What is home sitting?

Home sitting (otherwise known as house-sitting) is usually employed by hosts who don’t want their vacation rental to sit vacantly. Home sitting means having non-paying guests (or guests who will pay under-market value) stay in the vacation rental to look after the property and make sure everything is in working order.

Home sitting usually occurs during office season or between longer reservations to keep the property in its original state. It is generally considered an exchange or barter for guests who want to stay at the property for less cost but are willing to contribute back to the home somehow.

Tasks for home sitting can include:

Watering the plants
Conducting a vacation rental inspection
Organizing shelves and cabinets
Carrying small maintenance projects such as painting

Home sitting can be a great benefit to vacation rental owners who want to maintain the integrity of their homes without having to hire someone.

How to find a good homesitter?

You want to make sure that the people caring for your home are trustworthy and not just taking advantage of cheap accommodation. Just like you would screen for a guest, you’ll need to screen for your housesitters.

Here are some tips for picking the right housesitters for your vacation rental:

Choose people with home sitting experience
Use third-party sites that verify and review homesitters
Adapt your vacation rental agreement to sign for homesitters

Rather than letting your home sit vacant during the low season or in between vacancies, you can use house-sitting to your advantage. Keep your property in top shape while providing a comfortable place for housesitters to stay.