Full-time house sitting service
Run a booking-based service for longer stays, with a few trusted sitters covering your area.
- C$800-4k
- Part-time
- Out and about
Estimates for a small start in Canada, not guarantees.
What it is
A small local service offering house and pet sitting for longer trips and snowbird seasons. You do stays yourself and may add a few vetted sitters as bookings grow.
Your first three steps
- Write a simple service package with rates, a client agreement, a home-care checklist and an emergency plan
- Set up a basic website and a Google Business profile, and visit local vets, groomers and seniors' communities to introduce yourself
- Check insurance, business registration and tax needs with your province, municipality and the CRA, then book your first long-stay clients
Who pays
Retirees who winter away, frequent travellers, professionals with pets and owners of second homes or cottages.
How it makes money
Nightly or weekly rates for longer stays, plus add-ons like cottage checks, plant care, and winter property checks. If you use sitters, you keep a share of each booking.
Skills that help
- Organizing bookings and schedules
- Vetting and managing people
- Building trust with clients
- Basic marketing
Watch out for
- Commercial general liability and bonding: check what covers client homes, keys and pets, including sitters you add
- If you hire staff, check workers' compensation (WCB/WSIB) and employment rules in your province, and whether sitters are truly contractors
- Check municipal business licensing and any home-based business rules
- Register for GST/HST once revenue passes the small supplier threshold
- Winter checks on empty homes carry risk, such as frozen pipes, so agree clear responsibilities in writing
Deep research report · Canada
Everything you need to start: full-time house sitting service
Researched with live web search for Canada: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.
- Startup costs with real prices
- Licences, registration and rules
- Pricing: what others charge
- Break-even example
- Finding your first customers
- 30-day launch plan
- Risks and how to reduce them
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to start a house sitting service in Canada?
Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around $800 to $4,000, depending on insurance, marketing and how many sitters you add. Check what commercial general liability and bonding would cover for client homes, keys and pets.
How much can a full-time house sitting service earn?
Estimated monthly revenue is typically around $1,500 to $6,000, depending on how many longer stays you book and whether you add sitters. Plan for quieter periods, and agree clear responsibilities for winter checks on empty homes.
What rules should I check before starting a house sitting business?
Check municipal business licensing and any home-based business rules. If you hire sitters, check workers' compensation (WCB/WSIB) and employment rules in your province, including whether they are truly contractors, and when to register for GST/HST.
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