Staying COVID Safe When House & Pet Sitting

Some parts of the world are gradually starting to ease their travel restrictions and open up again. So people are now starting to plan and take short trips or travel locally to visit family or friends. This opens up the world of house sitting once again, where is it is safe to do so.

In these uncertain times, house sitting in an ongoing pandemic world may raise questions such as, is it is safe to do a house sit? Or homeowners may be wondering is it safe to have a sitter stay in my home?

In general, as long as guidelines are followed and precautions are taken, both parties can still take part in house sitting safely. As we’ve already learnt, there a few new things we need to do now, and extra measures to take, as we continue to adapt to life in our new covid world.

If you are going to house sit during the pandemic, always make sure you follow local government guidance on social distancing and sanitisation.

Consider your Travel Impact - Check Local Restrictions

It is safe to house sit if you take precautions but first consider if it's safe to move or travel where you are, solely for house sitting.

First, check local travel restrictions, government regulations will vary depending on which country you're in and in some places non-essential travel is still restricted or not permitted at all in some cases.

Consider if there is somewhere closer you can house sit? Can you travel a different way that doesn't increase the risk of infection such as by car, taxi or another way that reduces your contact with people?

Can Pets Catch or Spread the Covid virus?

No, not under current advice. While there have been a few isolated cases, there is no evidence that pets can transmit or pass on the virus to people.

There is no evidence of transmission of the Covid-19 virus from domestic animals to humans, and there have been no reported cases in Australia, of the Covid-19 virus, infecting pets, livestock or wildlife.

The World Organisation for Animal Health has also confirmed: “There continues to be no evidence that companion animals have spread the disease”.

It is still advisable and sensible to practice good hand hygiene – such as thoroughly washing your hands with soap and water - when you’re around animals or handling or feeding them.

How to Apply for a House Sit and Communicate Safely with a Homeowner

When the pandemic first hit, we were house sitting in Sydney and one-by-one our booked house sits cancelled on us, as the sudden border closures and travel restrictions started being implemented. For a few months, we didn't house-sit at all and had to adhere to Sydney's local lockdown regulations.

From that point forward, when we were applying for house sitting jobs, we found it helpful if we clarified a few things in the first communication with a homeowner. Just so that house sitter and homeowner could both have some reassurances in these unknown times.

It’s helpful for the homeowner to let the sitter know if their trip is finalised or if it’s tentative, and if they’re travelling domestically or expecting to travel overseas. This will give the sitter an idea of the chances of the trip being cancelled because of travel restrictions.

Sitters should also offer the homeowner reassurances that they will commit to the house sit dates and that they have a plan in place, on how they will travel to the house sit amidst travel restrictions in some places.

The rest of the application process for house sitting jobs remains the same until the interview or meeting stage. Following most countries social distancing guidelines, it's not advisable or sensible to meet new people currently, so it's better to arrange a virtual meeting.

Any pre-house-sit communication or interview can be done via video-calling platforms such as Zoom or Facetime. This includes doing a virtual tour around the house and meeting the pets.

Once you have secured a house-sit, confirm it via the Aussie House Sitters website and send any documents required e.g. checklist, house sitting agreement.
As the impact of the pandemic is causing many people to feel anxious and stressed, the key is for all members to communicate extremely openly and be as understanding and compassionate as possible.

Prepare for a Sit by Cleaning

While homeowners are always asked to make sure their property is left clean and habitable for the house sitter, it’s now recommended that the house or accommodation where the sitter is staying is thoroughly sanitised and disinfected. And the sitter must also do the same when they leave, for the homeowners return.

Some steps that both homeowners and sitters can follow to ensure the home is safe and clean for both parties:

• After a usual clean, wipe down all high-touch surfaces with antibacterial cleaners, such as door handles, power switches, appliances and remote controls. This should be done with a cleaning solution that is at least 70% alcohol content.
• Homeowners should leave a reasonable supply of masks, gloves, antibacterial hand gel, and cleaning products.
  House sitters should also bring some of their own sanitisation supplies, in case more are needed.
• Clean right before you leave, wear personal protective gear when cleaning and try to avoid socialising close to the sit’s start and end dates, so as not to bring further germs into the house before the sitter arrives, or when the homeowner is due to return.

Keeping Safe during a House Sit Handover

As well as the virtual meeting, you can also arrange to do your handovers virtually. Whereas usually during a house sit handover, the homeowner would show the house sitter around the house once more and update the sitter on anything new, this can also be done by Zoom or Facetime before the sitter arrives.

Where possible, homeowners can also leave the keys to the property in a safe place for the sitter to do a contact-free pick-up.

These steps along with an up to date written or digital Welcome Guide should be enough to help the house sitter settle in and stay safe.

What to Bring to the House Sit

House Sitters may want to bring their own supplies and it may be sensible to consider bringing some of the following items for extra reassurance in staying safe:

• Hand Sanitiser
• Antibacterial wipes
• Face Masks
• Gloves
• Containers or Ziploc bags for storing your food
• Own towels & bed linen
• Own eating utensils

Keeping up Communication between House Sitter and Home Owner

As with any house sitting assignment, sitters should ensure they keep up communication with the homeowner, updating them with any pet news and just generally letting them know their home and pets are cared for and things are running smoothly.

Also, because of the stressful situations we now live in, it’s kind to let the homeowner know that you and the pets are all healthy and that you are following the local government guidelines.

Homeowners should let the sitters know if they get ill whilst they’re away and should immediately update the sitter if they are encountering border entry restrictions on their trip. As this may result in the homeowner cutting their trip short, returning early and that will impact the sitter’s accommodation needs.

Make sure you both have a Plan B

Restrictions and border entry rules are ever-changing right now and if the worst-case scenario does happen, it’s smart and necessary for both parties to have a back-up plan or a Plan B.

For sitters, this might mean having a friend to go stay with, or the funds to go stay in an Airbnb if the house sit duration is suddenly cut short.

For homeowners who have fallen ill whilst they’re on their trip or have to return early because of border entry restrictions, this will mean having some understanding and flexibility around the house sitter making alternative accommodation arrangements.

If we work together and remember to be compassionate, flexible and follow the guidelines, we can still take part in the practice of house sitting, happily and safely.

Layla Turner is a Nomadic, Freethinking Travel Addict, International House Sitter, Writer and Travel Blogger. Layla has been travelling for over a decade and has been full-time house sitting for 7 of those years, living the unconventional life and writing/blogging about Long-Term Travel, Budget Travel, House Sitting and Mental Health, Wellness & Mindfulness.

Her passion is exploring and discovering the planet, through long-term, slow, immersive travel - https://alialtravelgal.com.