Trusted Housesitters Review [2026]: The Exchange Model Explained

Trusted Housesitters is an exchange platform, pet owners get FREE pet care; sitters get FREE accommodation while traveling. Both pay annual membership ($129-$249/year). Honest review of when the exchange model actually saves you money, and 4 alternatives when it doesn't.

TRUSTED HOUSESITTERS
Bottom line

Model: Exchange (no money between owner + sitter)

Owner cost: $129-$249/year membership

Best for: trips 7+ days, owners traveling multiple times/year, pet-at-home preference

Skip if: short trips (1-3 days), urgent bookings, pets need professional medical care

Savings on a 10-day trip: $200+ vs a paid sitter (after membership fee)

Long-term members are highly positive on value; the recurring gripes are added per-sit fees and a sometimes clunky app.

Have a cat instead? Our Meowtel review covers the cat-sitting specialist.

Membership tiers and how the sit exchange works are explained on the official TrustedHousesitters site.

For more on hiring trusted help, see our pet sitting hub.

Prefer paying per visit over swapping stays? Compare it with our Rover review and our pet sitting cost guide.

For a deeper dive, see our guide to house sitting vs pet sitting: which is right for your pet (and home)? (2026).

The membership math matters, so we break down whether TrustedHousesitters is worth it separately.

Who Trusted Housesitters is and how the model works

TrustedHousesitters launched in the UK in 2010 and has grown into a global community spanning well over 100 countries. It is fundamentally different from Rover, Wag or Care.com. It is not a paid-service marketplace at all. It is an exchange. No money changes hands between the owner and the sitter. Instead, the owner gets free in-home pet care and the sitter gets free accommodation in the owner's home while they travel. Both sides simply pay an annual membership to access the platform.

In practice, an owner lists their home, location, dates and pet-care needs. Sitters browse and apply, the two sides message and usually do a video call, and the owner picks a sitter from the applicants. The platform layers in verification, member reviews and tiered support, but the core deal is the swap: care for accommodation. That structure makes it best suited to owners who want their pet to stay home in its own routine, and to travelers happy to trade pet-care duties for somewhere to stay.

Membership pricing and fees

Membership is sold in annual tiers, broadly $129 for the basic plan, around $189 for the mid tier, and roughly $249 for the premium tier, which adds priority listing visibility and stronger support, including emergency cover. The same membership lets you act as both an owner and a sitter. One change worth knowing before you join: TrustedHousesitters has introduced a per-sit fee, reported at around $12 per sit, for members who are not on the top plan. It applies to both owners and sitters. That is a recent and frequently mentioned cost, so when you do the savings math, factor in both the annual membership and any per-sit charge for your tier.

The math: when Trusted Housesitters wins

Trip length | Paid sitter cost | Trusted Housesitters cost | Net savings
3 days (1 cat) | $60-$100 | $129/year membership | Lose money on a single trip
7 days (1 cat) | $140-$245 | $129/year membership | $10-$115 savings on first trip
14 days (2 cats + plants) | $280-$770 | $129/year membership | $150-$640 savings on first trip
3+ trips per year | $500-$2,000+ | $129-$249/year | $250-$1,500+ annual savings

Pros and cons

The headline strength is cost. For owners who travel often and for longer stretches, replacing per-night sitter or boarding fees with a single annual membership is a large saving, and many members report it pays back on the first trip. Pets stay home in their own environment rather than being boarded, which is gentler on routine and stress. And because the same membership works in reverse, frequent travelers can use it to get free accommodation worldwide, which is a genuine lifestyle perk for retirees, remote workers and sabbatical travelers.

The drawbacks matter. Listings typically need 30 to 60 days of lead time, so it is poor for urgent or last-minute care. The exchange has no professional accountability of a paid contract, sitter experience varies, and you are trusting a stranger with both your pet and your home. The added per-sit fee has eroded some of the value proposition. And because there is no payment relationship, your leverage if a sitter cancels late is limited unless you are on the premium tier with its emergency support.

What customers say

TrustedHousesitters carries tens of thousands of reviews on Trustpilot, and long-term members are often strongly positive. The recurring praise is about peace of mind: pets cared for in their own home, regular photo and message updates many describe as priceless, and real value compared with kennels or boarding.

The criticism is consistent and worth weighing. The most common complaint is cost creep: the introduction of the per-sit fee on top of the annual membership, with members feeling the price has risen without a matching increase in benefits. A second theme is the app and website, which some reviewers describe as clunky or buggy, with inconsistencies between the two. A third is the balance of the exchange itself: some sitters feel owners list overwhelming task lists or restrict their free time, given that sitters are not paid, and that the platform leans toward owners. There are also occasional calls for more thorough vetting. The pattern is clear: people who use it heavily and plan well tend to love it, while the friction shows up around fees, the app and the fairness of individual exchanges.

Who should use Trusted Housesitters

Owners who travel 7+ days at a time, the exchange math works

Owners who prefer pets stay at home rather than kenneled or boarded

Owners with flexible scheduling, listings need 30-60 day lead time

Owners traveling 3+ times per year, annual savings stack

Travelers wanting to stay in real homes globally and save on accommodation

Retirees, digital nomads and sabbatical travelers, schedule freedom is the unlock

When to skip Trusted Housesitters

Short trips (1-3 days): a paid sitter is simpler and cheaper for a single use

Urgent bookings, listings typically need 30-60 day lead time

Pets requiring professional medical care (insulin, frequent vet visits): sitter expertise varies

Single-trip owners, the annual membership does not pay back on one short trip

Discomfort with strangers in your home, a paid drop-in sitter is more anonymous

How Trusted Housesitters compares to other platforms

The other platforms all involve paying for the service. Rover and Wag are pay-per-booking marketplaces with insurance backstops, far better for short trips, urgent care or one-off needs. Care.com is a subscription-based aggregator where you still pay a sitter directly. Cat owners may prefer the specialist Meowtel for visit-based care. TrustedHousesitters only pulls ahead on cost when you travel often and for longer stretches and can plan well in advance. For everything short-notice or short-duration, a paid option wins. Our pet sitting cost guide lays out the per-night numbers to compare against.

Who Trusted Housesitters is right for

TrustedHousesitters is the right pick for the frequent, flexible traveler who takes longer trips, wants their pet to stay home, and is comfortable hosting a vetted stranger in exchange for free care. For that profile the annual membership pays for itself quickly and the model is genuinely strong. It is the wrong tool for short trips, last-minute needs, medically complex pets, or anyone who would rather pay a professional than manage an exchange. If that is you, a paid marketplace like Rover is the cleaner choice.

Frequently asked questions

How does Trusted Housesitters work?

It is an exchange platform. Pet owners list their home plus pet needs. Sitters apply to stay in the home in exchange for caring for the pets. Both pay an annual membership. No money passes between owner and sitter, the exchange itself is the payment.

How much does it cost?

Annual membership in tiers, broadly $129 basic, around $189 mid, and roughly $249 premium (priority listings plus emergency support). One 7-day trip can save $200+ versus a paid sitter.

Are there extra fees beyond membership?

Yes. TrustedHousesitters has introduced a per-sit fee, reported at around $12 per sit, for members not on the top plan. It applies to both owners and sitters, so factor it into your savings math.

Is it legit?

Yes. Founded 2010 in the UK, with members across well over 100 countries. ID and background-check verification plus a member review system.

Who should use it?

Owners traveling 7+ days who prefer pets at home, have flexible scheduling and travel 3+ times a year. On the sitter side, travelers wanting accommodation savings and a flexible schedule, such as retirees and remote workers.

Is it safe?

Generally safe with the platform's vetting. Video-call sitters before confirming, check for a multi-sit history of positive reviews, and line up a local paid backup sitter for emergencies.

Is it cheaper than a paid sitter?

For trips of 7+ days, usually yes. A 10-day trip with 2 cats might run $400 with a paid sitter versus a $129-$249 annual membership, which can pay back on a single longer trip. For 1-3 day trips a paid sitter is cheaper.

What if the sitter cancels?

The premium tier includes emergency-replacement support. On lower tiers you have limited recourse. Mitigate by confirming 60+ days out, lining up a local paid backup, choosing sitters with 10+ positive reviews and avoiding peak dates.

METHODOLOGY
Review based on Trusted Housesitters public info (May 2026), customer reviews aggregated across Trustpilot, App Store and Google, and partner provider research. Refreshed annually.