How to Prepare Your Home for an Overnight Pet Sitter
Keep the existing URL:
/dog-walking-by-deek-chambes/pet-and-house-sitting/a-home-owners-checklist/
Use this WordPress title:
How to Prepare Your Home for an Overnight Pet Sitter
Updated August 2026
When someone stays in your home to care for your pets, they need more than food instructions and a front-door key.
They also need to understand how your home works.
Clear household information allows your pet sitter to concentrate on your animals rather than spending the first evening trying to operate the alarm, find the towels or work out why the heating has switched off.
This guide focuses specifically on preparing your home for overnight house sitting.
For detailed advice about feeding, medication, veterinary arrangements and pet routines, use my Pet Sitter Preparation Checklist.
You can also read about my House Sitting and In-Home Pet Care service.
Quick home-preparation checklist
Before leaving, make sure your sitter knows:
- How to enter and lock the property
- How the alarm works
- Where they will sleep
- Which bathroom they should use
- How the heating and hot water work
- Where clean towels and bedding are kept
- Which cameras and recording devices are active
- Who else may enter the property
- Where household cleaning supplies are stored
- How bins, post and deliveries should be handled
- Where the fuse box and stopcock are located
- Who to contact about a household emergency
- Which rooms or possessions are private
- What to do if your return is delayed
Walk through these arrangements during the meet-and-greet rather than leaving everything to a handwritten note on the day you travel.
Test the keys before you leave
Do not assume that a key works because it has been sitting in a drawer for several years.
Test every key from outside the property.
Check:
- Front and back doors
- Communal entrances
- Side gates
- Garage or garden access
- Entry fobs
- Internal security doors
- Key safes
Show your sitter whether any lock:
- Needs lifting before turning
- Sticks in cold weather
- Must be locked from inside
- Requires more than one turn
- Has a separate deadlock
- Can accidentally lock someone out
Where a key safe is used, test the code and make sure the mechanism opens reliably.
A trusted neighbour or local emergency contact may hold a spare key, but confirm this with them before travelling.
Explain the alarm clearly
Go through the alarm process in person.
Leave simple written instructions covering:
- The alarm code
- Entry and exit delays
- Which doors activate it
- Whether pets trigger movement sensors
- How to silence an accidental activation
- The alarm company’s contact details
- Any password or security question
- Who should be contacted when the alarm cannot be reset
Do not hide the instructions somewhere so secure that the sitter cannot find them.
Avoid changing the code immediately before the booking unless your sitter has been told and the new code has been tested.
Disclose all cameras and recording devices
Tell your sitter about every active camera or recording device before the booking begins.
This includes:
- Video doorbells
- Outdoor security cameras
- Indoor pet cameras
- Baby monitors
- Smart displays
- Audio-recording devices
- Devices that can be activated remotely
- Cameras that follow movement
Explain:
- Where each device is located
- Whether audio is recorded
- Whether it remains active overnight
- Who can view the footage
- Whether it sends alerts
- Whether anyone else has access
There must not be cameras in bathrooms, bedrooms or other private areas provided for the sitter.
Secret recording damages trust and may cause a booking to end.
The Information Commissioner’s Office provides useful information about domestic cameras, privacy and recording beyond your property boundary. Read the official ICO guidance on home CCTV systems. (ICO)
My own camera and privacy requirements are explained in Finchley Dog Walker Policies and Professional Standards.
Prepare a clean sleeping area
For an overnight booking, confirm which room the sitter will use.
Provide:
- A clean bed
- Fresh bedding
- A suitable pillow
- Space for a small bag
- A working bedside light
- Access to a plug socket
- A comfortable room temperature
- Curtains or blinds that close properly
Explain whether your pets normally:
- Sleep in that room
- Sleep on the bed
- Move around the house overnight
- Need a late toilet break
- Bark at outdoor noises
- Wake early
- Need doors left open
Do not assume that a sitter will share a bed with your dog or cat.
Sleeping arrangements must be discussed before the booking.
Remove personal paperwork, medication, valuables or anything else you would prefer the sitter not to encounter.
Prepare the bathroom
Show your sitter which bathroom they should use.
Leave:
- A clean towel
- Toilet paper
- Hand soap
- Clear shower instructions where needed
- Somewhere to place toiletries
- Information about any unreliable taps, locks or plumbing
Tell the sitter when:
- Hot water takes a long time to arrive
- The shower requires a particular setting
- A toilet has a faulty flush
- A door lock is unreliable
- A bathroom window should remain closed
A sitter should not discover a known plumbing problem after you have left the country.
Make space in the kitchen
An overnight sitter needs reasonable access to the kitchen.
Leave enough room in the fridge for their food and make clear:
- Which shelves they may use
- Whether they can use the cooker
- How the oven or hob works
- Where mugs, plates and cutlery are kept
- Whether any appliance is faulty
- Which food is intended for the pets
- Which items should not be used
- How household recycling works
Pet food should be clearly separated from food intended for people.
Remove spoiled food and empty bins that may smell or attract pets.
The home does not need to be prepared like a holiday rental, but the sitter should be able to make a meal, store food and keep the kitchen hygienic.
Explain the heating and hot water
Show your sitter:
- The thermostat
- Heating controls
- Boiler controls
- Hot-water controls
- Normal temperature settings
- Any timer or schedule
- How to increase or reduce the heat
- What to do if the system stops working
Leave the contact details for an appropriate person, such as:
- Your landlord
- Managing agent
- Home-emergency provider
- Trusted plumber
- Local family member
Do not expect the pet sitter to repair, reset or dismantle heating equipment.
Your sitter should know what to do to keep your animals safe while the problem is reported.
During very hot or cold conditions, my care may also be affected by my Extreme Weather Policy.
Check smoke, heat and carbon-monoxide alarms
Check that your alarms appear to be working before you leave and explain what your sitter should do when an alarm sounds.
Show them:
- The normal exit route
- Where the pets’ leads or carriers are kept
- Where outside keys are stored
- The agreed outdoor meeting point
- Whether any door needs a key to open from inside
London Fire Brigade advises that appropriate smoke and heat alarms provide vital early warning and that heat alarms are more suitable than smoke alarms in kitchens. Read its home smoke and heat alarm guidance. (London Fire Brigade)
Do not leave a sitter in a property with a known faulty alarm.
Provide Wi-Fi information
Leave the correct:
- Network name
- Password
- Instructions for any guest network
- Router location
- Basic restart instructions
Reliable Wi-Fi helps with:
- Contacting you
- Sending photographs and updates
- Accessing care information
- Checking travel or weather information
- Making calls where mobile reception is weak
Do not expect the sitter to reconfigure your internet equipment or contact your provider unless this has been agreed.
Tell your sitter who may enter
List everyone who may visit or enter the home during the booking.
This may include:
- Cleaners
- Gardeners
- Family members
- Neighbours
- Contractors
- Dog walkers
- Delivery services
- Landlords
- Managing agents
- Other pet carers
Provide:
- Their name
- Expected date
- Approximate time
- Reason for entering
- Whether they have a key
- Which rooms they may access
Unexpected entry can frighten pets and place the sitter in an uncomfortable or unsafe situation.
Do not arrange another person to enter without informing the sitter.
Where several people have access, make clear who is responsible for locking doors and checking the pets afterwards.
Identify known household faults
Tell your sitter about anything that does not work normally.
For example:
- A gate that does not latch
- A window that does not lock
- A sticking door
- A toilet that blocks
- A leaking tap
- A faulty appliance
- A loose fence panel
- An unreliable light
- A garage door that opens unexpectedly
- A room a pet can escape from
Do not assume a minor fault is obvious.
A loose gate may be a small inconvenience to you but a serious escape risk for a nervous dog.
Where a fault creates a significant risk, arrange a repair before the booking.
Show the fuse box and water stopcock
Your sitter does not need to become a household-maintenance expert.
However, it is useful for them to know:
- Where the fuse box is
- Where the main water stopcock is
- Who to call after a power cut or leak
- Whether any circuit regularly trips
- Which appliances should be left switched on
- Whether a freezer contains pet food or medication
Leave clear instructions about what the sitter should and should not attempt.
Their role is to report and limit an obvious problem where it is safe, not to perform repairs.
Bins and household waste
Explain:
- Collection days
- Which bin is used for each type of waste
- Where bins are stored
- Whether a gate must be opened
- Where pet waste should be placed
- Whether bins need bringing back in
Leave sufficient:
- Bin liners
- Dog-waste bags
- Litter bags
- Food-waste bags
- Suitable cleaning products
A simple bin task may be agreed as part of house sitting.
Managing excessive rubbish, building waste or a complicated collection system is not automatically included.
Post and deliveries
Tell your sitter:
- Where post should be placed
- Whether parcels may be accepted
- Whether anything important is expected
- Whether refrigerated pet food is arriving
- Whether neighbours collect parcels
- Whether deliveries should be refused
- Whether anyone has permission to enter a porch or hallway
A sitter cannot guarantee that they will be present for every delivery.
Avoid arranging expensive, fragile or time-sensitive deliveries without discussing them first.
Plant care
I may water a reasonable number of suitable indoor plants where this has been agreed.
Leave:
- Clear instructions
- A suitable watering container
- Information about plants that should not be watered
- Pots with appropriate drainage and saucers
- Safe access
- Any pet-related restrictions
Pet care remains the priority.
I cannot guarantee plant survival or provide specialist gardening, greenhouse care or management of a large plant collection.
Respect private areas
Tell your sitter which rooms or cupboards are private.
Close or lock areas that are not needed for:
- Pet care
- Sleeping
- Washing
- Food preparation
- Household access
- Emergencies
Avoid leaving valuables, confidential paperwork or irreplaceable belongings in shared areas.
Clear boundaries are more comfortable for everyone than expecting a sitter to guess where they are allowed to go.
Leave one set of clear household instructions
Avoid leaving:
- Several contradictory notes
- Old instructions from previous bookings
- Alarm codes on loose scraps of paper
- Unlabelled keys
- Different instructions from different family members
- Important information hidden among pet-care notes
Keep the essential household information in one place.
A simple folder may contain:
- Access instructions
- Alarm information
- Heating and hot-water guidance
- Wi-Fi details
- Household emergency contacts
- Visitor information
- Bin arrangements
- Your expected return details
Detailed feeding, medication and veterinary information should remain in your separate pet-care instructions.
Use my complete Pet Sitter Preparation Checklist to make sure those details are covered.
What happens when your return is delayed?
Contact your sitter as soon as you know your plans have changed.
Confirm:
- Your revised arrival time
- Whether another night is required
- Whether pet food or medication will run short
- Whether your emergency contact can help
- Whether keys should be retained
- Whether any household appointment needs changing
An extension is subject to availability.
The sitter may already have another confirmed booking.
Leave enough food, medication and essential supplies to cover a reasonable travel delay.
Final home checklist
Before you leave, confirm that:
Access and security
- Keys have been tested
- The alarm has been explained
- Key-safe details are correct
- Gates and windows are secure
- Backup access is available
Overnight arrangements
- The bed is clean
- Towels are provided
- The bathroom is ready
- Kitchen space is available
- Wi-Fi details are correct
Household safety
- Cameras have been disclosed
- Visitors have been listed
- Known faults have been explained
- Alarms appear to work
- The fuse box and stopcock have been identified
- Emergency property contacts are available
Practical arrangements
- Heating instructions are clear
- Bins have been explained
- Post and delivery arrangements are clear
- Plant instructions are available
- Private areas have been identified
- Your return and delay plan is understood
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to clean my house before a pet sitter stays?
Your home does not need to be perfect.
It should be safe, reasonably clean and suitable for someone to sleep, wash, prepare food and care for your pets.
Should I leave food for the sitter?
You do not normally need to provide meals unless this has been agreed.
You should provide reasonable fridge and cupboard space so the sitter can bring their own food.
Should I disclose pet cameras?
Yes.
All active cameras and audio-recording devices should be disclosed before the booking begins.
Can cameras remain active overnight?
This must be discussed.
There must not be recording devices in bedrooms, bathrooms or other private areas used by the sitter.
Should I leave my Wi-Fi password?
For overnight house sitting, Wi-Fi access is normally helpful for communication and updates.
Does the sitter need access to every room?
No.
Close or lock rooms that are not required, but make sure the sitter can access all areas needed for your pets, emergencies and normal household use.
Should someone else hold a spare key?
A reliable backup-access arrangement is sensible.
This may be a trusted neighbour, family member or working key safe.
Can I arrange cleaners or contractors during the booking?
Only after discussing it with the sitter.
Everyone entering the property should be identified in advance.
Will a house sitter deal with household emergencies?
A sitter can report a problem and take reasonable immediate action where it is safe.
They are not a plumber, electrician, locksmith or property manager.
Leave appropriate emergency contacts.
Should I leave instructions about bins and post?
Yes.
Brief instructions prevent misunderstandings, particularly during longer bookings.
Calm preparation makes house sitting easier
A well-prepared home allows your sitter to concentrate on the reason they are there: caring for your pets.
Before travelling:
- Test access
- Explain the alarm
- Disclose cameras
- Prepare a suitable sleeping area
- Leave heating and Wi-Fi instructions
- Identify expected visitors
- Explain known faults
- Provide household emergency contacts
- Leave a realistic delay plan
For pet routines, feeding, medication and veterinary information, use the Pet Sitter Preparation Checklist.
For full details about my service, visit House Sitting and In-Home Pet Care.
You may also find these useful:
- Finchley Dog Walker Welcome Pack
- Policies and Professional Standards
- House Sitting Versus Boarding for Rescue Dogs
- Current Pet-Care Prices
- Contact Del
Need overnight pet care in Finchley?
I provide calm, personalised house sitting for suitable dogs, cats and multi-pet households.
My service may be particularly helpful for:
- Rescue and nervous dogs
- Senior pets
- Pets who rely heavily on routine
- Multi-pet households
- Dogs who do not settle well in boarding
- Owners who want their pets cared for by the same person
House sitting is available in Finchley, Muswell Hill and selected nearby areas, with house-sitting-only availability in some additional North London locations.
