As a sitter, you’re the one walking into someone else’s home, caring for their animals, and taking responsibility for their property. You’re also the one with the least structural protection. The homeowner has insurance (maybe). A platform has its own terms of service. You have… trust.
Trust is fine until a reactive dog bites you and it’s unclear who pays. Until you discover mould in the bedroom that the homeowner knew about. Until you pay a vet bill upfront and spend three months chasing reimbursement. These are the kinds of thing that can go wrong on a sit.
This guide is the practical things new sitters are rarely told and experienced sitters wish they’d known earlier.
The insurance you should actually have
Some housesitting platforms expect sitters to have their own insurance, and say so in their terms. It’s worth checking yours. Here’s what you’re exposed to without it.
Public liability insurance
If you accidentally damage the homeowner’s property — a broken window, a flooded bathroom, a wine stain on an expensive sofa — public liability insurance covers the claim. Without it, you’re personally liable. Basic cover is usually an annual policy; get a quote before you need it.
Travel insurance with housesitting cover
If you’re sitting abroad, standard travel insurance may exclude “working” activities — and some insurers classify housesitting as work regardless of whether money changes hands. Check the wording. If it says “voluntary work excluded” or “unpaid work excluded,” your housesit may void the policy. Specialist policies exist, but you have to ask for them.
Health insurance abroad
A dog lunges on the lead and you break your hand. A fall on an icy path fractures your wrist. An allergic reaction to a cat you weren’t warned about. Check whether any protection you have covers your own medical costs. If you’re abroad without health cover, the bill is yours.
Personal belongings cover
A leaking roof damages your laptop. A jumping dog breaks your phone. The homeowner’s insurance covers their property, not yours. Check whether your contents or travel insurance covers belongings in someone else’s home — many policies have exclusions for this.
Carrying your own insurance is protection, and it also tells a homeowner you take the sit seriously. Say so when you first talk.
When the listing doesn’t match reality
Listings can misrepresent pet behaviour, property condition, time requirements, and location. Sometimes it’s innocent — the homeowner is used to their dog’s quirks and doesn’t see them as unusual. Sometimes it’s deliberate, because honesty would make the sit harder to fill.
Without a written agreement, it’s hard to show what you were promised. A listing can be edited after the fact. The verbal promises from the video call are unrecorded. You’re stuck in a home that doesn’t match what you signed up for, with a pet whose behaviour nobody warned you about, and leaving may be your best option.
A signed agreement changes this. What you agreed about cameras, visitors, the animals and leaving is written down, so if you arrive to find something different, it shows what was promised. That protects you both. And when both people know what was said is on record, it’s easier to be straight from the start.
Setting boundaries before you move in
It’s easy to accept conditions you’re uncomfortable with because raising concerns feels confrontational. Indoor cameras left on. Smart locks logging every movement. Tasks that weren’t mentioned until arrival. A thermostat locked at 14°C in January.
That’s exactly why it helps when the questions are already on the list. Cameras indoors and someone dropping by are two of the eight questions Reputable Sitters starts with, so you don’t have to be the one who says ‘I’m not comfortable with cameras’. You both answer, and any gap shows before you commit. Smart devices, tasks and heating aren’t among the eight, so ask about those yourself.
It’s easy to accept a sit without the full picture, because some questions feel too awkward to ask. When both of you answer the same questions, they stop being personal.
Document everything from day one
Sitters who documented from arrival are much better placed — not because they expected trouble, but because they understood protection. Photograph every room when you arrive. Video each pet’s behaviour and condition. Note any pre-existing damage. Keep a log of anything significant: missed medication instructions, maintenance issues, communication with the homeowner.
If the homeowner later claims you left the house dirty, your arrival photos show how you found it. If they allege their dog was injured during the sit, your arrival video shows the dog’s baseline state. If they dispute the vet bill, your timestamped communication shows you followed the agreed protocol.
When you both agree, before the sit, to photograph the home at handover, it becomes a shared expectation rather than something that makes you look suspicious. (See our evidence documentation guide for the full approach.)
Say where you stand, early
Many of the problems in this guide happen because a sitter accepts a sit without the full picture, and the homeowner doesn’t have theirs either. Saying where you stand early (on cameras, your insurance, the vet, guests and tasks) isn’t being difficult. It’s a filter. A homeowner who can’t accept clear answers on cameras or cleaning probably isn’t a sit you wanted.