Petme sitter guide · Durham

Pet sitter jobs in Durham where you set the rate

The River Wear loops around Durham's centre on three sides, and a riverside path follows its south bank past the rowing clubs.

Durham is the county town, home to Durham University, the county council, the Land Registry and a passport office. Those employers keep many residents at work all day. As a Petme sitter you pick your services, the areas you cover and your rate for each one.

Apply to be a Petme sitter in Durham

Rather do this on a computer? Start your application online

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 Durham

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 Durham. Sitters set their own price within these bands, and most active sitters earn £344 to £774 per month, depending on the mix of services and how many overnight stays they take.

Service	Rate range	Per
Dog walking	£10 to £16	walk
Drop-in visit	£10 to £16	visit
Pet boarding (at sitter's home)	£22 to £36	night
House sitting (at owner's home)	£28 to £45	night
Doggy day care	£16 to £26	day

Top Durham cities for sitter demand right now:

GilesgateFramwellgate MoorNeville's CrossElvetBelmontCrossgate

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

The practical side

Everything sitters in Durham 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 Durham. 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 Durham

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 Durham Miners' Gala fills the city on the second Saturday in July. School holidays and Christmas are when owners travel and look for someone to care for their pets.

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

FAQ

Your Durham sitter questions, answered straight

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

What can a Durham pet sitter realistically make?

Earnings depend on the services you offer and the hours you put in. As a worked example at Durham 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 £774. 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 is a normal sitting week like in Durham?

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 Durham rates that week comes to about £88. 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 Durham?

Dog walking pays £10–£16 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.

What do overnight stays earn in Durham?

Boarding at the sitter's home pays £22–£36 per night, and house sitting (you stay at the owner's home) pays £28–£45 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 much of each booking does Petme keep?

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 fast do payouts arrive in Durham?

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.

Is every Durham booking covered?

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.

Are any certificates required to sit in Durham?

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 Durham. Opening your calendar over school holidays and Christmas, when owners travel, puts you in front of more requests.

Does pet sitting in Durham work part-time?

Yes. You set your own availability and accept only the bookings that fit, so sitting in Durham 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.

Which parts of Durham should a new sitter cover first?

Start close to where you live. Crossgate, Neville's Cross and the viaduct districts west of the Market Place are largely residential. To the east lie Gilesgate and Gilesgate Moor, with Framwellgate Moor further out to the north.

Do I need a home boarding licence in Durham?

Yes if you board regularly. Most Durham sitters need a Home Boarding Licence from Durham County 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 Durham compare to other UK cities?

Durham is compact and hilly, wrapped in green belt on every side. Much of the centre is a conservation area of listed buildings, so most homes you visit are in the residential districts around it.

Do I need a car to sit in Durham?

No. Arriva North East and Go North East run local buses, and park and ride buses from Belmont, Howlands and Sniperley run up to every 10 minutes, 7am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday. The centre is also a congestion charging area.

When are the busiest seasons for Durham sitters?

The school holidays, Christmas and the second Saturday in July, when the Miners' Gala marches to the old Racecourse. Owners fly from Newcastle and Teesside airports, both 25 to 30 miles away.

How do I start sitting in Durham 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 Durham bands on this page.

Is pet sitting in Durham part time or full time work?

Either, and you choose which. Most Durham sitters start part time around a job or their studies, taking a walk or a drop-in visit a day, then add overnight boarding once regular clients build up. There are no set shifts and no minimum hours, so you accept the requests that fit your week and decline the rest.

Ready when you are

Apply to become a Petme pet sitter in Durham

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

Start your application