Platform work · starts at $29 – $259

Housesit

Stay in someone's home while they travel, caring for the house and usually their pets — either unpaid in exchange for free accommodation, or paid per night as a local house/pet sitter.

Comment this word on the videoHOUSESITand the Housesit guide gets sent to your DMs

The numbers

Each one links to its source and the day it was checked.

Startup cost

$29 – $259

Source: housesittersguide.com · checked 2026-10-23

Time to first dollar

Days to about 2 months. Members report anything from the first few applications accepted within 24 hours to 20+ applications before a first yes; on Rover add 3–10 business days for the background check before your profile is even live.

Source: forum.trustedhousesitters.com · checked 2026-10-23

Earnings

Low

$30–$40 per night (no-pet or low-cost market; Raleigh averages $38.85)

Typical

$50–$70 per night gross on a paid sit, before the platform's 19–20% cut

High

$100–$150+ per night for specialist, multi-pet or high-needs sits in expensive cities

Source: rover.com · checked 2026-10-23
Corroborated by urbansitter.com

What it is

Housesitting splits into two different businesses that share a name. On TrustedHousesitters, Nomador, MindMyHouse and HouseCarers you pay an annual membership for the right to apply to sits, and no money changes hands — your return is free lodging. On Rover, Pawshake and local private clients you are paid per night to stay at the house and look after the pets, which is where the actual cash income is.

How it works

Pick which version you want

Free-accommodation sits save travel costs but pay $0 cash. Paid sits earn money but are local, competitive, and effectively pet sitting.
Join one platform, not five

Memberships are annual and non-refundable once used. Start with the cheapest that covers your region rather than buying several at once.
Build a profile that substitutes for reviews

Character references from employers or neighbours, photo ID verification, and a willingness to do a video call are what gets a first-timer past the no-reviews problem.
Apply to the unglamorous sits first

Last-minute listings, short stays, local sits and less-touristy areas get far fewer applicants. Popular listings can hit their application cap within an hour.
Pass verification for the paid platforms

Rover requires you to be 18+, pass a background check and complete a safety quiz before your profile goes live; the check takes roughly 3–10 business days.
Do the first sit well and bank the review

Reviews compound on every one of these platforms. The second sit is much easier to win than the first, and repeat clients are how paid sitters stop competing on price.

What you need

A flexible schedule — sits are dated by the homeowner, not by you, and you must be at the house overnight
Comfort with pets, including dogs needing multiple daily walks and animals needing medication
Photo ID and 2–3 character references (employer, neighbour, landlord)
An annual platform membership for free-stay sits, or a passed background check for Rover
For paid sitting: being 18+, a local client base, and in the US a Social Security number for Rover
Your own travel costs — flights and transport are never covered on free-accommodation sits

The gear

Pet first-aid kit

Most sits are pet sits, and you are the responsible adult if the dog cuts a paw at 11pm. Standard kit a sitter is expected to have on hand.

Key lockbox / key safe

For paid local sits where the owner has already left — handover without a face-to-face meeting.

Carry-on / packable bag

Free-accommodation sitters move between houses constantly and pay their own transport, so luggage that avoids checked-bag fees pays for itself.

Liability insurance and a fidelity bond

Not needed on Rover or Pawshake, which cover bookings, but required once you take private paid clients directly: roughly $215–$500/year for $1M general liability.

The catch

The famous housesitting platforms do not pay you. TrustedHousesitters, Nomador, MindMyHouse and HouseCarers are swaps: you pay $29–$259 a year for the right to apply, you cover your own flights and transport, and your entire return is a free bed — it is a travel-cost hack, not income, and you can genuinely spend $129 and earn $0. The version that pays cash is really local overnight pet sitting, where Rover takes 20% (25% in California), Pawshake takes 19%, and you are competing against sitters who already have dozens of reviews. Either way you are tied to someone else's house and animals for the whole booking: no going away for the weekend, early walks, vet emergencies, and a new sitter with no reviews may send 20+ applications before anyone says yes.

Where the work is

TrustedHousesitters

Rover

Nomador

MindMyHouse

HouseCarers

Pawshake

Every number on this page

19 facts, each with its source and the day it was checked.

TrustedHousesitters sitter membership, annual (US), plus per-sit booking fee

$129 (Basic) / $169 (Standard) / $259 (Premium) per year; Basic and Standard also pay $12 per confirmed sit, Premium pays none

confidence: medium

Source: housesittersguide.com · checked 2026-10-23

Cheapest credible free-stay membership (MindMyHouse sitter fee)

$29 USD per year, no booking fee, no auto-renewal

confidence: high

Source: housesittersguide.com · checked 2026-10-23

Rover average house-sitting rate, New York City (platform's own listing data)

$67 per night as of October 2026; most bookings $33–$111 per night

confidence: high

Source: rover.com · checked 2026-10-23

Rover average house-sitting rate, Raleigh NC (lower-cost market)

$38.85 per night as of September 2026

confidence: high

Source: rover.com · checked 2026-10-23

Rover average house-sitting rate, Seattle

$61 per night as of October 2026; most bookings $31–$122 per night

confidence: high

Source: rover.com · checked 2026-10-23

Rover's cut of each booking

20% service fee in most US states; 25% in California and on RoverGO

confidence: medium

Source: sidehustles.com · checked 2026-10-23

Pawshake sitter registration cost and commission

Free to register, no subscription fee; Pawshake keeps 19% so the sitter receives 81% of the advertised price

confidence: high

Source: support.pawshake.com · checked 2026-10-23

Typical paid US house-sitting day rates by sit type

$40–$100 per day for one or two pets; $30–$50 for basic no-pet sits; $100–$150+ for specialist or high-needs sits

confidence: medium

Source: housesittersguide.com · checked 2026-10-23

Nomador membership tiers (official pricing page)

Discovery €89/year (or €34 for 3 months); Standard €149/year; Premium €189/year

confidence: high

Source: nomador.com · checked 2026-10-23

HouseCarers sitter membership

~$50 USD for 12 months plus a bonus 31 days; homeowner standard membership is free

confidence: medium

Source: housesittersguide.com · checked 2026-10-23

Applications a reviewless sitter needs before landing a first sit (member-reported, anecdotal)

Anywhere from the first 4 applications accepted inside 24 hours to 20+ applications before one acceptance

confidence: low

Source: forum.trustedhousesitters.com · checked 2026-10-23

Rover onboarding fee for a new sitter (background check / profile review)

Reported as a one-time $49–$79 profile review fee, with the basic check ~$10 and enhanced check ~$35; varies by location

confidence: low

Source: petcareins.com · checked 2026-10-23

TrustedHousesitters affiliate payout, US program, as listed on the network

$28 per sale, 30-day cookie

confidence: medium

Source: flexoffers.com · checked 2026-10-23

HouseCarers affiliate commission as published by HouseCarers

60% commission on referred sign-ups via ClickBank; tracked for customers who upgrade to full membership within 90 days

confidence: medium

Source: housecarers.com · checked 2026-10-23

TrustedHousesitters affiliate eligibility bar (official affiliate page)

At least 5,000 social followers or 5,000 monthly site visits, plus affiliate/influencer/content experience; tracked through Impact.com

confidence: medium

Source: trustedhousesitters.com · checked 2026-10-23

MindMyHouse referral scheme (pays in membership, not cash)

Referred friend gets 50% off the membership price; referrer gets 3 months added per new friend who joins

confidence: high

Source: mindmyhouse.com · checked 2026-10-23

No cash changes hands on TrustedHousesitters-style sits (platform's own app listing)

No money changes hands between members; sitters do not charge

confidence: medium

Source: play.google.com · checked 2026-10-23

Liability insurance cost if you go professional rather than platform-only

$215–$500 per year for $1M general liability for a solo sitter

confidence: medium

Source: caninecabcompany.com · checked 2026-10-23

Pet Sitters International membership (optional professional route; insurance not included)

$155 USD/year for US members plus a $5 application fee; $85 USD international

confidence: medium

Source: petsit.com · checked 2026-10-23

Researched 2026-10-23. Back to every hustle