Homeowner guide

How to vet a house sitter - a homeowner's checklist

Handing your keys to someone new is hard. This is the checklist we'd want any homeowner to run through before a first booking - the same signals that make up a Trusts It profile.

1. 1 -

   Verify their identity

   Ask for a government-issued photo ID and match the name and photo to the profile you're talking to. A verified identity is the bedrock - every other check assumes you know who this person actually is. A portable Trusts It profile shows a checked-and-matched ID badge so you don't have to store or handle the document yourself.

2. 2 -

   Check for a current background check

   A single criminal-record check from years ago isn't enough. Ask when it was last run and by whom. Reputable sitters refresh their background check on a regular cadence and can show you the date. The Trusts It background-check badge carries the date it was last verified.

3. 3 -

   Confirm insurance coverage

   Pet-care and liability insurance protects your home, your animals, and the sitter if something goes wrong on a walk or during care. Ask for the policy type, the coverage limits, and the expiry date. If a sitter can't produce this, treat it as a red flag for anything beyond a short weekend sit.

4. 4 -

   Ask for contactable references

   Testimonials pasted into a profile are easy to fake. Ask for two or three past homeowners you can actually contact by phone or email. A sitter who has done this work will offer references before you ask; one who pushes back or only offers screenshots is worth another look.

5. 5 -

   Look at real, completed sits - not just a star rating

   An average score hides a lot. Ask how many overnight sits the person has done in the last twelve months, in what cities, and with what kinds of animals (a lab is not a diabetic cat). Trusts It attaches reviews to specific completed sits so you can see the actual history, not an aggregated number.

6. 6 -

   Meet before you leave

   The single strongest signal is a real meet-and-greet in your home before your trip. Watch how the sitter interacts with your animals, how they take notes on your routine, and whether they ask the right follow-up questions (medications, allergies, emergency vet). If a sitter won't meet first, don't book.

7. 7 -

   Write down the plan together

   Feeding times, medications, walk routes, house quirks, emergency vet, trusted neighbor, when and how you want daily updates. A good sitter will suggest putting this in writing without being asked. A bad sitter will wave it off as unnecessary.

8. 8 -

   Trust your gut on the small stuff

   Reply speed, tone, the questions they ask about your animals rather than the price - these are the signals that generalize. A sitter who asks about your senior dog's stairs before you bring it up is the kind of sitter you want.