Which House Sitting Website Should I Use in Australia?

Choose the website that gives you a realistic way to find a suitable person for your dates, with costs and responsibilities you understand. Start by deciding whether you want an accommodation exchange or a paid pet care booking. A cheap membership on the wrong type of service will not solve your care problem.

This guide is published by Sitterly, one of the platforms compared.

There is no single website that is best for every owner. An owner with three animals, a spare bedroom and a month away has a different search from someone needing two cat visits next weekend. Compare the service you need before comparing brand names.

First, separate exchanges from paid care

On an exchange, the sitter stays in your home in return for agreed care. There may be a platform membership or booking fee even though there is no nightly payment to the sitter. On a paid marketplace, you hire a sitter for a priced service, which may include visits, boarding or an overnight stay.

If you want someone living at your address, exchange sites are worth investigating. If you need visits or want your pet to stay elsewhere, look at providers of those services. Do not assume a search result for "pet sitting" describes the arrangement you have in mind.

What owners pay: check the actual joining page

These owner-side fees were read from each platform's own pages on 25 October 2026. They are not promises that a sitter will be available.

Sources: Sitterly, Aussie House Sitters' owner page, Mindahome, Happy House Sitters' FAQ and TrustedHousesitters' booking fee explainer.

TrustedHousesitters states its booking fee as £9 or $12 "or local equivalent", so check the Australian figure at checkout rather than converting it yourself. Do not compare a sitter subscription with a homeowner fee, because they are different purchases. Check the current joining page rather than relying on an old review, and if an annual subscription is involved, read the renewal and cancellation terms before paying.

Look for people who fit your trip

Look at relevant profiles or publicly available listings before committing. Think about your area, dates, pets and practical requirements. A platform's total member count is less useful than whether appropriate people can realistically take your sit.

For example, someone visiting your region may be a good fit for a longer exchange. A local paid sitter may be more practical for recurring short visits. Neither is automatically better, because they solve different problems. Ask directly about availability instead of reading an active profile as a confirmed booking.

Understand what each trust feature proves

A confirmed email, an identity check, a reference, a review and a police check are different pieces of information. Ask what a badge means, who checked it and whether it is current. No badge tells you how someone will manage your particular animal.

On Sitterly, every member confirms their email address before creating a profile or a listing, and that is the only check Sitterly makes. Sitters can show References available and share the details in messages. Sitterly does not vet members, supervise sits or provide insurance.

Read each platform's own description of support, cancellation help and any protection product, and check eligibility and exclusions before relying on it. Do not treat a marketing reference to a "guarantee" as a promise that every incident, bill or cancelled sit is covered.

Whatever website you choose, discuss relevant experience, meet where practical and record the arrangement. Our guide to finding a house sitter you can trust covers those owner checks. They remain worthwhile even when a platform has its own screening process.

Check any platform in ten minutes before you pay

1. Search your suburb, not your city. Randwick rather than Sydney, Glenelg rather than Adelaide.
2. Count only the listings that are genuinely current, and check their dates. Expired ads pad these sites.
3. Find the price without starting a signup.
4. Read the cancellation clause in the terms, not the reassurance on the homepage.
5. Ask what verification means there: what is checked, by whom, when, and whether it covers every member or only those who opt in.
6. Message one person and time the reply. Sitterly shows a reply rating from 1 to 5 on profiles for this reason, and elsewhere an unanswered first message is your data point.

Make your shortlist around one clear requirement

Write a sentence such as: "I need someone staying in my home with two cats from these dates, comfortable with this routine." Use it to rule out unsuitable services, then compare two or three realistic options on total cost, fit and terms. If you are comparing paid marketplaces, read Pawshake versus Mad Paws.

Try the exchange with your own dates

If you want to try an accommodation exchange, list your home on Sitterly and explain your dates and needs. Keep a backup until you have agreed a suitable arrangement. Joining any website is the start of the search, not confirmation of care.