House Sitting Contracts

House sitting became very popular and took the world by storm. The concept of this service is for someone who will care for the landlord or homeowners' homes while they are away. The homeowners have someone to look after their houses, pets and gardens while the house sitters gets rent free accommodation in return for doing minor household duties and whatever they have agreed upon. Every agreement must be mutually beneficial for both parties. Here are some guidelines to arrange your agreement:

Note the sitter's detailed information like full name and driver's license number for verification purposes.

Do not forget to indicate homeowner's contact numbers, email or address; to be contacted in case of emergency.

Include the house sitter's expected time of arrival prior to the departure of the client for final instructions.

Your house sitting contract should indicate the terms and conditions under which a sitter may live in your home.

Specific and detailed instructions for the tasks you've prepared in which your sitter is bound to do. Indicate the instructions for lawn and garden care: equipment used, pet care: feeding time/exercise schedule/vets visits and medication dosing, pool maintenance, mail handling and forwarding.

House sitting contracts should also specify your utility billing arrangement. Take into account if the sitter is responsible for making these payments or not. For example; you have agreed upon to continue paying the bills yourself by a friend, a family member, or better yet by direct debit. Then the sitter shall reimburse their portion upon your return.

It is also important to indicate that if the house sitter is taken seriously ill or for any other reason to leave the property for a certain or extended period, or should there be any damage in the property, he/ she must contact the homeowner immediately.

As the homeowner you should prudently consider your personal requirements and expectations. It is also your responsibility to clearly explain your criteria's to the house sitter. You may need to arrange for a bond to be held by an independent party when securing a written agreement. You can ask for your attorney's help with this procedure. Every situation is unique, nevertheless, we included the accepted standards of a general house sitting contract/ You can remove or add points to suit your situation.