Petme · Austin house sitting

House sitters in Austin, your pet stays home

A vetted Austin sitter stays overnight in your home from South Congress to East Austin. AC kept running, greenbelt walks, festival-week cover. $22,000 Protection Plan, 0% owner fee.

Austin house sitting matches the city's festival calendar and its hot, long summers. A verified Petme sitter stays in your home while you travel, keeps the AC running, walks your dog early along Lady Bird Lake or the Barton Creek Greenbelt, and watches for blue-green algae warnings at the lake. Especially valuable during SXSW and ACL weeks when boarding fills up fast, and for senior dogs that do better in their own space.

Find a house sitter

See sitters in Austin

In-home house sitting in Austin typically runs $65 to $130 per night on Petme. Petme charges pet owners 0% commission, so the sitter rate is the full price. Rate bands verified May 2026.

$65–$130
Per night for house sitting
0%
Owner service fee
$22,000
maximum toward eligible vet costs
4.9 / 5
Average sitter rating

What’s included

What an Austin house-sitting booking includes

Sitter stays overnight in your home

They sleep at your place, keep the AC running, and walk your dog early along the Lady Bird Lake Trail, the Barton Creek Greenbelt, or your usual route.

Daily photo + video updates

Sent in-chat from the booking. Many sitters add a clip from the morning Lady Bird Lake or Zilker walk.

Mail, plants, gate and pool checks

Standard. Mention pool monitoring, smart-lock codes, and any festival-week parking notes in your booking notes.

$22,000 Protection Plan + 24/7 support

Covers emergency care at the Austin Veterinary Emergency Service, Heart of Texas Veterinary Specialty Center, and every licensed Austin-area clinic. Subject to the Protection Plan terms.

Why Austin

Why house sitting works in Austin specifically

Festival weeks (SXSW, ACL) and steady tech-sector travel create sharp windows when boarding fills up and a house sitter is the reliable alternative. Summer heat makes a cross-town boarding drive hard on a dog, so a sitter who stays in your AC is easier. A local sitter knows to check Lady Bird Lake algae warnings and keep the dog out of the water during a bloom.

Neighborhood coverage

Austin neighborhoods Petme house sitters cover

South Congress, East Austin, Hyde Park, Zilker, Tarrytown, Mueller, Clarksville, Bouldin Creek, Travis Heights, Barton Hills, Crestview, Allandale.

Why Petme in Austin

0% fee. Cashback. $22,000 Protection Plan. Same sitter, every time.

The dog-sitter market has been Rover's and Wag's for a decade. Petme rebuilt the economics around the pet owner. Austin owners on Petme pay less per booking, get more protection, and earn cashback on every stay. Sitters keep more of the rate, which is why they show up.

0% service fee for pet owners

Rover, Wag, and Care.com layer a service fee on top of the sitter's rate at checkout, and their exact fees are published on their own sites and can change. Petme layers 0%. You pay only the rate the sitter sets, so a 5-night booking costs exactly five nights.

Protection Plan for eligible vet costs

Owners can get up to $22,000 toward eligible vet costs if something happens during the stay. Petme coordinates with the Austin clinic from inside the app.

Cashback on every booking, automatic

When a booking completes, cashback on every booking lands in your Petme balance instantly. Use it toward the next booking, no expiry, no minimum. Rakuten-style economics applied to your pet's second home.

Verified, background-checked sitters

Every Petme Austin sitter passes identity verification with a government ID plus a background check before going live. Reviews are open and unfiltered. Same-sitter rebooking is one tap, not a matchmaking dice roll.

The cashback maths

What a 5-night booking in Austin actually costs

Worked example at the Austin median nightly rate ($98 per night). The sitter sets the same rate either way; the difference is what each platform stacks on top.

Line itemPetmeFee-charging platforms
Sitter rate (5 × $98)$490$490
Pet-owner service fee$0~$51
Cashback earned−$15n/a
Effective cost$475$541

The right-hand column is a typical owner-side service fee on platforms that charge one on top of the sitter rate (Rover, Wag and Care.com publish their current fees on their own sites). $22,000 Protection Plan is included in the Petme price; other platforms set their own cover and caps.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much does house sitting cost in Austin?
Overnight house sitting in Austin typically runs $65 to $130 per night, depending on the number of pets, length of stay, and any pool or plant tasks. Festival weeks run at the upper end. Petme charges owners 0% on top.
Can I get a sitter for SXSW or ACL weekend?
Yes, but book early. Festival weeks are the highest-demand windows in Austin; lock in a sitter 3 to 4 weeks ahead. The sitter stays in your home while you are out or hosting.
Will the sitter keep the AC on and walk early?
Yes. Austin house sitters keep the AC running, shift walks to early morning through the summer, carry water, and watch flat-faced breeds for heat stress on the limestone greenbelt.
What about blue-green algae at Lady Bird Lake?
Austin sitters check for posted algae warnings and keep dogs out of the water during a bloom, sticking to the trail instead. $22,000 Protection Plan covers water-related emergencies.
Will the sitter watch my pool and water plants?
Yes if you ask. Add pool monitoring and plant watering to your booking notes; many Austin house sitters include light pool checks without extra charge.
What if my pet needs an emergency vet during the sit?
The Protection Plan terms explain what qualifies and how to ask for help. The Austin Veterinary Emergency Service, Heart of Texas Veterinary Specialty Center, and every licensed Austin clinic are all options, and the Protection Plan can contribute up to $22,000 toward eligible vet costs.

Verified pet sitters in Austin

ID check and background check on every profile. Rates and reviews when you open one.

Alina Abdrakhmanova

Alina Abdrakhmanova

Availability confirmed yesterday

Usually replies within a few hours

I’m a caring, responsible, and trustworthy animal lover who treats every pet like family. 🐾 I understand how important it is to feel confident that your furry friend is in good hands. Whether it’s wa

Austin
From $60
Alison Green

Alison Green

Availability confirmed today

Usually replies within a few hours

Every pet deserves love, patience, and a pep talk 🐶

Austin
From $14
Bri

Bri

Availability confirmed 4d ago

Usually replies within a few hours

Your pet will be loved, cared for, and treated like family so you can enjoy peace of mind knowing they’re safe and happy. I will update you as many times as requested, as someone who owns 2 dogs I kno

Austin
From $20
Jesus Vargas

Jesus Vargas

Availability confirmed 8d ago

Usually replies within a few hours

A reliable and caring pet sitter ready to keep your pet happy, active, and safe. Every trip comes with patience, attention, and lots of tail wags

Austin
From $17
Aura

Aura

Availability confirmed 7d ago

Usually replies within a few days

I always want to make sure your pets care is 100% & understand the needs they need ,im shy at first but once meeting owner it gets better I am pretty talkative , im patient with the pets in many ways

Austin
From $16
Gretter Rodriguez Mejias

Gretter Rodriguez Mejias

Availability confirmed 14d ago

Usually replies within a few hours

Loving, reliable care for your furry family members.

From $16
Ciara Evans

Ciara Evans

Availability confirmed 9d ago

Usually replies within a few hours

Not only do I provide safe, compassionate, and skilled care to your loved ones as a nurse but also to cute, furry companions :)

Austin
From $15
Vanessa Huitron

Vanessa Huitron

Availability confirmed 6d ago

Usually replies within a few hours

Reliable, loving pet care you can feel good about while you’re away!

Lockhart
From $25

Find a house sitter in Austin

0% owner fee. Cashback on every booking. Up to $22,000 through the Protection Plan for eligible vet costs. Book in the app, message in chat, meet before you commit.

Find a house sitter