House Sitting Background Checks: What Is Required and How to Get One

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Quick Facts

When Caro and I set up our TrustedHouseSitters profile before our first sit in Bochum in June 2023, the ID verification step was part of the registration process. I uploaded my Australian driver's licence, it was checked against Evident's database, and the verification badge appeared on our profile within the day. The entire process took less than ten minutes. Based on 18 sits across 11 countries since then, that verified badge has been on our profile from the start, and not one homeowner has ever specifically asked about it.

This article covers exactly what each major house sitting platform requires, what is optional, how to get a police check as an international sitter if you need one, and the clear answer to whether background checks actually improve your acceptance rate.

Use our 25% THS discount link if you are joining for the first time. The verification process is free and simple regardless of which country you are in.

What TrustedHouseSitters Requires

TrustedHouseSitters requires all sitters worldwide to complete a free ID verification before their profile is active. This includes email confirmation, phone number verification, and an ID document check via Evident, a secure third-party provider. A criminal background check is additionally available free of charge, but only for US-based sitter members. Homeowners face no equivalent requirement. They can sign up, post a listing, and confirm a sit without providing any identity verification whatsoever.

The ID document check requires uploading a photograph of a valid passport, driver's licence, or national identity card. Evident cross-checks the document against databases to ensure it has not been reported as lost, stolen, or compromised. The badge appears on your public profile once the check is complete.

The criminal background check is a separate step. US-based sitter members can access it from the Verifications page in their account. The check is run by Evident and takes up to 7 days to process. Once complete, it displays on your profile automatically.

Non-US sitters cannot access the THS criminal background check through the platform. There is no workaround for this within the platform itself. If a homeowner specifically requests a police check, a non-US sitter would need to obtain one independently from their home country's relevant authority.

The mandatory nature of the ID check is significant. THS ID verification is mandatory for all sitters worldwide. Not optional, not encouraged. Mandatory. Homeowners have no equivalent requirement. This makes THS the most rigorous platform for sitter verification. The asymmetry is worth noting: sitters are verified, homeowners are not.

What Other Platforms Require

The verification landscape across other platforms is considerably more relaxed than THS. The table below summarises each platform's current verification policy, with links to their relevant documentation.

A few things stand out from this comparison. HouseCarers offers the most comprehensive optional verification of any platform. Sitters who complete the full profile with police check, references, ID upload, and video introduction build some of the most credible public profiles available on any house sitting site. MindMyHouse requires no background or identification check at all, which makes it the easiest platform to set up on but also the one with the least built-in trust infrastructure.

Nomador's position is worth noting specifically for European sitters. Nomador offers multiple options for free ID verification, and community members consistently report that Nomador's moderation team actively monitors listings for spam and fake accounts, which compensates somewhat for the lack of mandatory verification.

Does a Background Check Actually Help You Get More Sits?

The short answer is no. Not significantly. What gets you sits is your profile, your photos, a well-written introductory message, and how you come across on the video call.

I thought the verified badge would make a meaningful difference to acceptance rates, particularly early on before we had reviews. After researching on Reddit and the THS forum and looking back at our own 18 sits, the pattern is consistent: homeowners are not specifically searching for the verified badge. They are looking for a profile that reads as trustworthy, an introductory message that speaks to their specific situation, and a person they feel good about on the video call.

The verification badge is a hygiene factor. It removes doubt rather than creating confidence. A homeowner looking at two profiles with similar reviews and photos will not choose the verified one over the unverified one. But a homeowner looking at a profile with no reviews, no photos, and no verification has three reasons to pass. Get the badge. Then focus on everything else.

In 18 sits across 11 countries, no homeowner has ever asked Caro and me whether we have a background check. Not once. What homeowners do comment on, consistently, is the quality of our introductory message. Getting that right is the more valuable investment of your time.

Our guide to getting your first house sit without prior experience covers what a strong profile actually looks like. And for the introductory message, our AI profile guide covers how to write one that speaks to the homeowner's specific needs rather than describing your own travel ambitions.

If you are aiming for high-quality sits specifically, our luxury house sit guide covers what distinguishes applications that land the best sits.

How to Complete the THS ID Verification

The process is free and takes less than fifteen minutes for most sitters.

Log in to your THS account and navigate to the Verifications page. You will see sections for email, phone, and ID document. Email and phone can be verified immediately. For the ID document check, upload a clear photograph of your passport, driver's licence, or national identity card. Evident processes the document and the verification badge typically appears on your profile within a few hours.

I used my Australian driver's licence. The check was immediate, the badge appeared the same day, and the process required nothing beyond uploading a clear photo. Any valid government-issued ID from any country works.

If you are a US-based sitter and want to complete the criminal background check as well, this is done from the same Verifications page. Click "Start free background check" under the Background Check section, follow the Evident instructions, and allow up to seven days for processing. Once complete it displays automatically on your profile.

How to Get a Police Check as an International Sitter

If a homeowner requests a police check and you are not a US-based THS member, you will need to obtain one independently. The process depends on your country.

For Australian citizens, police checks are available through the Australian Federal Police (AFP) at afp.gov.au. The standard turnaround is five to ten business days. The check covers all Australian states and territories.

For UK citizens, a basic DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check is available at gov.uk. The standard check typically takes up to eight weeks.

For EU/EEA citizens, the process varies by member state. In most EU countries, a criminal record certificate can be requested from the national criminal records authority. Germany's Führungszeugnis, France's Extrait de casier judiciaire, and Poland's Krajowy Rejestr Karny are the equivalent documents.

For New Zealand citizens, a police vetting check is available through the New Zealand Police at police.govt.nz.

My personal view: if a homeowner requires a police check as a condition of confirming a sit, and obtaining one would take weeks of paperwork while travelling internationally, that is a reasonable basis for declining the sit. In 18 sits across 11 countries in Europe and Australia, no homeowner has ever asked for one. The THS ID verification badge is sufficient in every market we have sat in, and a strong review history carries far more weight than a police certificate that most homeowners would not know how to verify anyway.

The Profile Matters More Than Any Badge

The most reliable signal of a trustworthy sitter is not a badge. It is a review history. A sitter with 15 five-star reviews and no verification badge is more credible to most homeowners than a fully verified sitter with no reviews.

This is the correct order of priority for building a profile that gets accepted. Complete the ID verification because it is mandatory and because it is free and quick. Then focus on reviews. Our guide to the THS review system covers how to build a strong review profile. Then focus on the introductory message. Then the profile photos and bio.

The badge is the foundation. Everything built on top of it is what actually converts applications into confirmed sits.

One thing worth knowing as a sitter: while you are required to verify your identity before your profile goes live, homeowners face no equivalent requirement. A homeowner can create a listing and confirm a sit without ever providing any identity documentation. This asymmetry is a known limitation of the platform. The practical response is the same as on any other platform: use the video call to get a read on the homeowner, check their review history, and trust your instincts. A homeowner with ten five-star reviews and a detailed listing is credible regardless of verification status.

Conclusion

TrustedHouseSitters is the only major house sitting platform with mandatory ID verification for all sitters worldwide. The criminal background check, which goes further than ID verification, is free but limited to US members. Every other platform either offers verification as optional or does not offer it at all.

Complete the THS ID verification immediately when you set up your profile. It is free, it takes ten minutes, and it removes a potential objection before any homeowner has even read your application. Then put your energy into the things that actually determine whether you get accepted: a profile that reads as genuine, photos that show you with animals, and an introductory message that addresses the homeowner's specific situation rather than your own travel wishlist.

Join TrustedHouseSitters with 25% off and complete the verification as part of your initial setup. Read our full THS review for a complete picture of what the platform offers.

DM us @housesittersguide on Instagram with profile questions. We answer everyone.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is a background check required for house sitting?

  On TrustedHouseSitters, ID verification is mandatory for all sitters worldwide. Homeowners are not required to verify their identity at all. A criminal background check is additionally available free of charge, but only for US-based members. No other major platform currently mandates a background check for sitters. None require homeowner verification either. Most platforms either offer optional verification or no verification at all. Our full THS review covers what the platform requires in full.

• Does having a background check help you get more house sits?

  Not significantly on its own. The factors that most influence acceptance rates are a strong review history, a well-written introductory message tailored to the specific homeowner, quality profile photos, and how you come across on the video call. The verification badge removes doubt but does not actively create confidence. Build your profile first, then the applications follow.

• Can non-US sitters get a TrustedHouseSitters background check?

  No. The THS criminal background check is currently available for US-based sitters only. Non-US sitters complete the mandatory ID document check via Evident, which verifies their identity against the uploaded document. If a homeowner requests a full police check, a non-US sitter would need to obtain one independently from their home country's relevant authority.

• Which house sitting platform has the best verification process?

  TrustedHouseSitters has the most rigorous mandatory sitter verification process. However, homeowners are not required to verify their identity, which is a limitation worth being aware of. HouseCarers offers the most comprehensive optional verification, allowing sitters to upload police checks, references, a video introduction, and ID documents. Nomador offers optional ID verification. MindMyHouse has no verification process. The platform comparison table above covers every major platform.

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