How to become a pet sitter in the UK

In short: Becoming a pet sitter in the UK requires no formal qualifications, but there are legal requirements depending on the services you offer — most importantly an Animal Activity Licence from your local council if you board dogs overnight. Beyond that, the practical decisions that shape your income most are which platform you list on and what commission they take from your earnings. Pet sitting in the UK is flexible, genuinely in demand, and one of the few side incomes that doesn't require a CV. But the gap between casual pet sitting and building something reliable comes down to setting things up properly from the start — legally, practically, and in terms of where you find clients. This guide covers the UK-specific requirements, the credentials worth having, and the platform decisions that affect what you actually take home.

What you legally need before you start

Most pet sitting services in the UK require no licence. Drop-in visits, dog walking, and house sitting at the owner's home can all be offered without any formal permission. The exception is home boarding.

Animal Activity Licensing for home boarding

If you plan to board dogs overnight in your own home in England, you are legally required to hold an Animal Activity Licence issued by your local council. This applies under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 and there is no exemption for individuals doing it on a small or occasional basis. The licence requires a home inspection to confirm your property meets welfare standards. Application costs vary by council but typically run £100–£300. Licences are issued for one to three years depending on your welfare rating at inspection. Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have separate regulations for home boarding — check with your local authority if you're outside England, as the rules differ. If you're offering cat boarding, the same licensing requirement may apply depending on your local council's interpretation. Confirm before you advertise.

DBS check

A DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check is not legally required for pet sitters, but it is one of the most effective things you can do to stand out to potential clients. A Basic DBS shows unspent criminal convictions and costs £18 through the government's own service. It tells pet owners you have nothing to hide and have taken a professional step most informal sitters haven't. NarpsUK — the National Association of Pet Sitters and Dog Walkers — requires registered members to hold a current DBS check. Membership gives you a professional profile in their directory, which some owners specifically search when looking for vetted, insured sitters.

Insurance

You are not legally required to hold insurance to work as a pet sitter in the UK, but operating without it is a significant risk. The two types that matter most are public liability insurance — which covers you if a pet in your care injures someone or damages property — and Care, Custody & Control cover, which covers vet costs if a pet is injured or falls ill while in your care. If you offer house sitting or hold clients' keys, key cover is worth adding. Specialist pet business insurers such as Protectivity and Cliverton both offer combined policies designed for pet sitters and dog walkers in the UK, starting from around £60–£90 per year.

What services you can offer

Most new pet sitters start with one or two services and expand from there. The main options in the UK market are drop-in visits, dog walking, home boarding, house sitting, and doggy daycare. Drop-in visits and dog walking require no licence and can be started immediately once you have insurance. They're also the easiest to fill first bookings on — owners need regular dog walkers far more consistently than they need overnight boarding. Starting here builds reviews and reputation before you take on longer, more complex bookings. Home boarding tends to command the highest rates but requires the Animal Activity Licence and a home that passes inspection. Daycare — where dogs spend the day at your home — may also fall under the licensing requirements depending on how your council interprets the regulations. Check before advertising. For a broader view of what each service involves day-to-day, see our dog walking guide and our overview for first-time pet sitters.

Where to find pet sitting jobs in the UK

The fastest route to consistent bookings in the UK is listing on a dedicated platform rather than building a client base from scratch. The platform you choose has a direct effect on your take-home earnings — because commission structures vary considerably.

How platform commission compares

This is the number most new sitters don't think about until after they've built their first bookings — and it's worth understanding before you commit. Petme takes a 10–15% commission from sitters on completed bookings. On a £50 overnight booking, that's £5–£7.50 retained by the platform and £42.50–£45 in your pocket. Rover takes 20% commission from sitters. On the same £50 booking, that's £10 to the platform and £40 to you. TrustedHouseSitters operates on an exchange model. Sitters provide free pet and home care in exchange for free accommodation — there is no payment at all. For sitters looking to build income, this model doesn't serve that goal. It suits people who want to travel cheaply; it doesn't suit anyone trying to earn from their time with animals. The gap between 10–15% and 20% may seem modest on a single booking. Across a month of regular bookings — say, twelve overnight stays at £50 each — it's the difference between keeping £510–£540 and keeping £480. Over a year, that compounds significantly. Rover has a larger existing client base in the UK, which can mean faster early bookings for new sitters in high-demand areas. Petme's social profile model — where owners follow sitters before making contact — rewards sitters who post consistently about their work. It takes slightly longer to build a following, but the bookings that come from it tend to be longer-term relationships rather than one-off requests. For a full breakdown of UK platforms, see our best pet sitting apps UK comparison.

Building your profile and getting first bookings

Your profile is the first thing potential clients read. It needs to answer the questions an owner has before they trust you with their pet: what animals you've cared for, what your home looks like if you offer boarding, how you communicate, and what makes you worth choosing over the sitter listed next to you. Specific is more convincing than enthusiastic. "I've cared for anxious rescue dogs and understand how to manage slow introductions" tells an owner more than "I love all animals." If you have relevant experience — working with a vet, volunteering at a rescue, dog training background — say so with specifics. A strong sitter bio and real photos of you with animals are the two things that move a browsing owner toward making contact. See our pet sitter bio examples for what works in practice. For your first bookings, respond to enquiries quickly and offer a free meet and greet as standard. New profiles have no reviews — meeting the owner and their pet in person is what substitutes for that trust until you've built it. Every first booking is the foundation of a review that helps the next one.

Tax and HMRC for UK pet sitters

Pet sitting income in the UK is self-employment income. If you earn more than £1,000 in a tax year from pet sitting — the Trading Allowance threshold — you are required to register as self-employed with HMRC and file a Self Assessment tax return annually. Registration is free and takes around 20 minutes on the HMRC website. Once registered, you'll file your return each year covering income earned between April 6th and April 5th, with the deadline for online returns on January 31st. You can deduct legitimate business expenses from your taxable income: insurance premiums, professional memberships (NarpsUK), DBS check fees, equipment like leads or first aid kits, and a portion of phone costs used for your business. Keep records from the start. If your total income — from pet sitting and any other employment — stays below the personal allowance (£12,570 for 2025/26), you won't owe income tax. You may still owe Class 2 National Insurance if your profits exceed the Small Profits Threshold. HMRC's own guidance is the most current source on current rates and thresholds.

Frequently asked questions about becoming a pet sitter in the UK

1. Do you need qualifications to become a pet sitter in the UK?

No formal qualifications are required. Anyone can offer drop-in visits, dog walking, or house sitting without a certificate. That said, a pet first aid qualification, a DBS check, and public liability insurance set you apart from informal sitters and give owners a concrete reason to trust you. NarpsUK membership — which requires DBS checks and insurance — provides a professional directory listing that some owners specifically seek out.

2. Do you need a licence to be a pet sitter in the UK?

Only if you board dogs overnight in your own home in England. This requires an Animal Activity Licence from your local council under the 2018 Animal Welfare regulations. Drop-in visits, dog walking, and house sitting at the owner's home do not require a licence. Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland operate under separate regulations — check with your local authority before advertising home boarding outside England.

3. How much can you earn as a pet sitter in the UK?

Rates vary by service and location. Dog boarding overnight typically runs £30–£70 per night, with London at the higher end. Dog walking earns £12–£20 per walk nationally. Drop-in visits run £12–£20 per visit. A sitter doing two dog walks and two drop-ins per day, five days a week, at average rates can earn £1,200–£2,000 per month before platform commission. Choosing a platform with lower commission directly increases what you keep — see our dog sitter rates guide for a full breakdown.

4. What insurance does a UK pet sitter need?

At minimum, public liability insurance — which covers injury to third parties or damage to property while you're working — and Care, Custody & Control cover, which covers vet costs if a pet in your care is injured or falls ill. If you hold client keys, key cover is worth adding. Specialist UK pet business insurers including Protectivity and Cliverton offer combined policies from around £60–£90 per year. NarpsUK requires registered members to hold valid insurance as a condition of membership.

5. What is the best app to find pet sitting jobs in the UK?

Petme takes 10–15% commission from sitters — lower than Rover's 20% — and gives you a social profile that owners follow before making contact, which builds longer-term client relationships rather than one-off bookings. Rover has a larger existing client base in some areas, which can mean faster early bookings for new sitters. For a full platform comparison see our UK pet sitting apps guide.

6. Do I need to pay tax on pet sitting income in the UK?

Yes, if you earn more than £1,000 from pet sitting in a tax year. The first £1,000 is covered by the Trading Allowance and is tax-free. Above that threshold you must register as self-employed with HMRC and file a Self Assessment return annually. You can deduct legitimate business expenses — insurance, DBS fees, NarpsUK membership, equipment — from your taxable income. If your total income stays below the personal allowance (£12,570 for 2025/26), you will owe no income tax, though Class 2 National Insurance may still apply. 💷 For a broader guide to pet sitting as a career, see our article on how to become a professional pet sitter, and if you're starting with no prior experience, our guide to becoming a pet sitter with no experience covers where to begin.