Guests, cameras and keys are not minor details when someone is living in another person's home. The safest approach is plain disclosure before the sit: homeowners explain their rules and devices; sitters explain their needs and boundaries; both decide whether the arrangement is comfortable.
Put these points in the written summary
- Whether any guests are permitted and, if so, who must approve them.
- Whether cameras or monitoring devices exist, where they are and what they are used for.
- How keys, codes, alarms and spare access will be handled.
- Which rooms, storage areas, vehicles or equipment are off limits.
- Whether neighbours, family or tradespeople may visit and how notice will be given.
Respect works both ways
Homeowners are entitled to protect their home and pets. Sitters are entitled to understand the environment they are agreeing to live in. If either person is uncomfortable with the rules, the right answer is to decline before the sit begins.
Add these points to a simple house-sitting agreement, alongside pets, dates and emergency contacts.
