Does housesitting include overnight stays?

Mary,

You are right to expect it. However, there is a wide range of interpretation among Rover sitters about what constitutes house sitting. Some will move in, like Lisa described., but also do drop-ins and walks for other dogs using your home as a base of operation. Others may only be there from 7 pm to 7 am and have regular full-time jobs. Some will check in on the dog in the middle of the day; some may charge you extra for a drop-in visit or walk. So it is always good to go over your expectations with the potential sitter.

IMO true house sitting is a premium-type service and customers should expect to pay a premium fee for someone staying over at their home and providing that level of security and care for the absent owner.

I have a flexible schedule, so I give my clients the choice of boarding at my home, or sitting at their house. So far all clients are ok with just staying at their home in the evening to morning, and then bringing dog back to my house for the day. I charge one fee. If they have a loner dog, then I will stay at their house. I charge extra for walks, pick up /drop off etc. I have them decide, and know upfront to book extra services. I keep my main fee down so I am competitive in my area ,and if they want extras, the client can decide what those are. The most important is to inform and communicate up front what your offering, and know what they are expecting ,and book from that. I have had one person want me to sit at their house 10-4 every day,and include walks and hiking, and take the dog back to my house etc...but in reality, it became to much, and was not feasible.I told them that they were actually wanting multiple services, and let them know my services and prices. Make sure what you agree to is feasible ,and doable for you, and your company, or you will have unhappy clients.

Typically yes, sitters will stay in your home overnight. Most arrive in the evening and leave again in the morning, many will also stop in mid-day to give the pups a potty break or short walk. However, since all Rover sitters are independent contractors they set their own rules of care and hours spent in your home. The fine details should be discussed with and agreed upon with any sitter you choose for house sitting services. Best of luck in finding the perfect sitter for you and your pups.

If you are booking "house sitting", then yes, the sitter should be staying overnight and be at your home most of the day. The sitter is essentially "living" in your house for the duration of your booking. But as Walt stated each Rover sitter has their own schedules and processes. It's important when you contact sitters to ensure that you know your expectations and can confirm they can commit to those expectations. I no longer do house sitting because of my boarding commitments but when I sat I was at my client's home 24/7 with the dog, unless I was running errands or had a prior commitment. In those cases I let the client know prior to booking when I knew I'd be gone and made sure they knew I'd have to go to the grocery store or run other errands.

If you don't want your sitter to stay overnight and you book house sitting you should make that clear when you contact them. You can also consider requesting "drop ins" instead.

Good luck!