeding schedule outlining meal times and portion sizes for each pet.
• Specify approved food, treats, and any dietary restrictions.
• Describe exercise routines, favourite toys, and playtime preferences.
• Include step-by-step instructions for any medications or specialized pet care needs.

Plant and Garden Care (if applicable for your home)

• Outline a watering schedule for both indoor plants and outdoor gardens.
• Note any seasonal tasks such as mowing the lawn, raking leaves, or clearing snow from pathways, particularly relevant during Canadian winters.

Mail and Deliveries

• Explain where to place collected mail and how to handle any packages or couriers.
• Let sitters know whether to sign for deliveries, or the details if you have organized a different arrangement.

How Should House Sitters Handle Home Maintenance?

Home maintenance expectations are an essential part of your house rules to keep your property in good condition throughout the house sit.

Cleanliness Standards

• Be specific about your expectations for general ongoing tidiness.
• Show sitters where cleaning supplies and equipment are stored and make sure they have enough supplies for the duration of the sit.

Appliance Guidelines

• Leave instructions for any appliances that require special handling, or are a bit tricky to use.
• Note any appliances that are off-limits or require extra care.

Garbage and Recycling

• Share the schedule for garbage and recycling pickup in your municipality.
• Point out where to find garbage bags, recycling bins, and any composting containers. Canadian municipalities often have specific sorting requirements, so be sure to explain your local system.

What Do House Sitters Need to Know About Utilities and Amenities?

Clear guidance on utilities helps sitters manage your home responsibly and avoid any costly surprises.

Heating and Cooling

• Provide instructions for your thermostat, furnace, or heat pump - especially important given Canadian climate conditions.
• If you have a wood-burning fireplace or pellet stove, include safety instructions and any usage restrictions.
• Set a reasonable temperature range so pipes don't freeze in winter and energy isn't wasted.

Water and Electricity

• Share any tips for conserving water and electricity.
• If your property has unique systems such as a well, septic tank, solar panels, pool pump etc - then leave detailed operating instructions.
• For longer house sits, splitting the cost of utilities may also be expected depending on a lot of factors, make sure to discuss the details of this with your sitter if it does apply.

Please note: For more in-depth advice on this topic, read our detailed blog post ‘House sitting in Canada - Who pays what?’.

Internet and Entertainment

• Provide the Wi-Fi network name and password.
• Leave instructions for the TV, streaming service logins, or any other entertainment systems your sitters are welcome to use.

Setting Clear Safety and Emergency Procedures For Your House Sitter

Every set of house rules should include clear emergency procedures so your sitters are prepared for the unexpected.

Emergency Protocols

• Outline steps to take in the event of a fire, flood, power outage, or other emergency.
• Show sitters the location of fire extinguishers, first aid kits, and emergency exits.
• Include the non-emergency contact number for your local police and the nearest hospital or urgent care clinic.
• For pet emergencies - provide the name, address, and after-hours number for your nearest emergency veterinary clinic, along with any relevant details about your pet's medical history, existing conditions, or medications that a vet may need to know quickly.

Health and Safety Hazards

• Flag any known hazards around the property - icy front steps in winter, a slippery basement staircase, a tricky garage door mechanism, and so on.
• Provide guidance for safely handling any hazardous materials such as pool chemicals or garden pesticides.

Your Personal House Rules

Personal house rules help sitters respect your space and feel comfortable within clearly understood boundaries.

Guests and Visitors

• State whether sitters are permitted to have friends or family visit during the sit.
• Clarify your policy on overnight guests.

Noise and Neighbourhood Etiquette

• Note any quiet hours in your building or neighbourhood, including strata or condo bylaws if applicable.
• Mention any particularly considerate neighbours worth being mindful of.

Smoking and Alcohol

• Be direct about your smoking policy - indoors, outdoors, or not at all.
• Let sitters know your expectations around alcohol consumption on the property.

Off-Limits Areas and Food Use

• Identify any rooms, garages, storage areas, or outbuildings that are private or restricted.
• Specify which pantry items, condiments, and beverages sitters are welcome to use - and anything that's off the table.
• Let sitters know whether personal items like books, vinyl records, or gaming consoles are available for their enjoyment or should be left alone.

Setting Communication Expectations and Preferences

Setting communication expectations upfront ensures you stay informed without either party feeling overwhelmed.

Update Frequency and Format

• Decide how often you'd like check-ins - daily, every few days, or only as needed - and whether you prefer texts, emails, or phone calls.
• Let sitters know what you most want updates on: your pet's behaviour and wellbeing, any issues with the home, or simply a quick "all good" message.

Helpful Tip: Try to keep your communication with your sitter on our platform whenever possible.
We’ve found that when conversations move to a variety of WhatsApp, text, email and/or phone calls - some key information can end up scattered and harder to locate.

Keeping messages inside your House SItters Canada account can make it easier for both of you to find important information when you need it - and provides a clear record if our team ever needs to assist.

Reporting Issues

• Encourage sitters to flag any concerns promptly rather than waiting until you return.
• Clarify the threshold for what warrants an immediate call versus a message that can wait.

What Additional Notes Should You Leave for Your House Sitters?

A few final details can make all the difference in ensuring a smooth and stress-free house sit for everyone involved.

Special Instructions

• Include anything unique to your home that wouldn't be obvious to a first-time visitor.
• Provide the names and contact details of trusted neighbours or nearby friends who can lend a hand if needed.

Departure Checklist

• List any final cleaning tasks expected before the sitter leaves.
• Outline the process for returning keys and any last steps before their departure.

Putting your house rules in writing, rather than relying on verbal conversations gives your sitters a reference they can return to throughout the stay.

Print It Out For Easy Reference

A great way to pull all of this together is the Welcome Info Pack template, available in the Resources section of your House Sitters Canada account. Fill it out, print it off, and leave it somewhere easy to find - your sitters will thank you for having everything they need in one place.

With clear expectations in place, you can head off on your travels knowing your home and pets are in capable hands.

Ready to get started? Become a homeowner member and place a house ad for your home.

Once this ad is published all available sitters will be notified, and interested sitters can reach out and apply to be your sitter.