Is Trusted Housesitters Legit? (Our Experience +10 Most Common Questions)

**Updated : April 2023**
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Is Trusted Housesitters Legit?

YES. Trusted Housesitters has easily become our favorite "travel hack," and since signing up a few months ago we've racked up over 20 nights of free accommodation around the world through pet sitting! Although we were a bit apprehensive at first, and very unsure about the whole process of staying at someone else's house, we've truly had some great experiences in some incredible places that we typically wouldn't be able to afford otherwise - plus we've gotten to hang out with some adorable fur babies along the way. :) Read on for the most common questions we get asked about housesitting, and to decide if it's a good step for you!

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Most Commonly Asked Questions About Trusted Housesitters

1. How does it work? - As a pet parent, once you sign up you can list your sit, bios about your pets, and dates and then just wait for applicants! As a pet sitter, once you sign up you can search sits by location and apply for the ones that work for you!

2. Pricing? - You can create a free account here, but in order to begin pet-sitting or list a sit of your own, you'll have to sign up and purchase a membership. Annual pet-sitting memberships start at $129 for the basic plan, and $259 for the premium plan (which we highly recommend for the Sit Cancellation Insurance). You can check current prices here!

3. How to search for sits? - Once you purchase an annual membership, you can begin searching for and applying to sits! We typically search by location, which makes it super easy - we'll attach a screenshot here of how it looks on our end!

4. Do you meet beforehand? - This depends on the pet parent. We always try to accommodate what they like, however, it's also completely up to you! In the past we've had pet parents who don't care to meet, pet parents who want to meet the day before, and pet parents who simply want to Zoom or Facetime before hand!

5. Is it easy to start without reviews? - Yes and no. We had great luck when we applied to our first sit and were able to get a sit confirmed within a week of signing up! However, we've also heard stories that some people have a very hard time getting chosen for the sits they apply to. Our best recommendations are to fill out your background information and profile as best you can, and always try to get reviews!

6. Do you have to clean the house? - No. Most sits we've done in the past are typically cleaned before we arrive, however if there's a mess made while we're pet sitting (by us or the pets lol) then we'll of course clean it up! However, would we ever just clean and reorganize someone's house for the heck of it? Nope, haha.

NYE in New York City

Exploring Singapore

Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef

7. Do you have enough "time to explore" while pet sitting? - Yes. Of course it depends on how much the pet owner is looking for you to do while pet sitting, but we typically like to choose sits with "easier" pets. (You can find this information when you apply for a sit.) This typically allows us to head out and explore the area how we'd like once our pet responsibilities are over for a bit of time!

8. What if they cancel? - Unfortunately if they cancel you're basically out of luck - UNLESS you have the Premium membership. (However, it might help to know that we've never had a sit cancel on us.) If you do choose the Premium membership - then you get Pet Cancellation Insurance, which will cover hotel costs up to $150 per night (or $1500 per sit) if a pet parent cancels on you.

9. Can I bring my own pet? - Yes and no. This is allowed under Trusted Housesitter rules, however, it entirely depends on the pet parent and what they say. You can ask the pet parent if they're comfortable with this when you apply!

Washington D.C. in the Fall

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC

10. What to expect & responsibilities during a sit? - These entirely depend on the sit you're applying for - we've seen some sits that basically want you to try to train their new pups for them (we stay away from these haha), some that want you to give medicine to their dogs via a shot/needle, and some that just want you to take basic care of their pet. Our best advice is to read through your responsibilities thoroughly before applying for a sit!

Have any other questions for us? Leave them in the comments and we'll do our best to get back to you!

Check out some of our adventures while pet sitting!

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