A checklist for homeowners and sitters

Before the sit

Talk these through, write down what you agree, and both keep a copy.

Print it, or download the one-page PDF

Free to copy and share under CC BY 4.0: just credit Reputable Sitters.

The basics

  • The dates, and the times of arrival and leaving
  • The address, how to get in, and where the spare key is
  • Paid or free? If paid, how much and when. If free, who covers what (food, travel, bills)
  • Does the homeowner own the home or rent it? (Rented homes can have rules about guests or stays.)

The animals

  • Each animal's name, and what they need: food, walks, medication, routines
  • Has any animal ever bitten, snapped at or hurt anyone? Say so plainly
  • The vet's name and number, and what the sitter can decide in an emergency, and up to what cost
  • If an animal is old or unwell: what you'd want done if it gets worse

The home and the people in it

  • Cameras: every camera and smart speaker, where it is, whether it's on, and who watches. Never in a bedroom, a bathroom, or where someone sleeps
  • Someone drops by: cleaners, gardeners, neighbours, family. Who, and when?
  • Guests: can the sitter have anyone over or to stay?
  • Food for the stay: help yourself, or bring your own?

Keeping in touch

  • How often you'll update each other, and how (messages, photos, a call)
  • An emergency contact nearby, for when the homeowner can't be reached

Meeting, arriving and leaving

  • Meeting first: a call, a video, or meeting in person before the sit
  • Getting there: who arranges it, and who pays for it, if anyone
  • The last morning: how to leave the home (beds, bins, keys) and when the homeowner gets back
  • If the worst happens: what if either of you has to cancel or leave early?

Four things no agreement should take away

The animals come first.Even if the sit ends early or you fall out, the animals are cared for until someone takes them back.
Nobody gets trapped.A sitter can always leave a home that's unsafe or unlivable, or go for a real emergency, after first contacting someone to take over the animals.
Nothing illegal holds.Agreeing to something unlawful doesn't make it binding.
Give it back, flag a danger.Leave on the end date with every key, and tell each other about any danger in the home.

What we agreed