Petme sitter guide · Kingston upon Thames

Choose your hours and your clients as a pet sitter in Kingston upon Thames

Kingston grew up at the first Thames crossing upstream of London Bridge, 10 miles south-west of Charing Cross. The Hogsmill River joins the Thames just upstream of Kingston Bridge.

Kingston upon Thames had around 168,100 residents at the 2021 Census, and 27.3% of households rented privately. As a self-employed Petme sitter you choose your services and the parts of Kingston you cover. Owners nearby send requests you accept or decline, and payouts reach your bank within 2 business days of a completed booking.

Apply to be a Petme sitter in Kingston upon Thames

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 Kingston upon Thames

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 Kingston upon Thames. Sitters set their own price within these bands, and most active sitters earn £482 to £1,032 per month, depending on the mix of services and how many overnight stays they take.

Service	Rate range	Per
Dog walking	£14 to £22	walk
Drop-in visit	£14 to £22	visit
Pet boarding (at sitter's home)	£32 to £50	night
House sitting (at owner's home)	£40 to £60	night
Doggy day care	£22 to £38	day

Top Kingston upon Thames cities for sitter demand right now:

CanburyNorbitonSurbitonCoombeKingston ValeBerrylands

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

The practical side

Everything sitters in Kingston upon Thames 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 Kingston upon Thames. 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 Kingston upon Thames

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

Kingston's Christmas market filled the Ancient Market Place from 13 November to 28 December 2025. Christmas and the school holidays are when owners travel and want their pets cared for at home.

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

FAQ

Your Kingston upon Thames sitter questions, answered straight

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

Does pet sitting in Kingston upon Thames work part-time?

Yes. You set your own availability and accept only the bookings that fit, so sitting in Kingston upon Thames 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 can a Kingston upon Thames pet sitter realistically make?

Earnings depend on the services you offer and the hours you put in. As a worked example at Kingston upon Thames rates, eight dog walks a week at the lowest walk rate come to about £482 a month, and four nights of house sitting a week at the top rate to about £1032. 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 Kingston upon Thames?

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 Kingston upon Thames rates that week comes to about £124. 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 Kingston upon Thames?

Dog walking pays £14–£22 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 Kingston upon Thames?

Boarding at the sitter's home pays £32–£50 per night, and house sitting (you stay at the owner's home) pays £40–£60 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 Kingston upon Thames?

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 Kingston upon Thames 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 Kingston upon Thames?

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

Which parts of Kingston upon Thames should a new sitter cover first?

Start with Canbury, where Canbury Gardens runs beside the Thames towpath. Norbiton lies about a mile east of the centre. Berrylands, mostly 1930s semi-detached homes, has its own station and the Hogsmill beside it.

Do I need a home boarding licence in Kingston upon Thames?

Yes if you board regularly. Most Kingston upon Thames sitters need a Home Boarding Licence from Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames 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 Kingston upon Thames compare to other UK cities?

Kingston sits on the Thames, with the Hogsmill River and Canbury Gardens inside the town. At the 2021 Census, 27.3% of households rented privately and 60.9% owned their home. Richmond Park's Kingston Gate opens onto 856 hectares of Royal Park.

Do I need a car to sit in Kingston upon Thames?

You can cover much of Kingston without a car. Kingston has two bus stations, Cromwell Road and Fairfield, and the borough has nine South Western Railway stations. Routes 85, 265 and K3 run through Kingston Vale.

When are the busiest seasons for Kingston upon Thames sitters?

Plan for Christmas and the school holidays, the weeks when owners go away. In Richmond Park, dogs must stay on leads from 1 May to 31 July, and the park advises leads during the autumn rut.

How do I start sitting in Kingston upon Thames 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 Kingston upon Thames bands on this page.

Is pet sitting in Kingston upon Thames part time or full time work?

Either, and you choose which. Most Kingston upon Thames 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 Kingston upon Thames

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

Start your application