California
Houses in wine country, the coast and inland towns — Vacaville, Huntington Beach, Ramona. Dogs and cats, gardens, the occasional pool. Sits of a few weeks, sometimes repeated across the year by the same host.
United States
House sitting in the United States
Dog sits in California, apartments in New York and Philadelphia, homes with pools in South Carolina and Florida, a month in Texas or Arkansas.
American homes on our platform are spread across the whole map rather than clustered in one region: the West Coast, the Carolinas, New York, Florida, Texas, the Pacific Northwest and the South all have sits, and most come with a dog.
Three things make the US distinct. Sits are usually in houses rather than apartments, often with a yard and sometimes a pool, so there is more to look after. Distances are real — check whether a sit needs a car before you apply. And the stays vary a lot: from a weekend to a month or more.
Where the sits are
New York & Philadelphia
Apartments and townhouses, usually with one dog. Short to mid-length sits, walkable, no car needed. The gentlest way into US house sitting if you know European city sits.
The South
Charleston and Easley in South Carolina, Miami, Dallas, northern Arkansas. Bigger homes, more pets, a pool to keep clean. Hosts here more often say a car is needed — read that line.
Bring your TrustedHousesitters profile
Already sitting in the US? Paste your TrustedHousesitters or MindMyHouse profile link into the importer — bio, experience and pet preferences carry across in a couple of minutes. Your reviews come across as a verified count with a link back to them, so you start trusted rather than from zero.
How house sitting in the US works
- 01
Sign up free
Email or Google. Free to browse, apply and list.
- 02
Set a destination or list your home
Sitters mark the United States as a preferred destination on their profile. Hosts list their home with the dates they're away.
- 03
Sitters apply, hosts choose
Sitters see listings on a map with a rough 1 km circle for privacy, filter by dates and pets, and apply with a short intro. Hosts read the applications — profile, references, reviews — and can also browse sitter profiles and invite someone.
- 04
Chat, then match
Talk in-app before anyone commits. The exact address is shared only after the host accepts.
Common questions
Is it free?
Yes, for both sides. Listing your home, browsing, applying, messaging and matching never cost anything. A few extras are paid — a verified badge, more visibility — but you never need them to find a sit or a sitter.
Do I need a visa to house sit in the US?
If your passport is in the Visa Waiver Program, you travel on an ESTA for stays of up to 90 days; otherwise you need a visitor visa. House sitting is an unpaid exchange, not a job, but US border officers decide what counts on the day — be ready to explain that no money changes hands and that you have a home to return to. Confirm current rules for your passport with official US government guidance before booking.
Do I need a car?
Mostly, yes. Outside the big cities, distances are real and hosts assume you will drive. In New York or Philadelphia you can manage without. The listing says whether a car is needed — check before you apply.
How long are US house sits?
Anything from a weekend to a month or more. The long ones suit remote workers and slow travellers; the short ones are the hardest for a host to fill, so they are often the easiest to get.
What pets will I look after?
Mostly dogs, and often a yard to go with them. Some homes have cats, a few have both. Expect daily walks, and read the care notes — hosts write them for a reason.
Are sitters paid in the US?
Not here. A house sit on our platform is an exchange: you stay for free and look after the home and pets in return. Paid pet-sitting exists in the US on other services, but it is a different thing with different rules.
I have a home in the US. How do I find a sitter?
List it free with the dates you're away, and sitters apply. You can also browse sitter profiles and invite someone yourself. Read their profile, references and reviews, chat in-app, and choose — nobody is assigned to you.
A house, a yard, and usually a dog
If the US has been on your list, browse what's open now — or list your American home. The platform is free for both sides, and most of the homes come with a dog.