FAQs

House and pet sitting is when you arrange for one of HAPS’ trusted & experienced sitters to live in your home while you are away on holidays, business, a romantic getaway or in hospital, in exchange for free accommodation.

Your home, belongings & pets are cared for, respected and your home shows somebody home, a great security measure when you’re away.

You avoid imposing on friends and family, who have their own demanding schedules, and who will no doubt ask you to reciprocate sometime in the future.

Established in 2003, House and Pet Sitters has been a local business caring for Perth’s pets for over 15 years!

Owner, Jenny Hodder grew up in Perth with her first love always having been animals – she wanted to be a vet but ended up working in media and public relations for many years.  So when she came to a point in life when she wanted a sea change, she opted for a ‘fur change’ and now, with the support of her wonderful team of sitters, cares for a whole array of pets while their owners are away.

Experienced, Personal & Tailored Sits…

HPS is a small local business that has been providing house and pet sits for more than 15 years. All clients deal with me or my assistants personally, and get to choose, meet & greet, and then confirm their sitter well before they depart. Why not take a peek and get in quick to secure the sitter of your choice.

Australian Competition & Consumer Protection (ACCC) & Australian Consumer Law (ACL) Compliant…

HAPS guarantee that the services we provide comply with the ACCC Consumer Protection Guarantees. You can read more about how we do this.

We are not an intermediary service…

Our sitters work directly for HAPS, meaning we don’t take membership fees just to connect a home/pet owner with a sitter. We may not have 100’s of sitters to choose from, but HAPS is about quality, not quantity. Each sitter is screen & goes through a  rigorous induction process.

Each sitter has either qualifications in the animal field, a history of caring for their own pets or a previous close relationship with animals such as rescuing their own pets. They know that as well as following your feeding, exercise, and (when needed) medical routines love, cuddles and play time are very important too!

Peace of Mind…

Once you’re pet (and you) has met your sitter at the meet & greet, you’ll see why we put trust in our sitters, and instantly you’ll understand why you chose us. And it is a weight off your shoulders. Not only will your pets be receiving the dedicated care of an experienced animal lover, they’ll be safe in their own environment where they are most comfortable.

And don’t worry, once you leave, our sitters are great at updating you, as often as you like, with videos, messages, photos & calls. There is no way we would allow you to be stressing about what’s happening at home when you’re even an hour away.

My sitters are rigorously screened and trained. Each has a current police clearance certificate or equivalent government document and has paid a bond as security. House and Pet Sitters is also insured.  

With a sitter to give it the ‘lived-in’ look your home will be less attractive to thieves. In fact, at least one insurer requires that home and contents policyholders maintain their home in a lived in state as a condition of coverage. Others do not cover properties left unoccupied for more than 30 or 60 days.

If you arrange a sit with HPS, I guarantee you will have a sitter! 

Over the years, HAPS has been contacted by people who need a sitter urgently as all their other arrangements have fallen through just before their departure. Imagine the stress, worry & anger!!

HAPS is reliable, we guarantee that if you book early with us, you’ll not only get a sitter, you’ll get the sitter you want/need!

Providing sitters at very short notice, particularly during busy holiday periods, is difficult. HAPS trusted sitters are pretty popular (we’re being modest), but it never hurts to ask.

Of course, if an unexpected event or circumstance means your sitter isn’t available, we guarantee that a replacement sitter will be allocated, so that your pets and house are taken care of. 

Initiative & Attention to Detail…

We’ve said it before, but our sitters have extensive experience, skills and/or training in home & pet sitting. They know how to follow instructions down to the tiniest of detail. However, they are also smart enough to problem solve in situations, such as a fretting pet who won’t eat, stomach upsets because you’re gone.

This is why HAPS requests you to provide sitters with detailed information so your home & pet(s) receive the highest possible level of care and are prepared for emergencies such as the breakdown of a home appliance, damage in a storm or your pet requiring a trip to the vet.  Rest assured that while you’re away, you’ll be fully and quickly informed of any situation.

We’re Professionals…

Not only are our sitters animal lovers, clever, experienced and/or trained, they also bring their own food, drinks, toiletries and their own computers, some even bring their own linen & towels.

All we ask is that space be made available for sitters to hang clothes and store food (in fridge and pantry).

All sitters are bound by HAPS rules, including (but not limited too);

• no smoking inside
• no visitors unless expressly agreed by you the client
• Absolutely no parties
• not entering rooms you don’t want entered.

Our sitters will not leave your home unattended overnight, and HAPS will endeavour to assign you sitters with a similar daytime routine so that if your pets are used to you being at home or going out to work their routines will not be interrupted. 

Sitters are required to wash everything they have used, clean the property thoroughly and vacate before you arrive home and after a final inspection is done.

Of course! Although House and Pet Sitters specialise in taking care of pets and houses at the same time, we are very happy to arrange a sitter to take care of your house and garden only. 

Yes! Absolutely. We have carers who are experienced, skilled and/or qualified to take care of animals with sensitive needs, such as rescued, injured, ill, post surgery, reactive, young, old etc etc. Our qualified sitter is in high demand, which is why we ask you to book as early as possible and confirm the sit.

Please discuss any special requirements at your initial consultation with one of my team and then again with your allocated sitter.

While it is difficult to have my carers available for very short sits, we do have one or two sitters who will sit for a short period, if for any reason but for the sake of the pets.

We will always go out of our way to accommodate you if we can. The longer notice you give us the easier it is to arrange for a variety of requirements – so please give us as much notice as possible. 

When you book, you will be sent a quote and a set of documents with questions to answer about your house and pets (if any) along with some further information. A member of our team will also contact you to arrange an initial consultation after you confirm your booking.

At the initial consultation meeting we will discuss the sit and answer any questions you may have. This helps us allocate the sitter/s best suited to your requirements. We aim to allocate sitters as soon as possible after our initial meeting and once we have your information so you have a chance to meet your sitter and get your pets comfortable with them before you leave. 

In the unlikely event you have any issues with your initial sitter we will allocate you another. 

HPS requires that your home and contents be insured. Insurance companies appreciate the security benefits of having a home being lived-in. In fact, some insurance policies will not cover a home that has (or appears to have) been vacant for an extended period. Please consult your insurance policy documents or contact your insurance company for information about your policy.

If a sitter injures themselves during your sit it is highly unlikely that you will be liable. In all my years in business this has never happened! 

A cancellation fee of $150 will be charged for cancellations made in the two weeks prior to an arranged sit. This helps to cover the cost of arranging alternative accommodation for your sitter. 

Changing the dates of your sit is one of the items covered in the documentation you will receive when you make a booking.

Our rates vary depending on the length of the sit and number of pets. Quotes are personalised and sent once an inquiry is received.

We prefer EFTPOS, but accept credit card payments, cheques, money orders, and bank transfers.

Some might, yes. And one sitter will go anywhere. You’ll be responsible for the cost of travel, to and from, but having the best often comes at a higher cost.

The sooner you make & confim your booking, the more likely you’ll get the sitter you want/need.

Every effort will be made to extend the stay of your current sitter, however, our sitters have repeat clients who book their sitter way in advance.

If the only option is to allocate a new (to you) sitter, have peace of mind that the new sitter will be as professional, respectful & devoted as the sitter being replaced.

Excuse our bluntness, if that happens, our sitter(s) won’t accept the booking at that time.

You leaving and a new person coming in to your home can be unsettling, at the very least, to your pet(s). Replacing that sitter with a sitter your pet(s) are not comfortable with can induce more anxiety, stress, loss of appetite, fretting, depression & more.

Every one of HAPS team is a devoted, loyal, protective & lover of animals, which unapologetically means, your pet(s) come first.