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IncomeShip

House sitting

Staying in other people's homes to look after pets and property, paid per night on some platforms and in lodging on others, with membership fees, insurance gaps and irregular stays.

Published Facts checked 30 sources
Where to sign upWhat you'd keep
On this page8 sections

On Rover's own listed range of $45 to $75 a night, Rover keeps 20% of each booking for sitters approved on or after March 1, 2016. At those listed prices a sitter would keep $36 to $60 a night before costs, but sitters set their own rates, so the range isn't what a typical sitter earns.

On other sites you may not be paid at all. TrustedHousesitters says sitters join with an annual membership and the platform is not an employer. Nomador says owners do not pay sitters.

How the money works in house sitting

On House Sitters America, sitters can either charge or sit for free in exchange for lodging. On Rover, house sitting means watching the pet overnight in the owner's home.

Care.com's house sitting jobs page says caregivers set their own rate. Its pricing page says payment terms are agreed between family and caregiver, with HomePay payroll as an optional extra.

What house sitters actually earn

BLS publishes wages for animal caretakers, the closest government occupation, and platforms publish nightly rates.

FigureWhat it is
$17.00/hrMedian wage, animal caretakersBLS · May 2025
$13.10/hr10th percentile, animal caretakersBLS · May 2025
$24.07/hr90th percentile, animal caretakersBLS · May 2025
$45 to $75Rover average house sitting, per nightRover
$80Average paid sitter rate per nightTrustedHousesitters
$85Median house sitting price per bookingAirtasker · 2026-09-25

The BLS figures exclude self-employed workers and cover all animal caretaker jobs, so they are a rough hourly comparison only. The nightly figures are provider claims. TrustedHousesitters' own cost page doesn't show where its figure comes from, and Airtasker's data doesn't specify booking length. No source publishes what sitters earn in a year.

What you'd keep per night

Prefilled from the sources below. Change any number to match your situation.

$
%

Use 0 for direct clients.

$

Travel, waiting, messaging.

You keep per night
$60
after $15 fee and costs
Per hour of all time spent
$4.62
including unpaid minutes
Per week
$600
for about 130.0 hours, before taxes

This is an example, not a prediction. Defaults: price from Top of Rover's listed $45 to $75 average per night. Sitters set their own rates.; fee from Rover keeps 20% of each booking for profiles approved on or after March 1, 2016.; unpaid time is Assumption: 12 hours present overnight and about an hour of unpaid travel and meet-and-greet per night.; costs: No per-night cost is assumed; membership and insurance costs are listed separately.; 10 nights a week is a starting point, not a typical workload.

Where the hours go

The calculator's hours are labeled assumptions, including unpaid travel and meet-and-greet time before each stay.

What it costs to start

ItemCostNeeded?
House Sitters America membership$49 a yearOptional
TrustedHousesitters sitter membership$129–$259 a yearOptional
TrustedHousesitters booking fee$12 per jobOptional
Nomador Standard membership$149 a yearOptional
House sitting liability insurance$332 a yearOptional
Business mileage deductionNot publishedOptional

Memberships and insurance are yearly costs. TrustedHousesitters' tier prices and per-sit fee come from a third-party report, so check its live pricing page.

Where to find house sitting work

Rover lists paid house sitting, and Care.com lists house sitting jobs where caregivers set their own rate with the family. Nomador describes house sitting as a service exchange, and House Sitters America lets sitters charge or sit for free.

PlatformWhat it keepsFirst paySign up
TrustedHousesitters$12 per confirmed sit†Not published—
Care.comPay negotiated directly†Not publishedApply
Rover20% of each booking2–4 weeksApply
House Sitters AmericaNot publishedNot publishedApply
NomadorNot publishedNot publishedApply

First pay combines each platform's approval time and payout delay. Bank transfers can add a few days, depending on your bank and payout method. Full terms are on each platform's page. Checked Oct 27, 2026; confirm on the official page before you sign up.

† Reported by a third party; the platform doesn't publish it.

Off the platforms, you can take direct clients such as neighbors and friends of friends. You set the rate and terms, no platform fee applies, and you get no platform verification or coverage.

Insurance, licensing and tax rules in the U.S.

None of the platform or insurer pages cited here state a legal requirement for sitters to carry insurance. TrustedHousesitters says it provides no insurance itself, though some plans include policies, and that some owners' home insurance may not cover a third-party sitter. Insurer Pet Care Insurance says sitters generally shouldn't rely on an owner's homeowners policy. The Hartford says it doesn't offer house-sitter coverage.

Licensing for house sitting varies by state and city. Check your state's business license office and your city or county clerk before taking paying clients.

On tax, the IRS says goods or services received in barter are taxable at fair market value. For self-employment tax basics, see the IRS self-employed individuals tax center.

Risks and red flags for house sitters

An industry blog says the pet owner is typically liable for pet damage, but a negligent sitter can become responsible, and that the law varies by location. Owner homeowners or renters insurance often doesn't cover pet damage. Ask the owner in writing what their policy covers before you arrive.

Who house sitting fits, and who should skip it

It fits you if:

  • You want lodging value and are happy with a lodging exchange such as Nomador, where owners don't pay sitters.
  • You can commit to overnight stays in someone else's home, which dog walking and drop-in visits don't ask of you.
  • You would rather set a nightly rate on Rover or Care.com than an hourly one.
  • You can wait out a profile review and background check before your first paid booking.

Skip it if:

How to start house sitting

  1. Decide whether you want pay or lodging. Nomador says owners don't pay sitters, and House Sitters America lets sitters charge or sit for free.
  2. For paid overnight work, apply through Rover's sitter sign-up steps: service setup, profile, testimonials, safety quiz, background check and ID verification.
  3. Open a Care.com caregiver profile through Care.com's caregiver page and browse the house sitting jobs. Agree payment directly with the family.
  4. Before paying for a membership, check its live pricing page. Nomador charges when you send your first stay request, not at sign-up.
  5. Ask the owner what their home policy covers, and compare a sitter policy such as Pet Care Insurance's house sitting insurance.
  6. Put the nights, duties and payment (cash or lodging) in writing before you arrive.
  7. Check your city or county clerk for local rules, and read IRS Topic 420 on barter income.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Government

Official platform and company pages

News and community reports

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