Sitter guide
Pet sitting insurance
Insurance is the difference between a bad day and a bill you cannot pay. It is also one of the three things a homeowner checks before handing over keys, alongside identity and references. Here is what cover actually means for house and pet sitters, and how to prove you have it.
What the cover types mean
Public or general liability
Covers injury to other people or damage to their property while you are working. This is the base layer most policies start with, and it is the one homeowners and letting agents usually ask to see.
Care, custody and control
Covers the animals and the home you are looking after. Standard liability often excludes property in your care, so without this extension a lost dog, an injured cat, or a flooded kitchen may not be covered. For sitters this is the most important clause to check.
Key cover
Covers the cost of replacing keys and locks if the set you hold is lost or stolen. Small in value, but it is the loss that happens most often.
Veterinary fees for accidents in your care
Some policies contribute towards emergency vet costs when an animal is hurt on your watch, before any argument about fault. Check the limit per incident, not just the annual total.
Personal accident and equipment
Covers you if you are injured on a sit, and covers gear like leads, crates, or a bike used for walks. Optional for most sitters, useful if sitting is your main income.
Questions to ask before you buy
- Does the policy include care, custody and control, or only third party liability?
- What is the limit per claim, and is there a separate limit per animal?
- Are overnight stays in the client's home included, or only daytime visits?
- Are there breed, species, or animal number exclusions?
- Does it cover you in the countries where you actually sit?
- What is the excess, and who pays the vet up front?
What it typically costs
Pricing depends on your country, whether you sit full time, and how much care custody and control cover you add. Independent sitter policies are usually sold as an annual premium with an option to pay monthly, and specialist pet care insurers price lower than general business insurers because they understand the risk. Get two or three quotes from pet care specialists rather than accepting the first general liability policy you find, and confirm in writing that animals in your care are covered.
Why insurance is a trust signal
A homeowner cannot inspect your competence in a fifteen minute meet and greet. What they can check is whether an insurer was willing to cover you, whether the policy is current, and whether the dates line up with the sit. That is why insurance sits alongside verified identity and written references as one of the core signals on a Trusts It profile: policy type, insurer, and expiry date on one link you can send to any client, on any platform or none.
Put your cover on your profile
New to sitting? Start with our guide to becoming a house sitter. Hiring one? Read the guide to vetting a house sitter to see how insurance fits into the full check.
See how Trusts It profiles work