Which TrustedHousesitters Sitter Membership Level Should You Choose?

TrustedHousesitters offers three membership levels for sitters (not pet owners - that's a different pricing structure). The question isn't "what do they cost?" (you can check that on their site). The question is: which one actually fits your situation?

Before diving into the tiers, understand this: if you're still deciding whether house sitting is even worth it, read my breakdown on whether THS is worth the investment. Once you know you're joining, the membership decision becomes about risk tolerance and travel frequency.

Understanding the Three Sitter Tiers

All three levels let you apply for unlimited sits worldwide. The differences are in:

• Per-sit booking fees
• Insurance and liability protection
• Support priority
• Additional perks (vet line, airport lounges, etc.)

Critical to understand: Both Basic and Standard charge a per-sit booking fee for every confirmed sit. Only Premium has no booking fees.

Basic: The Bare Minimum

Best for: Someone testing house sitting for the very first time who plans to do only 1-2 sits per year and is comfortable with minimal protection.

The reality: No liability protection means if you're found negligent in an incident, you have no coverage. The per-sit fees also add up quickly if you do more than a couple sits.

Standard: The Middle Ground

Best for: Regular sitters who do several sits per year and want liability protection but have backup housing if a sit cancels.

Why it matters: The liability protection covers you if someone gets injured on the property while you're sitting, or if you're found negligent in an incident. The vet line is also incredibly helpful when you're in an unfamiliar area and need urgent pet advice.

The math: Standard costs more upfront than Basic, but the added protection is significant. However, you still pay per-sit fees, which add up if you're doing many sits.

Premium: For Full-Time Nomads

Best for: Full-time nomads who rely on house sitting as their primary housing and do many sits per year.

The two key features:

• No booking fees: If you're doing 10+ sits per year, this alone makes Premium worth it financially
• Sit cancellation insurance: If an owner cancels last-minute and you have no backup housing, Premium covers emergency hotel costs

How to Decide

Ask yourself these questions:

1. How many sits will you do per year?
   • 1-2 sits → Basic or Standard (calculate total with booking fees)
   • 3-5 sits → Standard makes sense
   • 6+ sits → Premium becomes cost-effective due to no booking fees
   • Full-time (10+ sits) → Premium is the clear winner
2. Do you have backup housing if a sit cancels?
   • Yes → Standard might be enough
   • No → Premium protects you
3. What's your comfort level with risk?
   • Willing to go without liability coverage → Basic
   • Want liability protection → Standard or Premium
   • Want full protection + no booking fees → Premium

The Break-Even Math

At current pricing (check THS for updates):

• Basic: Annual fee + (per-sit fee × number of sits)
• Standard: Annual fee + (per-sit fee × number of sits)
• Premium: Annual fee only (no per-sit fees)

Premium breaks even with Standard at around 8 sits per year. After that, Premium is cheaper.

My Recommendation

I use Premium because I travel full-time and house sitting is my primary housing. The sit cancellation insurance is worth it when you have no backup plan, and the no booking fees save money when you're doing many sits throughout the year.

For most people who house sit regularly but have other housing options, Standard provides the liability protection you need. Basic only makes sense if you're truly just testing the waters with 1-2 sits.

For a deeper look at whether the membership investment makes sense at all, read my breakdown of the actual travel math.