House & Pet Sitter Handover Checklist

You’ve landed a new house and pet sit. Your bags are packed and your travel has been arranged. But there’s something else you need to prepare for before you start your next house and pet sitting assignment: the handover.

And, what is a handover, you ask? Well, handover day is one of the most important things to consider for sitters and owners - we’re covering the owner handover checklist here. This is the day when you’ll have your last opportunity to know everything you need to know about the pets, the home and the job you’re taking on. For that reason, we’ve put together this handy handover checklist for sitters. That way, you won’t miss a thing.

Duties

Before you move into your sitting assignment, make sure you know very well what’s expected of you. Your duties, what to clean, how to arrange certain things, etc. Here’s a few things to know:

Do you have to handle chores like stripping beds, doing laundry, taking out the trash or doing the dishes? Or is there a housekeeper that handles that?
Any instructions for taking out the garbage and recycling? Days for pickup, where to put it, etc.
How often should you walk the dogs? Do they have any favourite parks or walks? How often do you have to feed the birds? Basically, anything you have to do to make sure the pets in the sit are being well looked after.

You may want to read our house sitter guidelines here.

Ask for a home tour

From the pet’s treat tin to the fuse box and water valves, make sure you know where everything is. Would you like WiFi or to be shown how to use the television?

Guest policies

Can you have guests over? And if so, for how long? You should never invite anyone to the owner’s home before you know the owner of the house is ok with it. Remember to respect their decision if they don’t let you bring guests.

Staying secure

As well as ensuring you have a set of keys, make sure you’re aware of any alarm systems and how to operate them. It’s also good to have emergency numbers just in case anything goes wrong with the apartment/home you’re looking after.

Other useful information you should have before starting a new sit:

Number for the electric/heating supply company in case there’s a power outage or a leak
Contact of the designated person for repairs (plumbers or electricians, for example)
Third-party emergency contact just in case you can’t get ahold of the owner of the home and pets
Information about the go-to vet for the pets you’re going to be caring for

Quirks about their pet and home

Avoid unnecessary concern by checking whether your new pet pal has a peculiar habit or problem, and if the home has any stiff locks or wobbly floorboards to watch out for. Is the front door super finicky? Is there a specific way to lock doors? Does the water in the shower take a while to get hot? Ask the owner to leave you notes and information on any of these to avoid any surprises.

Everything about the pets: personality, schedule and routine

We’ve already discussed your needing to have the emergency number for the vet. Well, you will also need from the owners a full list of instructions to help you care for their pets with as much love and detail as if they were yours:

What’s their personality like?
Is there anything that scares them and that you should avoid?
Do they have a strict routine?
Do you have to give them any medication?
What’s their diet and feeding schedule?
How do they like to play? Do they have any favourite toys?
Are they allowed to do certain things (like getting up on the couch or bed)?
Do you need to leave the air conditioning on for them?
What are they like when you take them on a walk? Do they go after other animals? Are they well socialised?

Be sure to request a Welcome Guide from your owner, too, which should cover all this and more.

Communicate about keeping in touch

Will a daily update do or would you both like to use the app to share as many pet pictures as possible? It’s important to know what the owner’s expectations are in regards to communication before starting a new house and pet sitting assignment.

If you need more information and help, read our comprehensive pet sitter communication guide. It’s packed with lots of useful tips.

Confirm end of sit arrangements

Discuss what time the owner expects to arrive home from their trip and whether they would like you to still be there when they get back. It’s always a good thing to leave the house as clean and tidy as you found it. And it’s also a nice gesture to replace any food items you may have used during your stay, or why not offer to pick up a few groceries for the owner so that they can relax and don’t have to run to the shops after their trip back home?