It covers the overnight house sitting you book with me, including the meet-and-greet, key handover, the overnight stay in your home, and the morning handover update.
If you’ve accepted a proposal or booking confirmation from me, that and this contract belong together. If something isn’t written down in one of those places, assume it isn’t included and ask before you rely on it.
What you are booking
One session of overnight house sitting is one night in your home, starting in the evening and ending the next morning, with an evening walk and a morning walk if your dog needs them, plus feeding and routine medication you’ve shown me. The dates, address, pets, and the number of nights you’ve booked are the ones written in your accepted proposal or booking confirmation.
Payment
Overnight house sitting is paid in advance. If you book a single session, it is paid when you book it. If you buy a pack of sessions, the pack is paid before its first session.
I’ll send an invoice for the amount agreed in your proposal or booking confirmation. Each invoice is payable within 14 days of its date. If you need me to split nights across more than one invoice, tell me before you confirm the booking so I can put it in writing.
Changes and cancellations
If you need to cancel, change dates, or cut a stay short, tell me as soon as you can so I have a fair chance to refill the nights. My cancellation notice window, and any late-cancellation or no-show fee, are set by me and I confirm them in writing at booking.
If you cancel inside that notice window, or if I arrive and can’t start the stay because I can’t get in (for example the wrong key or a dead lockbox battery), it may be treated as a late cancellation. If I have to cancel for my own reasons, I’ll tell you as early as I can and refund any nights you’ve already paid for that I can’t cover.
Using a pack
If you buy a pack, I hold a set number of overnight house sitting sessions for you to book from. Nights are only reserved once we agree the dates in writing. If you ask for dates that are already taken, I’ll offer other options where I can, but I can’t promise availability.
Whether unused sessions carry over, whether a pack expires, and when I can offer a refund are all set by me and confirmed in writing when you buy the pack. In general, once a pack has started, refunds are limited because I’ve kept capacity aside for you, but I will always be straightforward about what I can do.
Normal risks
House and pet sitting is hands-on work in a real home, with real-world conditions like steep stairs, slick sidewalks in fog, loud street noise, and dogs reacting to unfamiliar sounds. You’re booking overnight house sitting knowing those everyday risks exist, even when I’m careful and follow your routine.
I’m responsible for doing the work with reasonable care. This contract is not a promise that nothing will ever go wrong, and it does not cover anything caused by my carelessness. If there’s a near miss or an incident, I’ll tell you what happened and what I did about it as soon as I can.
Your pet’s care
You agree your pet is safe for me to handle and is up to date on routine protections appropriate for a dog who goes outside. Before the first night, you tell me anything that affects handling and safety, including barking patterns, reactivity to other dogs, fear of stairs, bite history, escape habits, and what helps them settle.
You give me permission to seek urgent veterinary care if waiting risks your pet. For urgent situations, I contact a vet first and message you as soon as I can with what is happening and what they advise. For non-urgent concerns, I message you first with options. Vet bills, treatment costs, and related travel costs are yours to cover.
Keys and access
I only confirm overnight house sitting after a meet-and-greet in your home. Before the first night, I do a key pickup and entry test so I know the key works, the lock turns smoothly, and I can get in and out without bothering neighbours. Key return is in-person or via lockbox, as we agree in writing.
You tell me who else may be in the home during the stay (for example a cleaner, neighbour, family member, or building staff), and when. If I arrive at the agreed time and I cannot get in, I will contact you straight away. If I still can’t access the home in time to safely care for your pet, it may count as a missed session and I may need to leave to protect other commitments.
What I’m not providing
I’m a house sitter, not a vet or a trainer. I can follow your written care instructions, keep routines steady, administer routine medication you’ve shown me, and do the agreed walks as safely as conditions allow.
I can’t diagnose health issues, change behaviour on purpose, or guarantee outcomes like “no barking”, “no anxiety”, or “perfect leash manners” during a stay. If your pet needs medical advice or a training plan, you should use the right professional. If you tell me what your vet or trainer wants you to do, I can usually support that during the nights I’m there.
Ending the arrangement
You can end this arrangement by telling me in writing. Any notice period, and how it affects fees or refunds for sessions already paid for, follows the cancellation approach I’ve confirmed with you in writing for that booking or pack.
I can also stop providing overnight house sitting if your conduct, your pet’s behaviour, or home conditions make the stay unsafe or not workable in practice. Examples include aggressive behaviour I wasn’t told about, unsafe building access, or being asked to do things outside what we agreed. If that happens, I’ll explain why, I’ll tell you what I’ve already done for the nights paid, and I’ll return any prepaid amount for nights I have not provided, unless the reason is a no-show or access failure covered under the cancellation terms.
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