HOW TO HIRE · PETS

How to hire a pet sitter in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Pet sitters are individuals, and no licence applies. Here is what to check and what to write down.

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TWO WAYS TO BUY THIS

Which do you need?

An individual sitter, by the hour or the visit

One person who comes to your home at the times you agree and follows your instructions for the animals. Right for a cat, a rabbit or a calm dog over a few days.

A pet sitting business, for the job

A team with backup sitters, insurance in the business name and a written booking that sets out every visit. Right for a long holiday, several animals or a pet on medication that cannot miss a dose.

What changes between them

A rate per hour or visit against a price for the whole booking; one sitter against whoever the business sends; your instructions against a written schedule; and VAT, which a registered business adds at 20% and an individual under £90,000 does not.

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a pet sitter in five steps

  1. Meet the sitterAt home, with your pets, before the booking.
  2. Write the care sheetFeeding, walks, medication, habits, vet details.
  3. Agree the timeVisits or time spent per day, and what each includes.
  4. Sort keys and accessLabelled without your address, alarm codes, an emergency contact.
  5. Agree updates and emergenciesHow you will hear, and what the sitter does if a pet is ill.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

A pet sitter visiting your home needs no licence in any UK nation. The animal licensing schemes cover businesses that house other people's animals; Defra's guidance for England names sitters and walkers working in the owner's home as outside them.

Ask for references from regular clients and meet before the first booking. gov.uk →

Keys, alarm and access

A pet sitter will hold your keys and alarm code. Ask how they keep them, whether the keys are tagged without your address, and whether their insurance pays to change the locks if keys are lost.

Put key and alarm arrangements in the booking message.

Animal welfare law

The welfare law follows the animal, not the owner. In England and Wales the Animal Welfare Act 2006 treats anyone in charge of an animal, even for a day, as responsible for its needs; Scotland's Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 and Northern Ireland's Welfare of Animals Act 2011 impose the same kind of duty on a pet sitter.

Ask for their emergency plan and which vet they would call for your pet. legislation.gov.uk →

Insurance

There is no compulsory insurance for a pet sitter. A professional will carry public liability and cover for the animals they look after, and can tell you the insurer's name and what happens if your pet is injured.

Ask for a copy of the insurance schedule.

VAT

Pet sitting is standard-rated at 20% when the sitter or the business is VAT-registered. An individual sitter under the £90,000 registration threshold charges no VAT and has no VAT number to give; a pet sitting business over it must charge VAT and show it separately.

Ask whether the sitter is registered: if so, ask for the VAT number and see the 20% on its own line; an individual sitting pets under £90,000 a year adds none. gov.uk →

“Have you cared for pets like mine?”

A good answer: Experience with your animals — a nervous dog, an elderly cat, rabbits.

“What does a day of pet sitting include?”

A good answer: Visits or hours, walks, feeding, cleaning, company.

“Can the pet sitter give medication?”

A good answer: Yes, if shown, and recorded.

“Are you insured as a pet sitter?”

A good answer: Yes, named insurer, including keys.

“What would you do in an emergency?”

A good answer: Call your vet, then you; a clear plan.

“Who covers if you are ill?”

A good answer: A named backup.

“Can I speak to other pet owners you sit for?”

A good answer: Yes.

Getting the quote right

  • Who actually attends your animals — the sitter you met, or cover from the business, employed or subcontracted
  • The VAT number if the sitter or business is registered, with VAT on the sitting shown separately
  • Day rate or price per visit, and the time spent on each
  • Booked by the hour instead: the rate per hour, the minimum booking, and the tasks listed before the first visit
  • Extra pets, medication and holiday rates
  • Cancellation terms, both ways

Walk away if

  • No meeting before the booking
  • No insurance
  • Vague about walks or time spent
  • No emergency plan
LOW
£16
TYPICAL
£30
HIGH
£50

What a pet sitter costs: £16–£50 per day

Pet sitting is priced by the day or by the visit, by the time spent and the number of animals, with medication and holiday dates extra. Pet Sitting price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Pet sitters near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you, or book by the hour.

  1. MeetThe sitter meets you and your pets.
  2. HandoverKeys, care sheet and vet details.
  3. CareFeeding, walks, play and cleaning as agreed.
  4. UpdatesMessages or photos at the agreed times.
  5. ReturnKeys back and a summary.

Pet sitter
An individual caring for pets in your home.
Day rate
The price for a day of care.
Drop-in visit
A short visit to feed and check.
Care sheet
Your written instructions.
Backup sitter
Cover if your sitter cannot come.
Key cover
Insurance for lost keys.

AFTER

When the job is done

Read the logTimes, walks, food and anything unusual.
Check your petsEating, energy and mood in the first day.
Get the keys backAll copies.
Review and make-it-rightLocufy's reviews are tied to real bookings. Rate it under four stars and the sitter is invited to fix the problem before your review goes up.

STEP 1Tell the pet sitter, in writingSay what went wrong and what you want. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the sitter must provide the service with reasonable care and skill.
STEP 2The Locufy make-it-right stepBelow four stars, you decide whether the complaint about the pet sitter goes to the sitter first. We follow it through, and then you review.
STEP 3Trading Standards, through the helplineThere is no licensing body for a pet sitter. If the sitter will not put things right, the consumer helpline for your nation can refer it to Trading Standards — Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, and Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Small claimsIf the pet sitter still is not settled, the limits are £10,000 in England and Wales (small claims track), £5,000 in Scotland (simple procedure) and £5,000 in Northern Ireland (small claims court). Keep every message and invoice as evidence.

Hiring a pet sitter: questions people ask

No. No licence applies to pet sitting in your own home in any UK nation; Defra's guidance for England says sitters working in the owner's home need none.

None is compulsory; public liability, care of animals and key cover are normal.

The sitter, while in charge. Welfare law in each nation requires them to meet the animals' needs.

Expect £16–£50 per day, around £30 on average. Our pet sitting price guide has the detail, and your postcode above brings up pet sitters close to you.

That is boarding, not sitting, and in England needs a home boarding licence.

Tell the sitter in writing. What the law does require is reasonable care and skill, under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in pets

How to hire: House Sitting with PetsHow to hire: Cat SittingHow to hire: Dog WalkingHow to hire: Puppy VisitsHow to hire: Small Animal CareHow to hire: Bird CareHow to hire: Reptile CareHow to hire: Pet BoardingAll 701 hiring guides →

Pet sitters near you

Pet sitters in LondonPet sitters in ManchesterPet sitters in BirminghamPet sitters in GlasgowPet sitters in BelfastAll pet sitters on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk (Defra) — dog day care licensing guidance
  2. Animal Welfare Act 2006, section 3 — responsibility for animals
  3. Animal Welfare Act 2006, section 9 — duty to ensure welfare
  4. Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, section 24
  5. Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011, section 9
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  7. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  8. mygov.scot — make a court claim for money
  9. nidirect — small claims process
  10. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  11. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register