House-Sitting Cardinal Rules

This is my House-Sitting Guide – I like to say that I have three Cardinal rules as a house-sitter :

1- Cherish the animals

2- Care for the property like it is your own

3- Clean and protect the car if you are given access to the vehicle.

Best practice House-Sitting Rules

Of course I also go by several other rules which include:

1 — If I break it, I fix it or replace it

2 — If I can help, I say yes

3 — However I find the property, I always leave it cleaner than before

4 — If I use it, I replace it (though some owners specify that you “eat” or “use up” items)

5 — I communicate clearly and regularly with the house-owner.

The Currency of House-Sitting is Trust

Any House-sitting Guide will tell you that the House-sitting community works on the currency of trust, and without that key ingredient none of it would be possible. Trust is more easily built in smaller communities, at least that’s our experience. So the growth spurt of house-sitting in the past few years has put that circle of trust to the test.

More people = more diversity = more potentially uncharted waters = potentially more problems.

Making arrangements between house-sitting partners is more formalised, more competitive, and much larger in scale these days. And perhaps it needs to be because some house-sitting sites have thousands of listings, and tens of thousands of potential sitters searching on them. Other house-sitting sites are smaller and more carefully managed. Regardless, with all the options available getting a new housesit nowadays can feel like applying for a job – you need references of course, experience and the right collaborative approach. Advertising a housesit  can also feel like a long screening process to vet candidates.

We enter into our house-sitting and pet-sitting agreements, with or without a House-sitting Guide, with the friendliest of intentions, but these are essentially business agreements that have to do with one-party caring for the property of another, and the caretaker being given accommodation, and to be protected from harm in return.

In the excitement of the acceptance of a new housesit, too often we make the mistake of asking for nothing in writing for our short-term and even long-term house sits thinking that we can resolve any outstanding issues through virtual communications as we go.

• It is important to remember that if the owners are away or out of the country they may not be easily contactable.

Agreements and House-sitting Challenges

We don’t like to think of house-sitting in adversarial terms, and very rarely do circumstances arise to pit house owner against house-sitter.

Not all house owners are the same  ****   Not all house-sitters are the same

• What happens if the house-sitter is injured while doing work requested by the owner?
• When costs covered by the house-sitter, skyrocket into something outside the original scope of the agreement, what happens then?
• And if there is dishonesty or negligence by one of the parties involved, what then?

If things go unexpectedly awry, it is best to have discussed likely eventualities then both parties are prepared for how to handle the situation. This is when a House-sitting Guide comes in handy!

A house-sitter I know, recently had to quit a housesit when they realised that the property owners had misrepresented in photos the glamour of the property. In the advert it looked very attractive and well maintained, perhaps like in its heyday. However, in reality it appeared neglected, sparsely furnished with few working appliances”. It was not at all like the advertisement on the house-sitting site that showed old photographs with manicured spaces in an idyllic setting. When they discovered live electric cables strewn about on the rooftop in puddles of water, the “greatest view in the world” began to lose its’ charm. They decided to approach the house-sitting company to report the situation.

If you ever get injured in such a situation, call the homeowner and let them know what has happened, and call 911 if you need medical help. You may be entitled to financial compensation for your losses. In order to successfully pursue a premises liability claim, the house sitter will need to show that the property owner knew or should have known about the hazard and failed to take appropriate action. It is important to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney who can help you understand your legal options.

• Authentic photography of the house-sitting property

  – TOP TIP – It is important that the housesit is advertised with authentic and recent photographs. This manages expectations, and will breath life into the real property and pets in the advert.

A second experience came in the form of a property owner, who didn’t offer expense payments for the pet food. The pet family comprised a dog, several cats, and chickens, with the food costs totaling over a hundred Euros a month. The house-sitters bought the food with their own money. The property owner had promised to  reimburse them. However, no refunds were given and the sitters wrote it off as a contribution to the property.  They took that personal decision to care for and feed the animals out of their own pocket.

• Pet foods provision and costs for the housesit duration

  – TOP TIP – Buy pet foods ahead of time if possible. It is the owner’s responsibility to ensure that sufficient quantities of quality food is available to feed the pets. If the housesit is a long term assignment then provide funds to ensure pet care is covered.

A third reported experience came in the form of a mysterious utility bill. The circumstances were that the house-sitter agreed to cover the utilities for the house during a long term sit. This way the pipes wouldn’t freeze and the house was habitable.  Any House-sitting Guide or experienced sitter would advise the same. The sitter was absent for a period with the owners permission. The utility bill at the end of the period showed a huge hike in the price of energy. Energy use skyrocketed to over five times the normal rate, during the dates he was absent.

The neighbour was in charge while the house-sitter was away. he blamed  the weather. Yet the house-sitter struggled. He wanted to show appreciation to the neighbour, who was kind enough to check on the house while he was away. But he faced an unexpectedly huge energy bill to pay.

He reasoned, on the one hand, it’s understandable that in a very poor country undergoing a bitterly cold winter with subzero temperatures, the thought of a warm, empty house might be too tempting to resist. Nothing could be proven and there was a bill to pay.

How did the property owner and the house-sitter work it out? Fortunately, they agreed to amicably split the bill in half.

• Understand seasonal impact and agree about payment of utility bills

– TOP TIP – Prepare a house-sitting agreement it is the best way to build trust and understanding. The house-sitter must think ahead and be prepared. And the best preparation is clear documentation. For example, a house-sitting agreement prepared together with the owner before they depart. This should outline the agreed responsibilities of each party. Be sure to anticipate any potential difficulties that might arise. Discuss and plan for the ‘what ifs’.

Being a house-sitter is a very rewarding experience. However, it’s important to cover ourselves, and avoid a “my word against their word” scenario. If we accept the responsibility of a house-sit we should think about the necessary written agreement. The agreement ensures that everyone is clear about responsibilities. Be prepared to write it yourself if necessary.

Of course, it’s impossible to anticipate all the circumstances that can happen in a house-sit, so trust and communication are still the key ingredients of a successful house-sit, but it’s also good to manage expectations, and accept our house-sitting / pet sitting assignments with an appropriate degree of caution. We want to walk in with our eyes open, and have a much smoother experience.

House-sitting Guide Top Tip

The HouseSitMatch house-sitting network provides all registered members with House-Sitting Agreements  and a House-sitting Guide to help you prepare as well as possible for your house-sitting arrangement. The agreements are especially prepared by lawyers sensitive to each partner’s role, to protect both house-sitter and home owner.  When you register you can access these agreements from the MEMBERS ONLY page.

To Register as a Home owner – Follow this link

To Register as a House-sitter – Follow this link