Petme sitter guide · Chatham

Becoming a pet sitter in Chatham: rates, payouts and the Protection Plan

Chatham's Royal Dockyard closed in 1984, and its 80-acre historic core is now a museum. Dogs are allowed in the Horsted Valley, which runs from Walderslade to Luton.

Chatham sits where the North Downs slope down to the River Medway, and it is the administrative headquarters of Medway Council. Its suburbs run from St Mary's Island in the north to Lordswood, about 3 miles south of the centre. Sitters on Petme are self-employed and set their own services, areas and rate per service.

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Up to 90%

of every booking kept by the sitter

20,000

in Protection Plan per booking

200k+

pet parents on the platform

4.9 / 5

average sitter rating

Earnings snapshot

What Petme sitters actually earn in Chatham

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 Chatham. Sitters set their own price within these bands, and most active sitters earn £378 to £826 per month, depending on the mix of services and how many overnight stays they take.

Service	Rate range	Per
Dog walking	£11 to £17	walk
Drop-in visit	£11 to £17	visit
Pet boarding (at sitter's home)	£24 to £38	night
House sitting (at owner's home)	£30 to £48	night
Doggy day care	£18 to £28	day

Top Chatham cities for sitter demand right now:

LutonWaldersladeLordswoodPrinces ParkWayfieldSt Mary's Island

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

The practical side

Everything sitters in Chatham 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 Chatham. 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.

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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

The Historic Dockyard runs its Call the Midwife location tour from March to October 2026. Its season closes on 15 November, and it reopens in February 2027.

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 Chatham start while holding another job and only go full time once their calendar fills naturally.

FAQ

Your Chatham sitter questions, answered straight

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

What protections do sitters get on every booking?

Every booking is covered by the Petme Protection Plan, which includes up to £20,000 in veterinary expenses if something happens to the pet in your care. It's automatic on every reservation: no separate purchase, no claim paperwork upfront. Petme also offers 24/7 customer support so you're never left handling an emergency alone.

What do I need to become a Chatham 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.

When should I expect my first booking in Chatham?

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 Chatham. 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 Chatham 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.

How much do pet sitters earn in Chatham?

Earnings depend on the services you offer and the hours you put in. As a worked example at Chatham rates, eight dog walks a week at the lowest walk rate come to about £378 a month, and four nights of house sitting a week at the top rate to about £826. 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%.

How many hours a week do Chatham sitters put in?

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 Chatham rates that week comes to about £96. Taking more overnight stays is the quickest way to raise it, because they pay the most per booking.

What can Chatham dog walkers charge per walk?

Dog walking pays £11–£17 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 boarding pay in Chatham?

Boarding at the sitter's home pays £24–£38 per night, and house sitting (you stay at the owner's home) pays £30–£48 per night. Overnight care pays more per booking than any other Petme service, so a few stays a month move your income the most.

What does Petme charge sitters per booking?

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 that covers every booking automatically.

How quickly is sitter pay released in Chatham?

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.

Which parts of Chatham should a new sitter cover first?

Start with Luton, whose Victorian terraces sit between Chatham High Street and the old village. Walderslade and Lordswood to the south have pockets of woodland for dog walks. St Mary's Island, on former dockyard land, has riverside walks and buses to the town centre.

Do I need a home boarding licence in Chatham?

Yes if you board regularly. Most Chatham sitters need a Home Boarding Licence from Medway Council once boarding becomes a recurring activity, under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. Dog walking, drop-in visits and occasional day care below 5 days a year typically do not require a licence. Allow 6 to 10 weeks for the inspection and certificate.

How does pet sitting in Chatham compare to other UK cities?

Chatham mixes Victorian terraces in the Luton valley with post-war estates in Walderslade and newer homes on St Mary's Island. The Great Lines Heritage Park covers 70 hectares, and Horsted Valley links Walderslade to Luton. The Universities at Medway campus at Chatham Maritime has about 10,000 students.

Do I need a car to sit in Chatham?

Not always: Chatham station and Chatham Waterfront bus station, open since October 2011, are the town's main transport interchanges. Buses link St Mary's Island to the town centre and the railway station. Off-peak, Chatham station has 3 trains an hour to London Victoria and 2 to St Pancras International.

When are the busiest seasons for Chatham sitters?

Chatham families travel in the school holidays and at Christmas, and those dates shape when owners need pet cover. You accept or decline each request, so you decide which holiday weeks you work.

How do I start sitting in Chatham and how soon do bookings come in?

Apply at petme.social/uk/become-a-pet-sitter, complete ID verification and build your profile. How soon the first booking comes depends on the services you offer, your rates and the owners near you, so give them what they need to choose you: several clear photos, a written bio and rates in line with the Chatham bands on this page.

What hours do animal jobs like this usually involve in Chatham?

You decide the hours yourself. Chatham bookings cluster around the morning and late-afternoon dog walks, midday cat visits, and overnight stays when owners travel. You publish the slots you want, take the requests that suit you, and can pause your profile whenever life gets busy.

Ready when you are

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

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