I spent a month in Burlington, Vermont, three weeks in Denver, Colorado, a month in Index, Washington, five weeks in Portland, Oregon, and three months in Bend, Oregon on two different trips – and I didn't pay a dime for my accommodation.
How? Trusted House Sitters.
What is Trusted House Sitters?
THS is a website and app where homeowners and pet parents can find people to live in their house and watch their pets for free while they travel.
And honestly, it's mostly the latter that you'll find on the platform. If I were to rename it to more accurately represent the listings, I'd call it Trusted Pet Sitters.
It is a great resource for pet parents, who would otherwise pay on average between $25-75 per night per pet for:
- boarding them at a kennel ("doggy day care")
- a pet sitter to check in on their pets and/or stay overnight
For the pet sitters, the primary draw of THS is a free place to stay. Whether that's a draw, however, depends on a few factors:
- Did you want to visit this city for vacation?
- Are Airbnbs expensive enough that you're willing to trade some of your vacation time for pet care responsibilities?
- Are you going to use it long enough that the money you spend on the annual THS subscription fee pays for itself in the money you save on accommodation?
- Is your vacation time flexible enough that you can align your time off to the pet owner's vacation plans?
Below, I'll explain how THS works and why THS made sense for me as a pet sitter. I'll also share what I loved about the experience, along with some things to watch out for in pet owners.
Read on for my honest experience with the app – including whether I'd use it again.
