Questions to Ask When House Sitting
For anyone about to look after someone else's home, whether as a favor to a friend, for the family next door or on a sit found through a house-sitting site. The questions run in the order of a walk through the house with the owner: the arrangement, keys and security, the daily jobs, house rules, what to do when something goes wrong, and the day they come home. Go through them inside the house, because half the answers are things to be shown.
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The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
The arrangement
What day and time do you leave, and when exactly are you back?
Why ask it
Get the hour as well as the date at both ends, since a midnight return means one more evening of feeding the cat. Then find out what the plan is if a flight is canceled or they decide to stay on, and say honestly whether you could cover an extra day or two.
Do you want me living here the whole time, or coming by to check on the house?
Why ask it
These are two different jobs, and owners often picture one while the sitter pictures the other. For drop-ins, settle how many a week and at what time of day. For a live-in sit, find out whether working from the house all day suits them or whether you are free to come and go.
How long can the house stand empty in a day, and may I spend a night away?
Why ask it
Pets usually set the limit, but some owners also have an insurance condition about how long a home may sit unoccupied, so have them check theirs. If you already know you will be away one night, name the date now. An owner who hears about it from a neighbor first is unlikely to ask you back.
Is there a fee for this or is it a favor, and who pays for what while I am here?
Why ask it
Settle it before the keys change hands: a fee if there is one, the pet food, the utilities, your travel. If a platform arranged the sit, its listing and terms may fix some of this, so read them together and raise whatever they leave open. Between friends, naming a figure is awkward for ten seconds and can spare you both a month of quiet resentment.
How do I reach you while you are away, and how often do you want to hear from me?
Why ask it
One owner wants a picture of the dog every evening and another wants silence unless the roof comes off. Pick the app or number they will really check on the trip, and learn the time difference so a routine message does not land in the middle of their night.
What happens if I get sick or have to leave before you are back?
Why ask it
Nobody plans for the sitter's own emergency, and an owner abroad cannot do much with a few hours' notice. Name the backup together now: a second friend, the neighbor holding the spare key, or whatever the platform's terms offer if the sit came through one. Whoever it is should get a copy of your notes.
Has anyone house sat for you before, and what would you do differently this time?
Why ask it
The reply tends to be one small, specific thing: the porch ferns got missed, the alarm went off twice. That is what this owner minds most, so put it at the top of your notes. If you are their first sitter, expect to do more of the prompting yourself.
Do you have written instructions for the house, or should I take notes as we walk around?
Why ask it
Instructions left on the kitchen counter beat a phone call across time zones. Where none exist, write as they talk and send your notes back that evening, so they can fix what you misheard while they are still home.
Have you checked whether your home insurance says anything about a sitter staying here?
Why ask it
Policies treat guests, sitters and empty homes differently, and only the owner's insurer can say what theirs requires. For a platform sit, read what coverage the platform says it provides, if any, instead of taking a summary on trust. The point of raising it now is that nobody learns the answer after a burst pipe.
Keys and security
How many keys are there, which locks do they fit, and who else holds one?
Why ask it
Try each key in its door with the owner beside you, because a badly cut spare or a deadbolt that needs the handle lifted is a ten-second lesson now and a locksmith later. The list of other key holders matters twice: they are who might walk in, and who can rescue you.
What is the plan if I lock myself out?
Why ask it
Agree it while nobody is standing on the step: a neighbor with a spare, a lockbox, a relative across town. Find out whether any door latches by itself when it swings shut, since that is the one that gets you with a trash bag in your hand. Do not hide a key outside unless the owner suggests it.
How do I set and turn off the alarm, and what happens after a false alarm?
Why ask it
Watch it done once, then do it yourself with the owner watching. You need the spoken password a monitoring company asks for on the phone, and you want to know whether anyone is sent out or billed when it trips by mistake, which depends on their provider. If a pet sets off the motion sensors, learn which mode they use at night.
Which doors and windows do you lock when you go out, and which at night?
Why ask it
Owners follow a routine they stopped noticing years ago: the side gate bolted, the bathroom window on the latch, the garage checked last. Copy theirs instead of inventing your own. A window they always keep shut may be the one the cat gets out of.
Are there cameras or a video doorbell, and what do they cover?
Why ask it
It is a fair thing to raise plainly, and easier before you move in than after you spot a lens on a bookshelf. What is allowed inside a home with a guest in it depends on where you are and, for a platform sit, on its rules, so look up the ones that apply instead of assuming. Also find out whether motion alerts reach the owner's phone, or your midnight glass of water becomes their worried text.
If someone knocks or calls asking for you, what should I say?
Why ask it
The usual line is that they cannot come to the door right now and you will pass on a message, with no mention of how long they are gone. Check whether a relative, a tenant or a business contact should be told more. While you are at it, learn whether the landline and the doorbell app are yours to answer at all.
Do the neighbors know I will be here, and is there one I should meet?
Why ask it
A stranger carrying bags into a house whose owners just left gets noticed, and one introduction turns the watchful neighbor into your ally. Take the name and number of whoever is usually home in the daytime. That person is also your best source on which morning the recycling truck really comes.
How do you like the house to look occupied: lights, blinds, a car in the drive?
Why ask it
This matters most on a drop-in sit or on any night you are out. Learn which lamps are already on timers so you do not unplug one to charge a phone. The same thinking covers social media: check before posting a picture that shows the house or says they are away.
Daily jobs
What should happen to the mail and any packages?
Why ask it
Find out where it goes, whether anything expected needs a signature or a fridge, and whether any envelope should be photographed and sent on. Boxes piling up on a porch announce an empty house, so bring them in the day they arrive. If a hold was placed with the mail service, note the date it ends.
Which days do the trash and recycling go out, and where do the bins belong?
Why ask it
You need the day, the hour they have to be at the curb and what goes in which bin, because sorting rules change from town to town. On a two-week sit a missed pickup means the owner comes home to an overflowing can. A public holiday in the middle may move the day, so check the calendar together.
Which plants need watering, how much, and how often?
Why ask it
Go around and have them point, because 'the plants' can mean eleven pots indoors and a tomato bed nobody mentioned. Get the fussy one by name, since too much water can hurt it as surely as none. A photo of each on day one gives you something to compare a drooping leaf against.
What do the pets need from me each day, and can I meet them before you leave?
Why ask it
Animals turn a house sit into a different job, and they deserve a conversation of their own: food by the scoop, medication, walks, favorite hiding places. Meeting them with the owner in the room, before you agree to the sit, shows you whether the dog is one you can hold on a leash. An indoor cat that must never get out changes how you open every door for the whole stay.
If one of the animals gets sick or hurt, which vet do I take them to, and how is the bill paid?
Why ask it
Write down the regular clinic and the nearest one open at night, with both addresses. Whether a clinic will treat an animal brought in by someone other than its owner, and how it takes payment, is the clinic's own policy, so have the owner phone ahead and give them your name. Agree a spending figure here as well, separate from the one for house repairs.
Is there a lawn, a vegetable bed or a sprinkler system for me to manage?
Why ask it
Establish who mows, whether a service comes, and how to pause the sprinkler controller after rain. Some areas restrict watering to certain days, so get the local rule from the owner. Ripe tomatoes and zucchini raise a pleasant side question: are they yours to eat?
Is there a pool, a hot tub or a pond, and what does it need from me?
Why ask it
Skip this one for a house without water in the yard. Otherwise find out what gets checked and how often, who services it, and whether you are welcome to swim. If testing or chemicals are involved and you have never done it, say so, and suggest they book the service for the weeks they are gone.
Does anyone come on a schedule, such as a cleaner, a gardener or a dog walker?
Why ask it
Names, days and whether they carry their own key, so the person letting themselves in on Tuesday morning is no surprise. Check whether you are expected to pay any of them or leave anything out. If you would prefer the cleaner skip your stay, this is the moment to say it.
Are any deliveries, repairs or meter readings booked while you are gone?
Why ask it
Whoever has to be home for the furnace service is now you, so get the date and the time window and decide whether you can keep it. Agree a rule for the unannounced caller too. The safe default is that nobody who is not on the list comes inside until the owner has replied to a text.
House rules
Which rooms, closets or drawers would you like me to stay out of?
Why ask it
Most owners name a home office or their own bedroom, and being asked visibly relaxes them. No reason is owed to you. Do check whether a closed room still needs a glance now and then for a leak or a window left open.
Where do I sleep, and which bathroom, towels and sheets are mine?
Why ask it
Guest room or the owner's bed is a real question when a dog is used to sleeping beside someone. Find out whether to bring your own linens. While you are on the subject, settle what happens to the bedding on your last morning.
What food and drink am I welcome to, and should I replace what I finish?
Why ask it
A common understanding is that the perishables are yours and the good bottle is not, but common is not the same as agreed. Go through the fridge together for what will spoil and should be eaten or thrown out. A shelf cleared for your own groceries saves guessing.
May I have anyone over, and may anyone stay the night?
Why ask it
Treat it as a no until you hear a yes, and name the person: 'my partner, Friday and Saturday' gets a clearer answer than 'a friend sometime'. On a platform sit the owner agreed to the people in your profile, and its terms may not allow extras, so read them. A yes to dinner for two is not a yes to a party.
Can I use the car, the bikes or anything in the garage?
Why ask it
For a car, a yes is only the start: whether their policy covers you as a driver is for their insurer to confirm, and you should know where the documents are kept and who buys the gas. An owner who wants the car started or moved now and then is asking you to drive it, so the insurance point applies there too. Bikes and kayaks are simpler, as long as you know where the locks and helmets live.
Where should I park, and are there street or building rules I would not guess?
Why ask it
Permit zones, street-sweeping days and the space a neighbor treats as theirs are all local knowledge. Collect the visitor permit, garage remote or fob before they go. In an apartment building, have them give the front desk or manager your name and dates.
What is the Wi-Fi password, and which TVs, speakers and apps can I use?
Why ask it
Smart homes hide ordinary switches inside an app the sitter does not have, so check you can work the lights, the thermostat and the door without one. On the television, a guest profile keeps your viewing out of their recommendations. If you work remotely, test the connection in the room where you will sit.
Is there anything fragile, valuable or sentimental that I should keep well clear of?
Why ask it
The owner knows the wobbly lamp was a grandmother's and you do not. Raising it gives them the chance to put things away before they go, which is easier for everyone than you being careful for two weeks. Surfaces count as well: a table that rings under a hot mug, a wood floor that hates water.
Any everyday house rules I should know: shoes off, smoking, noise, open windows?
Why ask it
Small rules are invisible until one is broken. In an apartment or a managed community there may be building rules on quiet hours, laundry times or balconies that the owner is answerable for, so get those as well. Cover smoking and vaping outdoors too, not only inside.
Which appliances have a trick to them, and is there anything you would rather I did not use?
Why ask it
Every house has one: the dishwasher door that must be lifted, the shower that runs cold for a minute, the oven that runs hot. Put the fireplace and the grill to them by name, because those are the two an owner is likeliest to want left alone. Get a demonstration of the washer, since you will probably run it on your last day.
If things go wrong
Who is my emergency contact nearby when you are on a plane or out of signal?
Why ask it
You want a relative or friend with the owner's say-so to tell you 'yes, call the roofer'. Have the owner warn that person in advance, so your first call is not spent explaining who you are. Flight numbers, the hotel and a travel companion's phone belong on the same sheet.
How much may I spend on a repair or an emergency without reaching you first?
Why ask it
Push for a number. With one you can say yes to an after-hours visit instead of watching the damage spread while a phone rings out in another country. Agree how you get the money back, whether a card left behind, cash in a drawer or receipts on their return, and photograph the problem before anyone fixes it.
Who do I call for a plumber, an electrician or a locksmith, and may I book them myself?
Why ask it
Numbers for people who already know the house beat a search at midnight. In a rental or a condo the first call may have to go to a landlord or a building manager instead, so find out how it works there. Settle the order too: with water running, do they want the plumber called before them?
Where is the main water shut-off, and will you show me how it turns?
Why ask it
Go and put your hand on it. A valve behind a basement panel cannot be found from a description while water is coming through a ceiling, and an old one may be too stiff to move without a tool. Take a photo, and have them point out the small valves under the sinks and behind the toilets too.
Where is the breaker panel, and what usually trips it?
Why ask it
Faded labels are normal, so have the owner tell you which switch runs the kitchen and which the water heater. Most houses have a known culprit, such as the kettle and the microwave running together. Then run through a longer outage: the freezer, a sump pump, a fish tank, the garage door's manual release.
How do the heating and cooling work, and what temperature should the house hold?
Why ask it
Get the range they want and not just a tour of the thermostat, including whether you may change it for your own comfort and who pays if the air conditioning runs all day. In cold weather, find out the lowest setting they allow when the house is empty, since frozen pipes are the costly failure. Learn how to restart the furnace or boiler, or who to call when it quits.
What in this house tends to break, leak, stick or flood?
Why ask it
Owners know their home's weak spots: the toilet that runs, the gutter that spills in heavy rain, the damp corner of the basement. For each one, get what they do about it. Bring up the weather as well: what they do before a big storm or a freeze, and whether clearing snow from the sidewalk falls to you.
Where are the fire extinguisher, the first aid kit, a flashlight and spare batteries?
Why ask it
Have them point to each one. A smoke alarm chirping for a new battery at 3 a.m. is a far likelier night than a fire, and it goes better when you know where the batteries and the step stool are. In an apartment, walk to the stairs once so you know the way out without the elevator.
What would you want me to do after a break-in, a storm or serious damage?
Why ask it
Agree the order once you are safe and the emergency services have been called: the owner, the local contact, then the insurer. Write down the insurance company's name and where the policy details are kept, and find out whether they want you to start a claim or only take pictures and wait. Photos before any cleanup are useful either way.
If I break or stain something, would you rather hear that day or when you are home?
Why ask it
Things get broken in a house that is being lived in, and settling this now makes the later message easy to send. Whichever they choose, send a picture with the news and offer to replace it. On a platform sit, look up whether there is a deposit or a claims process before you agree anything between yourselves.
The return
On the day you get home, would you like me here to hand over, or already gone?
Why ask it
Some owners like a handover over coffee and others want to walk into an empty house after a long flight. If you leave before they arrive, work out how long the pets will be alone in the gap. A message when they land tells you whether a delay changes the plan.
Where do the keys go when I leave?
Why ask it
Through the mail slot, into the lockbox or over to the neighbor: decide before the trip, not by text from the airport. If the door locks behind you, do a last lap for your charger and your coat first, because there is no going back in. It is also worth a light check that the owner is traveling with a key of their own.
How would you like to find the house: the bed, the towels, the trash, the fridge?
Why ask it
Strip the bed, remake it with clean sheets, or leave the wash running are three different answers, so get theirs. The working standard is as you found it or a little better, and your day-one photos show what that was. An owner landing late may be glad of milk and bread in the fridge, so offer and settle who pays.
Should I put anything back as it was before I go: the thermostat, the alarm, the timers?
Why ask it
Whatever you changed for your own comfort goes back to their setting. The alarm is the one to pin down, since arming it on your way out only works if whoever arrives next has the code. If you moved furniture or a pet's bed, put it back too.
Would you like a written note of what happened while you were away?
Why ask it
A short log left by the kettle covers what came in the mail, who called by, how the pets ate, what broke and what you spent, with the receipts clipped to it. It answers the owner's questions before a jet-lagged phone call has to. If you are building a record as a sitter, the handover is a natural time to ask for a review or a reference.
How to run the handover before a house sit
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
The walk-through with the owner
Hold it a day or two before they go
An owner with a taxi at the curb answers everything with 'it's all fine, you'll work it out'. Ask for forty minutes in the house on an earlier evening, when they can open the cupboard under the stairs and remember what is in it.
Watch it once, then do it yourself
The alarm, the lock that sticks, the shut-off valve and the thermostat all sound simple when described. Have the owner do each one, then repeat it with them watching. The step they forgot to mention shows up on your turn, not at eleven at night.
Take pictures instead of trusting memory
Photograph the breaker panel, the thermostat as they set it, each plant, the bin schedule on the fridge and every room as it looks on day one. The room pictures matter most at the end, when you are putting the house back the way it was.
Send your notes back that evening
Type up what you wrote and message it to the owner while they are still home. They will correct two or three details, and you will both hold the same list of what was agreed about money, guests and the car.
Which questions matter for which sit
A weekend for a friend
Keys, the lockout plan, the pets, trash day if it falls inside the weekend and the hour they are back will cover it. The insurance and spending questions can shrink to one line: 'if something floods, do I call you or a plumber first?' Keep the emergency contact even for two nights.
Two weeks or longer
Everything under Daily jobs applies, and so does most of If things go wrong. Over a longer stay the mail piles up, the cleaner comes twice, something in the house will need a decision, and the owner will have at least one day without signal. Get the spending figure and the local contact in writing.
A sit arranged through a platform
Read the listing and the platform's own terms before the call, then use the list for what they leave out. Guests, cameras, what coverage exists and how damage is handled are the four to check against the terms and not only against the owner's word. Keep the agreed details in the platform's messages if its terms ask you to.
Drop-in visits only
Agree how many visits a week and what a visit includes, and settle what to say if a caller finds you there. A useful one is a lap of every room, a look at the ceilings under the bathrooms, the mail in, the blinds moved and a tap run. Tell the daytime neighbor which days to expect you.
While you are in the house
Do a slow lap on the first evening
Alone, find the shut-off, the breaker panel and the flashlight again, lock up the way the owner showed you and try your key from the outside. Anything you cannot find or work is a question to send tonight, while the owner is still at an airport gate and reading messages.
Keep to their routine, not yours
Blinds, lights, the side gate and the pets' hours should look the same to the street as they did last week. A sit goes well when nothing about the house tells a passerby that the people who live there are away.
Report small problems early, with a picture
A drip under the sink on Tuesday is a short text and a towel. The same drip reported the day they get home is a swollen cabinet and an uncomfortable conversation. Send the photo, say what you have done, and let them choose the next step.
Keep one running note and every receipt
Date, what happened, what you spent. It takes a minute a day and becomes the page you leave on the counter. It also settles any question about money without either of you relying on memory.
Asks that feel awkward and should not be skipped
Money between friends
Leaving it unsaid does not make it free. One of you ends up feeling used or overcharged. Say what you are expecting, even when that is nothing but the use of the house, and let them answer.
Cameras
Sitters skip this because it sounds like an accusation. Phrase it as logistics: 'so I do not set anything off, where are the cameras and who gets the alerts?' An owner who has them will usually be relieved you raised it first.
Jobs you are not able to do
Pool chemicals, an injection for a diabetic cat, a dog too strong for you on a leash. Turning one down before they leave gives the owner time to arrange a service or a second person. Discovering it on day three leaves you both stuck.
Taking silence for permission
The car, an overnight guest and the food or drink being saved for an occasion are the three that sour a sit afterward. If it was not discussed, send a message and wait for the reply before you go ahead.