Best House Sitting Websites for Australia

House sitting as a free service is more widespread in Australia than any place on the planet.

There are a number of reasons for this, the most significant being that the value-exchange arrangement of house sitting started in Australia in 1993.

Because house and pet sitting is so popular in Australia, now 2023 more than nine house sitting websites target Australia. These are a mix of four country specific sites dedicated to house and pet sitting in Australia, and global sites that offer opportunities world-wide.

But rather than being helpful, the abundance of house sitting sites is causing confusion in the marketplace. Because if you don't know the qualities to look for, how can you select the house sitting site best suited to your needs?

House sitting Australia as a lifestyle choice since 2011, over the past twelve years I've connected with hundreds of home owners to complete more than 150 first time sits and countless 'repeat' sits.

I know the websites that work best for house sitting Australia, those that don't work at all, and everything in between.

Below we explain why the best websites for Australia are the four country specific sites dedicated to house sitting Down Under. Our side-by-side comparison table makes it easy for you to compare Features, Functions and Fees.

At Robi's Reviews we give an indepth overview of each house sitting website. We recommend the best website for people getting started, the site that offers great Customer Service, the most user-friendly platform, and the site that consistently lists the most house sitting jobs Australia-wide.

Contents Show

Which house sitting website is best for Australia?

The most important measure to establish which house sitting website is best for a particular location is the number of house sitting jobs consistently on offer at that location.

Because if assignments are few and far between, the chance of house sitters finding a house sit to apply for is unlikely. Plus home owners' are less likely to find suitable sitters.

It is for this reason that the best websites for Australia are the four country specific house sitting sites dedicated to pet and house sitting Australia.

These websites are Australia's largest site, Aussie House Sitters, Mindahome, Happy House Sitters and The House Sitters - the world's longest running house sitting service celebrating 30 years in 2023.

For decades these four sites have been connecting Aussie home owners with pet and house sitters, for free. (House sitters pay annual membership fee to connect with home owners, but Australian home owners pay nothing!)

Each platform consistently list a minimum of hundreds of house sitting jobs Australia-wide. The largest two sites list no less than two thousand jobs at any point in time.

Why are country dedicated sites best for house sitting Australia?

House sitting websites dedicated exclusively to Australia consistently list more house sitting jobs compared to platforms that service the world-wide house sitting community.

Since March 2022 when Aussie home owners previously grounded by a pandemic started leaving home in droves, the four best sites for Australia, combined, have listed no less than 4,100 assignments Australia-wide.

Now March 2023 the number of house, pet and farm sitting jobs available in Australia is unprecedented, with more than 7,530 Australian home owners searching for house sitters! By contrast, sites that service the world-wide house sitting community list very few house sitting jobs Down Under.

Trusted House Sitters is an exception. The world's largest house sitting website, established in England in 2012, Trusted House Sitters are extending their reach to all areas of the world, including Australia. Early 2023 Trusted consistently list a minimum of 440 house sitting assignments Australia-wide.

Why don't global sites list many house sitting jobs Down Under?

Most Global sites charge Aussie home owners to connect with house sitters.

The annual fee for home owners range from 65Euros to join Nomador, to 109AUD to join Trusted House Sitters. But Aussie home owners who have been connecting with house and pet sitters for free, for decades, question the need to pay to join a house sitting website.

The four country exclusive house sitting websites showcased have been servicing Australia for decades.

Each is Australian owned and operated. Each offers FREE membership to Aussie home owners.

GoCompare the¹BEST House Sitting Websites for Australia

AUSTRALIA	EST.	HOUSE SITTERS Annual Fee	HOME OWNERS Annual Fee	Upload REFERENCES	Two-Way REVIEWS	ID VERIFIED	ALERTS
MARCH 2023 - COMBINED, THESE COUNTRY DEDICATED HOUSE SITTING SITES LIST A MIN of 7,530 HOUSE , PET & FARM SITTING JOBS AUSTRALIA-WIDE
AUSSIE HOUSE SITTERS	2004	AUD 84	FREE !	YES	YES	YES AUD5.00	YES
Aussie's claim to be "The largest, most trusted House & Pet Sitting website in Australia" is fully justified. Read ROBI'S REVIEW
MINDAHOME	2006	AUD 59	FREE !	YES	YES	NO	YES
Mindahome is one of the most user friendly house sitting websites in the world. Read ROBI'S REVIEW
HAPPY HOUSE SITTERS	1999	AUD 69	FREE !	YES	NO	NO	YES
Famous for their Customer Service, Happy House Sitters are available 8am-8pm 7 days a week. Read ROBI'S REVIEW
The HOUSE SITTERS	1993	AUD 60	FREE !	YES	NO	YES FREE	YES
Celebrating 30 years servicing Australia's house sitting community, The House Sitters is the world's longest running house sitting service. Read ROBI'S REVIEW

Why is house sitting so popular in Australia?

House sitting started Down Under in 1993

The concept of house sitting as free service was birthed in Australia in 1993 when two Aussie graduates identified the opportunity for people to earn free accommodation by providing absent home owners with live-in house and pet care.

And so began The House Sitters, then a printed directory mailed to subscribers, now one of the best websites for house and pet sitting in Australia.

Aussie home owners took to the concept like a dog to a bone, and in 1999 Happy House Sitters was established, followed in 2004 by Aussie House Sitters and Mindahome in 2006.

Over the years these four Australian owned and operated platforms have gone from strength to strength, introducing new features and functions to help people connect in a safe, secure online environment.

Australia’s popularity as a visitor destination

Australia offers something for everyone.

As a remote yet highly developed country, Australia has captivated the world with its unique natural wonders and exotic wildlife.

Australia is one of the few countries that, no matter your travel taste, budget, or age, it can deliver a travel experience that can't be found anywhere else.

With 10,685 beaches, 8,222 Islands, 500 National Parks, the bush, the outback, beaches, bays, vibrant tourist destinations, cosmopolitan cities, country towns, quaint villages, oceans rich in sea life and the world's largest coral reef, when it comes to finding places of interest to visit, both tourists and locals alike are spoilt for choice.

Great weather to be found all year around.

Australia is a very big country. With an area of 7,617,930 square kilometres (2,941,300 sq miles), Australia is the world's sixth-largest country.

Comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands, Australia's size gives it a wide variety of landscapes and climates, with deserts in the centre, tropical rainforests in the north-east, and mountain ranges in the south-east.

Because of this the weather is not Too Hot, not Too Cold, but Just Right, somewhere in the Land Down Under, all year around.

Australian's leave home for the holidays

Aussies are renown for leaving home for the holidays, and many need sitters for home, property and pets while away.

Australians receive a lot of paid leave. Both full-time and part-time workers get a minimum of 20 days paid annual leave every year. In some occupations workers are entitled to more holidays. Nurses receive six weeks and School Teachers around 12 weeks paid annual leave.

After 10 years of service most employers award employees three months Long Service Leave, plus annual leave entitlement increases from four to six weeks.

⇒ Click to Get Started as a House & Pet Sitter.

Australia is a very safe country

Ranked as the 5^th safest country in the world, Australia has a stable political system and low crime rate. Australians generally experience a safe lifestyle, and the low crime rate makes it possible for people of all ages to travel nation-wide in relative safety.

⇒ Click to Find Free Sitters for Home & Pets

How do House Sitting Websites work?

House sitting websites provide a virtual meeting place for those on both sides of the house sitting fence.

Similar to AirBnB members register, write up their details and communicate with people of interest via the site’s secure internal messaging system.

Home Owners register and advertise their house sitting job – Location, Dates, description of the Pets to be cared for and details of their home; be it a house in the suburbs, apartment in the city, farm in the country, or cottage at the beach.

On the other side of the house sitting fence are House and Pet Sitters – singles, couples, families who register to find houses to 'sit' and pets to pamper, either for a short while, or a long time. In their Profile house sitters give a short description about themselves and explain why they want to ‘sit’.

Personal details such as email and exact location are protected until both parties agree to connect.

No money changes hands

By entering into a house sitting arrangement under the value-exchange model of house sitting, no money changes hands.

House sitters do not get paid to ‘sit’, nor does a homeowner get paid to have their house ‘sat’. Not to be confused with the paid 'model' of house and pet sitting, we explain 4 Key differences between the free and paid arrangement here.

There are many advantages to this arrangement, not the least being that Insurance Companies regard free house sitters as "invited guests." As such, live-in house sitters are covered under the home owners’ Home & Contents Insurance Policy, which means house sitters are insured against accidental damage during their stay.

⇒ Got Questions on What House Sitting is, Exactly?