House Sitter Information Sheet

Who this is for

The sheet left on the kitchen table for whoever is minding the house. It says where things are and how they work, who to ring if something goes wrong, what to do with the post and the plants, and where you are. Everything on it is written by you; the headings are the only part that is ours.

Anyone going away and leaving a friend, relative or paid sitter in charge, people lending the house to visitors, and households where a grandparent or neighbour is holding the fort for a week.

What this helps you track

• Where the keys, the stopcock, the fuse box and the spare bulbs are
• How the heating, hot water, alarm and bins work, in your words
• Who to ring, from the neighbour with a key to the plumber
• What the plants need and what to do with the post and parcels
• Where you are, how to reach you and when you are back

How to use it

1. Fill in the address, the dates and where you can be reached at the top.
2. Work down the printed items and write, for each, where it is and how it works — the way you would explain it standing next to it.
3. Cross out anything that does not apply and add your own lines: the sticking door, the light on a timer, the neighbour's cat.
4. Fill in the contacts at the top, starting with the person who can get there fastest.
5. List the plants and the post in the last table, with what needs doing and how often you want it done.
6. Leave the sheet where the sitter will see it, and leave the pet sitter sheet beside it if there are animals.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Should I write the alarm code on it?

That is your call. Many people write where the code is or tell the sitter in person and leave the line as 'told you'. The sheet has a line for how the alarm works, and what you put on it is up to you.

Where do the pets go?

On the pet sitter instruction sheet, which has feeding, medicines and the vet on it. This sheet says the pets exist and points across; keeping the two apart means the pet page can go with whoever is doing the animals.

How is this different from the home emergency information sheet?

That sheet is for the bad night — shut-offs, insurers, emergency numbers. This one is for the ordinary week: which bin goes out Tuesday, how the shower works, where the tea is. Leave both if you like.

Can I keep it for next time?

Fill in the browser version once, download the PDF and keep it. Most of it does not change between trips; update the dates and the contact details and print it again.

What if the sitter is being paid?

The sheet is the same. Anything about payment, hours or what you have agreed belongs in the notes or on a separate arrangement between you.