Home > Blog > HouseCarers Pricing and Review
Quick Facts
| Sitter membership (paid) | ~$50 USD/year (approximately €45, includes 1 bonus month) |
| Homeowner membership (standard) | Free |
| Homeowner membership (premium) | $25 USD one-time |
| Booking fee | None |
| Auto-renewal | No — renewal invitations sent one month before expiry |
| ID verification | Free — mobile, passport photo ID, or driving licence |
| Insurance | None — connection platform only |
| No-refund policy | No pro-rata refunds on unused membership |
| Active listings globally | ~90 at any given time |
| Claims to be | The world's first house sitting membership site, founded October 2000 |
HouseCarers claims to be the world's oldest house sitting platform, founded October 2000. That is worth noting. It also appears to be disputed. Happy House Sitters in Australia has been operating since 1999, which would make it the earlier platform. The founding story is part of HouseCarers' identity and it deserves the honest caveat.
What is not in question is that HouseCarers has been in this space for a very long time. Based on 20 sits across 12 countries with TrustedHouseSitters, this is my honest review of the platform after browsing it directly. Use our 25% THS discount if THS is the right fit for your needs.
HouseCarers Pricing 2026
Sitter. Guest (free)
Guest sitters can receive email notifications of house sitting opportunities, browse listings, and prepare their profile by uploading references, photos, video, and photo ID. Uploads activate and become visible to homeowners once you upgrade to paid membership. You can read a summary of homeowner messages but cannot reply without paid membership.
Sitter. Paid membership: ~$50 USD/year
Current offer: approximately $50 USD for 12 months plus a bonus 31 days, giving approximately 13 months of access.
| Feature | Included |
|---|---|
| Apply for unlimited house sits | Yes |
| Respond to homeowner messages | Yes |
| Priority appearance in search results | Yes |
| Featured house sitter (random rotation) | Yes |
| Photo gallery — up to 14 photos | Yes |
| Private reference library — up to 14 references | Yes |
| YouTube video on profile | Yes |
| Link to external sites (blog, Facebook etc.) | Yes |
| Personal house sitting calendar | Yes |
| Private notes on homeowner profiles | Yes |
| Free ID verification badge | Yes |
| Two-way review system | Yes |
| Referral rewards programme | Yes |
| Booking fee | None |
Homeowner. Standard: Free
Free listing, confidential messaging, email alerts for matching sitters.
Homeowner. Premium: $25 USD one-time
Verified badge, private notes on sitter profiles, personal listing recommendations, social media promotion on request, and participation in the referral programme.
The Referral Programme
HouseCarers has a referral programme with genuine rewards worth understanding before joining.
When you refer a friend who takes up paid membership: you receive 6 bonus months added to your membership, and you appear higher in sitter search results. Your friend receives 12 months plus 6 bonus months on sign-up. 18 months total for the standard price.
Homeowner Premium members who refer themselves (take up both homeowner Premium and sitter paid membership) receive a total of 18 months: 6 bonus months on the homeowner Premium side plus 6 bonus months of sitter paid membership.
This referral model is the same mechanic that has helped TrustedHouseSitters build community loyalty. Members who earn referral credits have a personal stake in recommending the platform. HouseCarers has built a similar structure, and for active sitters who talk about house sitting regularly, the credits compound.
Free ID Verification: A Real Advantage
Free ID verification is included with paid sitter membership. Sitters can verify via mobile number, passport photo ID, and driving licence. Each step adds a verification badge and points to the profile.
This is a genuine advantage over platforms like MindMyHouse, which has no verification at all, and House Sitters America ($5 optional) and House Sitters UK (£3 optional). On HouseCarers, verification is free and built into the paid membership. For a $50 platform, including free ID verification is a meaningful feature that improves trust signals for homeowners reviewing applications.
It is not a background check. As with all platforms in this tier, homeowners should still do their own vetting through a pre-sit video call and reference checking. Our house sitting profile guide covers how to build a profile that communicates trust clearly.
My Honest Assessment: The Backend Is Complicated
I browsed HouseCarers directly before writing this article. My overall impression: the platform is over-complicated for what it does. There are too many features, too many options, and a navigation structure that can truly confuse and disorient new users.
Compared to TrustedHouseSitters, Nomador, or even the simpler network platforms like House Sitters UK and Kiwi House Sitters, HouseCarers feels cluttered. The UI is dated. The feature density that was probably considered comprehensive when the platform was built now works against it. Too much going on makes it harder, not easier, to do the simple thing you came to do, which is find a house sit or find a sitter.
This matters because house sitting platforms live or die on adoption. A new sitter who lands on HouseCarers after coming from a modern interface may find it off-putting enough to leave without completing registration. That is a real problem for a platform that needs to grow its community. A simplified version focused on the core connection. Profiles, listings, messaging. Would likely serve both sitters and homeowners better than the current system.
Listing Volume: The Honest Picture
HouseCarers carries approximately 80 to 90 listings globally at any given time. Listings are spread across the United States, Europe, and Australia, but the volume is low. This is smaller than MindMyHouse (~250), considerably smaller than Nomador (~1,200), and a fraction of TrustedHouseSitters (10,000+).
At ~90 listings, HouseCarers is most realistically positioned as a supplementary platform rather than a primary one. For a sitter already on THS who wants to add a second global platform at low cost, it provides a small additional pool. As a standalone platform for someone new to house sitting who wants to find sits immediately, the listing density is too low to rely on alone.
How It Compares to Other $50 Options
At approximately $50 per year, HouseCarers sits in a competitive tier. The honest comparison:
| Platform | Cost | Listings | Verification | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MindMyHouse | $29 USD | ~250 | None | More affordable, more listings, simpler |
| House Sitters America | $49 USD | Moderate | $5 optional | US-focused, easier to navigate |
| House Sitters Canada | $59 CAD (~$44 USD) | Moderate | Optional | Canada-focused |
| HouseCarers | ~$50 USD | ~90 | Free, included | Global, complicated backend |
MindMyHouse at $29 has nearly three times the listing volume. House Sitters America at a similar price is US-focused but easier to use. For sitters who want strictly affordable global reach, the case for HouseCarers over MindMyHouse is primarily the free ID verification. A genuine differentiator, but one that has to be weighed against the lower listing count and more difficult platform experience.
No Insurance, No Platform Protection Plans
HouseCarers is a connection platform and provides no accident liability cover, sit cancellation plan, or home protection plan. There are no pro-rata refunds on unused membership. If you join and do not use the platform, the fee is not returned. Our house sitting insurance guide covers independent insurance options for sitters who want protection beyond the platform.
The Competition Problem
I am a genuine advocate for competition in the house sitting market. Competition benefits sitters, homeowners, and ultimately the whole category. TrustedHouseSitters has the dominant position and the gap between it and most other platforms is growing.
HouseCarers has been in this market for 25 years. It has a community, a referral programme, free verification, and a global listing base. These are real assets. But with a complicated, outdated interface and listing numbers that have not kept pace with the growth of the broader market, the platform needs meaningful investment to compete meaningfully in 2026.
If HouseCarers simplifies its interface, invests in a proper mobile app, and works on growing listing volume in the major markets, it has the foundation to be a genuine competitive option. If those updates happen, this review will be updated to reflect them. Until then, it sits in the supplementary tier rather than the primary one.
Our TrustedHouseSitters alternatives guide covers the full platform landscape. Join HouseCarers via our affiliate link if the referral programme or free verification makes it the right fit.
DM us @housesittersguide on Instagram. We answer everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does HouseCarers cost in 2026?
Approximately $50 USD per year for sitters, currently including a bonus month. Homeowner standard membership is free. Homeowner premium is a one-time $25 USD. No booking fee. No auto-renewal. No pro-rata refunds.
Is HouseCarers the oldest house sitting platform?
It claims to be, founded October 2000. Happy House Sitters in Australia has been operating since 1999, which appears to pre-date HouseCarers. The founding claim is part of the platform's identity and worth knowing. Regardless of which platform is technically oldest, HouseCarers has 25 years of operation behind it.
Does HouseCarers have more listings than MindMyHouse?
No. MindMyHouse has around 250 listings versus approximately 80-90 on HouseCarers, at a lower annual price. For sitters choosing between the two purely on listing volume and cost, MindMyHouse is the stronger option. HouseCarers' free ID verification is the primary differentiator in its favour.
Does HouseCarers have a referral programme?
Yes. Referring a friend who takes up paid membership earns you 6 bonus months and higher search placement. Your referred friend receives 18 months for the price of 12. See the referral section above for the full details.
