Pet sitter insurance: key facts
- Pet sitter insurance is not a legal requirement for a sole trader, but most clients and booking platforms expect it.
- Public liability does not cover the pets you look after. You need care, custody and control cover for vet bills or a lost or escaped pet.
- Employers' liability is a legal requirement once you employ anyone, with at least £5 million of cover.
- Cover for a sole trader doing drop-in visits often costs roughly £60 to £150 a year (rough guide figure).
- Pet sitting in the owner's home needs no licence in England, but boarding dogs or cats in your own home does.
- Your own home insurance won't cover home boarding. Tell your home insurer and get business cover.
- Key cover pays to change locks if you lose a client's keys. Most pet sitters hold several sets.
- Driving pets to the vet or groomer needs business use on your car insurance.
What does pet sitter insurance cover?
Pet sitter insurance is a bundle of covers rather than one policy. The core parts are public liability (injury to people or damage to property, including the client's home), care, custody and control (the animals themselves) and key cover (lost client keys).
| Cover | What it protects | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|
| Public liability | Claims if you injure a member of the public or damage their property, including damage to the client's home while you're sitting, such as a tap left running that floods the kitchen. | Every pet sitter. This is the core of any policy. |
| Care, custody and control | The animals in your care: vet fees if a pet is injured or falls ill while with you, or its value if it escapes, is lost, stolen or dies, up to a limit per animal. | Every pet sitter. Without it, the pets themselves are usually not covered. |
| Key cover | Replacing locks and keys if you lose a client's keys, or they're stolen. | Anyone who holds clients' keys or alarm codes. |
| Employers' liability | Claims from staff who are injured or made ill at work. | A legal requirement once you employ anyone, including part-time or casual help. |
| Personal accident | A payment if you're injured and can't work, for example after a bad bite, scratch or fall. | Sole traders with no sick pay to fall back on. |
| Professional indemnity | Claims that your advice or a mistake in your service caused a client a financial loss. | Sitters who give advice on behaviour, diet or training. |
| Equipment | Crates, carriers, leads and other kit if they're lost, stolen or damaged. | Sitters who board animals or carry their own kit. |
| Business vehicle use | Using your car to take pets to the vet, groomer or your home (a pet taxi). | Anyone driving clients' pets. Arranged through your motor insurer, not the pet sitter policy. |
Pet sitting insurance for drop-ins, house sitting and home boarding
Insurers treat three types of pet sitting differently: drop-in visits, overnight house sitting in the owner's home, and home boarding at your own home. Each step up carries more risk and costs more to insure, and home boarding also needs a licence in England.
| Type of pet sitting | Main risks | Licence needed in England? |
|---|---|---|
| Drop-in visits (feeding, litter trays, a short walk, cuddles) | Pets escaping as you come and go, lost keys, missed medication. | No |
| Overnight house sitting in the owner's home | All of the above, plus damage to the home and its contents while you're living there. | No |
| Home boarding at your own home | Pets fighting or escaping from your home, illness spreading between animals, damage to your property. | Yes, for dogs and cats |
House sitting insurance is often a gap. If you damage a client's home while staying over, their home insurer may pay out and then recover the cost from you. Check your public liability covers premises you're working in.
Cat sitter insurance is usually the same policy. The main risk with cats is escape, so check lost pets are covered and the limit per animal.
Do pet sitters need insurance by law?
No law says a sole-trader pet sitter must have insurance. Once you employ anyone, even one part-timer, employers' liability insurance is a legal requirement with at least £5 million of cover. If you board animals at home in England, your council will usually expect insurance as part of the licence.
In practice, it's hard to work without insurance:
- Clients, booking platforms and agencies ask for it. People are handing you their pets and keys, and many want to see your certificate first.
- The law can make you responsible. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, the person responsible for an animal, even temporarily, has a duty to meet its welfare needs. The Animals Act 1971 can also make keepers liable for damage caused by animals.
Employers without employers' liability insurance can be fined up to £2,500 for every day they're uninsured.
How much does pet sitter insurance cost?
For a sole trader doing drop-in visits, public liability, care, custody and control and key cover often costs roughly £60 to £150 a year. Overnight house sitting, home boarding and staff push the price up. These are rough guide figures.
| Typical set-up | Rough guide price per year |
|---|---|
| Sole trader doing drop-in visits: public liability, care, custody and control and key cover | £60 to £150 |
| Adding overnight house sitting or home boarding | £100 to £250 |
| Pet sitting business with staff (adds employers' liability) | £200 to £500 |
What affects your price:
- The type of pet sitting. Drop-ins cost least. Overnight house sitting and home boarding cost more.
- The animals you look after. Cats and small pets are usually cheaper to cover than large dogs. Exotics, such as reptiles or birds, and horses may need special terms.
- How many animals you look after at once, and how many clients you have.
- Your limits: the public liability level (£1 million, £2 million or £5 million are common), the care, custody and control limit per animal, and the key cover limit.
- Staff, which adds employers' liability.
- Your claims history and experience.
A broker can give you an actual price once they know how you work.
What to check before you buy pet sitting insurance
Two pet sitting policies at the same price can cover very different things. Check these points in the policy wording before you buy.
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Care, custody and control limit per animal | A limit of a few hundred pounds may not cover a serious vet bill or a pedigree pet. |
| Animals covered | Some policies only cover cats and dogs. Check rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, reptiles, fish and horses if you look after them. |
| Escape and loss | Check whether escaped and lost pets are covered, and whether advertising and reward costs are included. |
| Damage to the client's home | Overnight sitters need cover for damage to the home they're staying in, which some policies exclude. |
| Home boarding | Many basic policies exclude boarding at your home. It must be named on the policy if you do it. |
| Key cover limit | Losing a key ring with several clients' keys can mean many lock changes. |
| Medication and pre-existing conditions | Vet fees for existing conditions are usually excluded. Check you're covered when giving medication the owner has asked you to give. |
| Number of animals at once | Some policies cap how many animals you can look after, or walk, at the same time. |
Licensing and rules for pet sitters in the UK
In England, pet sitting in the owner's home does not need a licence. Boarding dogs or cats in your own home for payment does, under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. Rules differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Home boarding licence (England). If you look after other people's dogs or cats in your own home for money, you'll usually need a licence from your council under the 2018 Regulations. The council inspects your home and gives a star rating. Agencies arranging home boarding also need one. Pet sitting and drop-in visits in the owner's home don't.
- Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has its own licensing regulations, which came in from 2021. Wales and Northern Ireland use separate rules. Check with your local council before you board animals at home.
- Your own home insurance. A standard home policy won't cover a business run from your home, and boarding animals may break its terms. Tell your home insurer, and if you rent, check your tenancy or ask your landlord.
- Vet consent and medication. Get written permission from each owner to take their pet to a vet in an emergency, with a spending limit and who pays. Only give medication the owner's vet has prescribed, as instructed, and keep a record each time.
- Dogs on walks. Council Public Spaces Protection Orders may limit how many dogs you walk at once. The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 can apply to whoever is in charge of a dog, not just the owner.
- Driving pets. Most personal car policies don't cover business use. If you take pets to the vet or run a pet taxi, check your motor policy includes it, or a claim could be refused.
Common pet sitter insurance claims
Most pet sitter claims involve a pet escaping or getting hurt, damage to the client's home, or lost keys. These are realistic examples of what can go wrong.
- The escaped cat. A cat slips past you on a drop-in visit, is hit by a car and needs surgery. Care, custody and control cover pays the vet bill, up to the limit per animal.
- The running tap. On an overnight house sit you leave the bath running and water comes through the kitchen ceiling. Public liability covering the client's home pays for the repairs.
- The lost keys. You lose a key ring holding four clients' keys. Key cover pays a locksmith to change the locks at each home.
- The sick dog. A boarded dog eats something in your garden and needs emergency treatment. Care, custody and control cover helps with the vet fees.
- The bite. A dog you're looking after bites a neighbour on a walk. Public liability covers the neighbour's claim.
Starting a pet sitting business: checklist
Before you take your first paid booking, register with HMRC, get insured and put a written agreement in place with every client.
- Register as self-employed with HMRC, or set up a limited company.
- Decide what you'll offer: drop-ins, overnight house sitting, home boarding or a mix. This shapes your insurance and whether you need a licence.
- Apply for a home boarding licence from your council if you'll board dogs or cats at your home.
- Get insured: public liability, care, custody and control and key cover, plus business use on your car if you drive pets.
- Tell your home insurer (and landlord, if you rent) if you'll board animals at home.
- Use a written agreement with each client covering vet consent, medication, emergency contacts, keys and alarm codes, and whether pets can go outside.
- Consider pet first aid training. It helps in an emergency and some insurers look on it favourably.
- Add employers' liability before you take on any help.
Why use a broker rather than buying online?
Buying online suits simple set-ups, such as a sole trader doing cat drop-ins. A broker helps when your work doesn't fit a standard box, such as home boarding, exotic animals or staff.
Off-the-shelf online pet sitting policies work well for many sole traders. A broker who arranges cover for pet sitters can be useful if you board animals at home, look after exotics or horses, stay over in clients' homes, employ staff, or want the care, custody and control limits explained before you buy. They can compare insurers and help if you claim.
For a wider guide to every type of business cover, see our small business insurance guide.
Related guides
Pet sitter insurance: frequently asked questions
Do pet sitters need insurance in the UK?
Insurance is not a legal requirement for a sole-trader pet sitter, but most clients and booking platforms expect it. Employers' liability insurance is a legal requirement as soon as you employ anyone, with at least £5 million of cover.
How much does pet sitter insurance cost?
As a rough guide, a sole trader doing drop-in visits often pays roughly £60 to £150 a year for public liability, care, custody and control and key cover. Adding overnight house sitting or home boarding typically brings it to around £100 to £250, and a business with staff may pay £200 to £500. These are rough guide figures including 12% Insurance Premium Tax.
What is the difference between pet sitter insurance and dog walker insurance?
Both usually include public liability and care, custody and control cover. Pet sitter insurance also focuses on the client's home, such as damage while house sitting and key cover, and on a wider range of animals. If you do both, make sure both activities are named on one policy.
Is cat sitter insurance different from pet sitter insurance?
Usually not. Most pet sitter policies cover cats, and cat sitting is mostly drop-in visits. Check the policy covers cats that escape or go missing, and that the limit per animal is high enough.
Does house sitting insurance cover damage to the client's home?
Only if your public liability covers property you're working in or looking after. Some policies exclude damage to property in your care, so check the wording if you stay overnight in clients' homes.
Do I need a licence to be a pet sitter?
In England, pet sitting in the owner's home does not need a licence. Boarding dogs or cats in your own home for payment does need a council licence under the 2018 animal activities licensing regulations. Rules differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Will my home insurance cover me if I board pets at my house?
Almost certainly not. Standard home insurance excludes business activities and may be invalidated if you board animals without telling your insurer. You need business insurance that names home boarding, and you should tell your home insurer.
Am I covered if a pet escapes while I'm looking after it?
Only if your policy includes care, custody and control cover that covers escape and loss. Check the limit per animal and whether costs such as advertising for a lost pet are included.
Can I give a pet its medication while I'm sitting?
You can usually give medication the owner's vet has prescribed, following the instructions. Get the owner's written consent, keep a record of each dose, and check your policy covers giving medication.
Does pet sitter insurance cover exotic pets or horses?
Not always. Many policies cover cats, dogs and small pets as standard but need exotics such as reptiles and birds, or horses, to be named. Tell the broker every type of animal you look after.
Am I insured when driving a client's pet to the vet?
Not through your pet sitter policy. Driving pets for your business is business use of your car, so your motor insurance must include business use. Most social, domestic and pleasure policies don't.