House sitting
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
House sitting is the practice whereby a landlord (or "homeowner"), leaving his house for a period of time, entrusts it to one or more "home-sitters", who by a mutual agreement are entitled to dwell there rent-free in exchange for assuming such responsibilities as taking care of the homeowner's pets, performing general maintenance (including pools, lawns, air-conditioning systems etc.), keeping trespassers off the property, readdressing the mail and, in general, making sure that everything runs smoothly just as if the owner was at home.
It is also generally implied that crime is deterred either by the sheer presence of the housesitters or possibly by watch-dogs or security systems.
Of course the whole practice is open to negotiation, notably as for whether a security deposit is required by the homeowner and whether a money payment should be made from one of the parties involved (as its share of the benefits is larger: typically, this is considered to be the home-sitter).
[edit] The home-sitter(s)
The main and most important qualification of the home-sitter(s) is its trustworthiness and reliablity in the eyes of the homeowner: to start with, each candidate must provide good references and a clean crime record.
Usually the chosen candidates are either artists looking to live rent-free, young married couples, wishing to save money for buying their own house, or retirees wishing to travel the world on a small budget.
[edit] Internet influence
The practice of "house sitting" has been deeply affected by the development of the net. Demand and offer can be matched more easily and anonymously through the use of dedicated web sites.
Usually these sites require a membership fee from the would-be home-sitter, and provide a basic infrastructure to allow contacts between potential house sitters and homeowners. However, it should be noted that no major site ever grants any warranty about the suitability of the applicants: it's entirely up to the homeowner to decide whether or not a particular person is trustworthy enough.
