House Sitting Jobs in Chicago

Your house sitting side gig in Chicago

Owners around Lincoln Park and Wicker Park prefer their pets at home over a boarding kennel. House sitting in Chicago runs $45 to $80 per night, and you keep up to 90% of every booking.

Petme is live in Chicago. Get verified and start accepting requests in your neighborhood.

Start house sittingUp to 90% kept. $22,000 Protection Plan.

Not looking for work? Find a house sitter in Chicago

$45 to $80
per night house sitting in Chicago
Up to 90%
of every booking kept by the sitter
$22,000
Protection Plan for eligible vet costs
4.9 / 5
average sitter rating on Petme
A local edge

Local know-how pays off in Chicago

December through March brings sub-zero wind chills, lake-effect snow, and heavy road salt along the Lakefront Trail. Chicago sitters rinse salt off paws between blocks, keep walks short during a polar vortex, and switch to indoor enrichment when the wind chill turns dangerous.

When demand peaks

Boarding peaks over the winter-holiday travel window and the June-to-August vacation stretch; daily lunchtime walks run steady year-round for downtown and North Side commuters. Lollapalooza weekend and the October marathon lift short-notice demand.

Know your Chicago areas

Most bookings cluster Lincoln Park to Hyde Park. Owners look for sitters who know the area and can reach them without a long trip.

Breeds you will meet in Chicago

Owners here mostly keep Labrador, Goldendoodle, French Bulldog, German Shepherd. Knowing how those breeds behave, and saying so on your profile, is what turns a first booking into a repeat client.

Rates in Chicago

Choose your services, set your own rates

Typical Petme rates in Chicago. You set your own price for each service, and keep up to 90% of every booking.

House sitting

$45 to $80 per night

Overnight boarding

$45 to $80 per night

Drop-in visits

$18 to $28 per 20 to 30 minute visit

Dog walking

$17 to $28 per 30 to 60 minute walk

Where demand is strongest

Chicago areas that book the most

Petme bookings in Chicago come from neighborhoods like Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, Lakeview, across walks, drop-in visits, daycare, and boarding.

Illinois requires no state pet-sitter licence. Chicago enforces a citywide leash-and-waste ordinance, and the Park District restricts off-leash play to permitted Dog Friendly Areas that need an annual tag. Pet-sitting income is self-employment income on a federal Schedule C, with a 1099-NEC from Petme once your annual earnings pass the federal reporting threshold plus the flat Illinois state income tax.

Lincoln ParkWicker ParkLakeviewLogan SquareWest LoopBucktownAndersonvilleHyde ParkRiver NorthPilsenRoscoe VillageEdgewater
Why Petme

Built for sitters in Chicago

Keep up to 90%

You set your rate. Petme keeps a low service fee, and you keep up to 90% of every booking.

Full schedule control

No assigned shifts and no minimum hours. Accept or decline each request and pause your profile whenever you need to.

Protection Plan for eligible vet costs

Owners booking through Petme have the Protection Plan, up to $22,000 for eligible vet costs, subject to its terms.

Common questions

House Sitting Jobs in Chicago

What new sitters ask before signing up on Petme in Chicago.

Can I pick up house sitting jobs near me in Chicago?
You choose the areas of Chicago you cover, and owners in those areas send you booking requests. Nothing is assigned to you across town. Set your coverage to the streets you can actually reach, and decline anything outside them.
Can I take dog walking jobs too, or only house sitting, in Chicago?
You pick which services to offer, so dog walking alongside house sitting is normal. Each carries its own rate that you set, and you can switch one off without touching the other. Most sitters in Chicago start with one and add a second once the calendar fills.
Is this page for hiring a house sitter in Chicago or for working as one?
If you want the work, this is the right page: you set the rate for house sitting in Chicago and take the requests that suit you. If you want to hire, the owner search by address is where to look.
How much do house sitters earn per night in Chicago?
House sitting on Petme in Chicago runs $45 to $80 per night. You set your own nightly rate, and you keep up to 90% of every booking.
Are house sitting jobs hiring near me in Chicago?
Yes. Petme recruits sitters across Chicago year-round, from Lincoln Park to Wicker Park, and owners send booking requests directly to sitters in their area. There is no vacancy list to wait on: you create a profile, set the areas you cover, and accept the requests you want.
Can I do house sitting jobs in Chicago at 16 or 17?
No. Petme sitters must be 18 or over, so under-18s cannot take bookings yet. From 18 you need a smartphone with the Petme app, to pass ID verification, and a profile that describes the pets you have cared for, including your own.
Is house sitting a good part time job in Chicago?
It fits part-time schedules well because you are self-employed: no assigned shifts, no minimum hours, and you set your own rate. Many Chicago sitters take a few bookings a week around a job or studies and scale up or down as their calendar allows.
What does house sitting involve?
You stay in the owner's home and keep their pet's routine: feeding, walks, play, and company overnight, plus basics like mail and plants if asked. Owners book it so their pet stays in familiar surroundings while they travel.
How is house sitting different from boarding in Chicago?
With house sitting you go to the owner's home; with boarding the pet comes to you. House sitting suits pets that do better in their own space, and it is billed per night the same way.
Can I choose which house sitting jobs I accept in Chicago?
Yes. You review each home and pet, arrange a meet first if you want, and accept or decline. You set your nightly rate and your available dates, whether the home is in Lincoln Park or Wicker Park. No assigned bookings and no minimum nights.
What protection comes with house sitting bookings?
The Petme Protection Plan offers up to $22,000 for eligible vet costs for the pet in your care, subject to its terms. The same terms apply whether you stay in Lincoln Park or Wicker Park.
When is house sitting demand highest in Chicago?
Boarding peaks over the winter-holiday travel window and the June-to-August vacation stretch; daily lunchtime walks run steady year-round for downtown and North Side commuters. That pattern shapes house sitting bookings in Chicago across the year. December through March brings sub-zero wind chills, lake-effect snow, and heavy road salt along the Lakefront Trail.
What do I need to start house sitting in Chicago?
You need to be 18 or over, have a smartphone with the Petme app, and pass ID verification. Owners choose on reviews, availability and a complete profile, so it is worth describing the pets you have looked after, including your own, and naming the Chicago areas you cover.
Which dogs will I mostly stay with in Chicago?
Owners in Chicago mostly keep Labrador, Goldendoodle, French Bulldog, German Shepherd, rescue mixes. Saying on your profile which of those you have stayed with helps owners choose you, because most are looking for someone already comfortable with their dog's size and energy.
Nearby cities

House sitting jobs near Chicago

Cover more than one patch. Each city page has its own local rates and demand notes.

MilwaukeeMadisonIndianapolisDetroitCincinnatiSt. Louis
New to pet care? Start here
How to become a pet sitter in the USPet sitter earnings and getting startedIs pet sitting worth it as a side hustle? The take-home mathHow to start pet sitting and land your first booking
Get started

Start earning in Chicago

Set your own rate. Protection Plan up to $22,000, cashback that keeps your clients rebooking, and fast payouts to your bank.

Start house sitting

Pet sitters in Chicago for owners

See the owner side of the marketplace you would join: local sitter profiles, 0% owner fee, up to $22,000 through the Protection Plan for eligible vet costs.

Dog walking jobs in Chicago

Get paid to walk dogs. Set your own routes and hours, keep up to 90% of every walk.

Doggy daycare jobs in Chicago

Host dogs during the day. Set your own headcount, hours and rate, and keep up to 90%.

Cat sitting jobs in Chicago

Drop-in cat visits and in-home cat care. Set your own rate per visit and keep up to 90%.

Pet sitting jobs across the US

Every US metro hiring sitters on Petme. Keep up to 90% of every booking.

Become a pet sitter in the US

The full US guide to getting started on Petme. Keep up to 90%.

Dog grooming jobs in Chicago

Groom professionally? Approved sitters with 6+ months of paid grooming can add it and post their work where owners nearby see it.