Sitterly does not provide insurance
Be very clear about this up front. Sitterly is a non-monetary house-sitting platform. We do not provide pet insurance, home and contents insurance, public liability insurance, professional indemnity insurance, or travel insurance for sitters or homeowners. If you need cover for a specific risk, you need to arrange it yourself. This article explains how.
The Three Main Risks in House Sitting
House sitting carries three categories of risk worth thinking about before each sit:
- Damage to the home or contents, accidental breakage, water damage, fire, theft, or pet-caused damage during your stay
- Injury or illness involving the pet, pet runs off, gets injured, falls ill, or causes injury to someone else (including you)
- Personal harm to you, you slip on the stairs, get sick away from your usual GP, or lose belongings while away from your normal home
Each of these has different insurance solutions, none of which Sitterly provides. Let's walk through them.
Risk 1: Damage to the Home or Contents
What the homeowner's policy usually covers
Most standard Australian home and contents policies cover the homeowner against accidental damage, fire and theft regardless of who is in the property, but only if their insurer has been informed and consented to third-party stays. This is the single most important question to ask the homeowner before a sit: have they confirmed with their insurer that house sitting is permitted under their policy?
Most insurers do permit it. Some require notification. A small number exclude it. The homeowner needs to verify, not you.
Where the gap is
If you damage something deliberately or through negligence, the homeowner's policy may cover repair but their insurer may seek to recover from you (subrogation). For high-value items (artwork, sound equipment, vehicles), make sure you understand what's high-risk and treat it accordingly.
Risk 2: Pet Injury or Pet-Caused Harm
Pet insurance
If the homeowner has pet insurance, vet costs for accidents and illness during your sit are typically covered by their policy. Confirm before the sit: who pays at the vet (the sitter usually pays then is reimbursed, or in some cases the vet bills the homeowner directly), what the policy excess is, and what's specifically excluded.
Pets causing harm to others
If a dog you're walking bites someone, liability typically rests with the owner (under Australian state-by-state animal nuisance legislation) but you can be drawn into the situation. Public liability insurance for sitters exists as a niche product through specialist insurers, search 'pet sitter public liability insurance Australia' if you want to investigate. Most casual sitters don't carry it. Heavy regular sitters sometimes do.
Risk 3: Personal Harm to You
Domestic travel insurance
Most Australian travel insurance is overseas-focused, but several insurers offer domestic policies covering personal injury, lost belongings, and trip cancellation costs. If you're house sitting interstate or for extended periods, this is worth considering. Standard health cover (Medicare or private) handles GP and hospital, but lost belongings and broken phones are not Medicare's problem.
Personal liability cover
Many home and contents policies include a personal liability section that covers you for unintentional damage you cause to someone else's property, even when you're not at home. Check your own policy or your parents' policy if you're under 25 and listed as a dependent. This may be the most overlooked source of cover for casual sitters.
What to Discuss With the Homeowner Before Every Sit
- Have they confirmed with their home insurer that house sitting is permitted under their policy?
- Pet insurance details: insurer, policy number, what's covered, who pays at the vet
- Vet contact details (primary plus emergency after-hours)
- Their preferred protocol if a pet gets sick or injured: call first, treat first, etc.
- Their excess on pet and home policies (so you understand cost exposure)
- Whether they want you driving their car (and if so, what insurance they have)
- Anything specifically excluded from cover (pools, trampolines, certain pet behaviours)
- Their emergency contact (a family member or friend you can reach if they're uncontactable)
What House Sitters in Australia Typically Do (or Don't)
Casual sitters usually rely on (a) the homeowner's home insurance, (b) the homeowner's pet insurance if any, (c) their own existing health cover, and (d) common sense. Heavy or full-time sitters often add domestic travel insurance and confirm their parents' or own home contents policy includes personal liability cover.
Almost no individual house sitters in Australia carry standalone professional indemnity or specific 'pet sitter insurance' policies. The cost is generally not justified for non-monetary house sitting. The exceptions are paid pet sitters (different model, see Mad Paws, Pawshake), professional dog walkers, and people running pet-care small businesses on the side.
What to Do When Something Goes Wrong
- Pet emergency: contact the vet first, then the homeowner. Take the pet to the emergency clinic if needed. Document everything (photos, receipts, time stamps).
- Home damage: photograph the damage, note the time and circumstances, message the homeowner immediately on the platform so there is a clear written record.
- Personal injury: seek medical attention (Medicare or your private cover), retain receipts, then notify the homeowner if it affects the sit.
- Theft or break-in: call the police on 000 if in progress; otherwise report to local police on 131 444. Notify the homeowner immediately.
- Sitter or homeowner conduct concerns: use Sitterly's Report function. We can suspend or remove accounts but cannot mediate financial or insurance disputes.
The Bottom Line
House sitting in Australia is a relatively low-risk activity if both parties prepare properly. The biggest insurance question is almost always whether the homeowner's policy permits third-party stays, and the homeowner is the one who needs to verify it. Beyond that, most casual sitters are adequately covered by existing health insurance and the homeowner's policies. Heavy sitters should consider domestic travel insurance and clarify their existing personal liability cover.
Sitterly will continue to operate as a non-monetary platform without bundling insurance products. We think the right approach is to be transparent about what we do and don't provide, keep our model simple, and let sitters and homeowners make informed decisions about their own cover.
This article provides general information only and is not a substitute for advice from a licensed insurance broker or financial adviser. Insurance policies and ATO positions vary; always read the product disclosure statement and seek qualified advice for your specific situation.
