Petme sitter guide · United Kingdom

Pet sitting in United Kingdom: 25 questions answered for 2026 sitters

Pet sitting in the UK is self-employed work you shape yourself: you choose the services, the areas you cover and your rate for each. This guide covers what UK sitters need to sort first, from HMRC to the home boarding licence.

UK owners expect verified sitters, clear pricing and proper insurance. This guide answers the questions UK sitters ask before signing up, including the home boarding licence question that is easy to leave too late.

Apply to be a Petme sitter in the UK

Up to 90%

of every booking kept by the sitter

20,000

Protection Plan maximum for eligible vet costs

250K+

members on Petme

4.9 / 5

average sitter rating

Earnings snapshot

What Petme sitters actually earn in United Kingdom

You keep up to 90% of every booking one of the strongest take-home rates in the industry. The numbers below are the live rate bands in United Kingdom. Sitters set their own price within these bands, and most active sitters earn £344 to £1,118 per month, depending on the mix of services and how many overnight stays they take.

Service	Rate range	Per
Dog walking	£10 to £20	walk
Drop-in visit	£10 to £18	visit
Pet boarding (at sitter's home)	£25 to £55	night
House sitting (at owner's home)	£35 to £65	night
Doggy day care	£20 to £40	day

Top United Kingdom cities for sitter demand right now:

LondonManchesterEdinburghBristolBrightonGlasgowBirminghamLeeds

Ready to set up a profile and pick your rates? Start your application.

The practical side

Everything sitters in the UK need to know before signing up

Earnings are only half the picture. Below are the tax, scheduling, protection, and payout realities of running a Petme sitter profile in United Kingdom. We've written them out the way an experienced sitter would explain them to a friend.

Cashback for high performers

Beyond the up to 90% you keep on every booking, Petme pays cashback on top. The more you sit and the stronger your reviews, the larger the cashback tier you unlock. High-performing sitters with consistent 5-star reviews and steady booking volume earn the biggest bonus. Automatic, no claim paperwork, paid out alongside your normal weekly payouts.

Apply in the UK

Protection on every booking

The Petme Protection Plan provides up to 20,000 on every reservation. Automatic on every booking. No separate purchase required. The 24/7 support team is there for emergencies, so you are never alone with a problem at 3am.

Seasonal demand

Owners travel most over the summer holidays, the October half-term and the two weeks around Christmas. You set your own rate, so you can price those dates differently from the rest of the year.

Payouts within 2 days

Petme releases your payout automatically once a booking is marked complete. The money lands in your bank account within 2 business days. No invoicing, no chasing the owner. The platform takes care of it.

Set your own schedule

Accept only the bookings you want. Pause your profile any time. There are no minimum hours and no schedule lock-in. Most Petme sitters in the UK start while holding another job and only go full time once their calendar fills naturally.

FAQ

25 questions, answered straight

These are the questions Petme sitters in the UK actually ask before signing up, and the ones they wish they had asked sooner. Each answer is specific to United Kingdom, not a generic template.

How much do pet sitters earn in the UK?

Earnings depend on the services you offer and the hours you put in. As a worked example at the UK rates, eight dog walks a week at the lowest walk rate come to about £344 a month, and four nights of house sitting a week at the top rate to about £1118. Overnight boarding and house sitting pay the most per booking, drop-ins and walks the least. You keep up to 90% of every booking: Petme's service fee is 10-20%.

What does a typical week look like for a Petme sitter in the UK?

You set the week yourself. One example: 4 dog walks during weekday lunchtimes, 2 drop-in visits in the evenings and one overnight stay at the weekend. At the lowest the UK rates that week comes to about £95. Taking more overnight stays is the quickest way to raise it, because they pay the most per booking.

How much do dog walkers make in the UK?

Dog walking pays £10–£20 per walk on Petme. A 30-minute neighbourhood walk is typically priced near the lower end; longer walks, multi-dog walks, or walks in busy city centres command the upper end. You set your own rate when you build your profile.

How much does overnight pet boarding pay in the UK?

Boarding at the sitter's home pays £25–£55 per night, and house sitting (you stay at the owner's home) pays £35–£65 per night. Overnight care pays more per booking than any other Petme service, so a few stays a month move your income the most.

How does Petme's service fee work?

Petme takes 10-20% from each completed booking and the sitter keeps up to 90%. The fee covers payment processing, customer support, and the Petme Protection Plan for eligible vet costs.

How fast do payouts arrive in the UK?

Payouts are released automatically once a booking is marked complete in the Petme app. The money lands in your bank account within 2 business days. You don't need to invoice the owner or chase payment: the platform handles it end-to-end.

What protections do sitters get on every booking?

The Petme Protection Plan, which can contribute up to £20,000 toward eligible vet costs if something happens to the pet in your care. It is a discretionary fund, not insurance. Petme also offers 24/7 customer support so you're never left handling an emergency alone.

What do I need to start as a Petme sitter?

You need to be 18 or older, own a smartphone capable of running the app, complete ID verification, and demonstrate genuine experience around animals during your profile review. Some local rules apply for commercial-scale boarding: see the country-specific question below.

How quickly can I get my first booking?

It depends on the services you offer, your rates and how many owners near you are looking, so there is no fixed wait. What you control is the profile owners choose from: at least 4 clear photos, a written bio, clear service descriptions and rates in line with the UK. Opening your calendar over school holidays and Christmas, when owners travel, puts you in front of more requests.

Can I pet sit alongside my regular job?

Yes. You set your own availability and accept only the bookings that fit, so sitting in the UK can run alongside a full-time job: dog walks fit lunchtime windows, drop-in visits fit evenings, and weekend boarding fits around a Monday-to-Friday week.

What are the busiest cities for pet sitting in the UK?

Petme does not publish booking numbers by city. London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds and Manchester are the largest UK cities by population, and each Petme city guide lists its local rate bands and the neighbourhoods sitters cover, so start with the guide for your own city.

Do I need a licence to board dogs at home in the UK?

Yes, in most of England and Wales you need a Home Boarding Licence from your local council under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018, once you start boarding regularly. Walking, drop-in visits, and day care below 5 days a year typically don't require it. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate equivalent schemes.

Do I need a licence to walk dogs in the UK?

There is no national dog-walking licence. Walking up to about 4 dogs at once is generally fine anywhere, but taking on more (usually 6) often needs a council dog-walking licence, and the rules differ by council: Wandsworth issues one, and the Royal Parks require a separate permit. Public spaces can carry their own limits, so check your local council before you scale up group walks.

What insurance do I need as a UK pet sitter?

The standard cover for pet pros is public liability plus "care, custody and control", which protects you if a pet is injured, lost, or causes damage in your charge. Most councils and clients expect around £2 million of public-liability cover, so sort a policy before you take paid bookings. Petme also offers the Protection Plan for eligible vet costs, and personal cover sits on top of that.

Do I need to declare pet sitting income for tax in the UK?

Yes if you earn over £1,000 per tax year (the Trading Allowance threshold). You register as a sole trader with HMRC, then file a Self Assessment return each January. Expenses (gear, mileage, a percentage of home utilities for boarding) are deductible against the income.

How do I register as self-employed for pet sitting in the UK?

Once you pass the £1,000 trading allowance you register as a sole trader with HMRC by 5 October after the tax year you started, then file your first Self Assessment by 31 January online. You can claim 45p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles instead of tracking fuel. Making Tax Digital for Income Tax phases in from April 2026 over £50,000, so check gov.uk or an accountant.

What do UK sitters actually take home on Petme?

You keep up to 90% of every booking and set your own rate for each service. Each Petme city guide lists the local bands per walk, visit and night, so check the one for your city before you price. The Petme Protection Plan can contribute up to £20,000 toward eligible vet costs for the pet in your care.

How does pet sitting in the UK compare to Deliveroo or Uber Eats?

Both are self-employed work you fit around your week, but the work is different. Food delivery pays per drop and needs a bike or a vehicle. Pet sitting on Petme pays per booking at the rate you set, and walks, drop-ins and home boarding need no vehicle in most towns.

What's the going rate for boarding in London vs Manchester?

The London and Manchester city guides each list a local boarding band per night, and London's is the higher of the two. You set your own nightly rate in either city, so treat the band as a guide rather than a fixed price.

When is the busiest season for pet sitters in the UK?

The August bank holiday, October half-term, and the Christmas-to-New-Year stretch are the three peak windows. Easter weekend is smaller but reliable. Demand dips most in February.

Is pet sitting more profitable than working in retail or hospitality in the UK?

It depends on how many bookings you take. Retail and hospitality pay a fixed hourly wage on a rota, while on Petme you set your own rate per walk, visit or night and keep up to 90% of each booking. You also accept only the bookings that fit your week, so there is no shift pattern to follow.

How does pet sitting in the UK differ from Ireland?

The work is the same; the paperwork differs. UK sitters register with HMRC and can use the £1,000 trading allowance, while sitters in Ireland register with Revenue. Petme runs in both countries, with the Protection Plan for eligible vet costs in each.

What's it like sitting for popular UK dog breeds?

Labradors, Cocker Spaniels and French Bulldogs are among the breeds UK owners keep most. Cockers need a lot of exercise, Frenchies overheat in summer, and Dachshunds should be carried up stairs to protect their backs. Ask each owner about routines at the meet and greet.

What's one thing UK sitters wish they knew before starting?

Sort the home boarding licence before you need it. Councils inspect before they issue it and the process can take several weeks, so apply well before the summer holidays and Christmas, when owners book stays.

Where do I go to apply as a pet sitter in the UK?

Start your application at petme.social/uk/become-a-pet-sitter. The form is quick.

Ready when you are

Apply to become a Petme pet sitter in the UK

The full apply page has the signup form, service-by-service rate setting, and ID verification flow.

Start your application

Pet sitter income by city

Become a pet sitter in your UK city

Rates, demand, council licensing and seasonal patterns vary a lot between UK metros. Each city guide answers the questions a new sitter actually has about that market. Browse all 205 UK pet sitting markets below.

Start with one service

Pick the service you want to offer

Most UK sitters lead with one service and add the others later. Each starter guide covers the licence position, insurance, and realistic pay for that service on its own.