Free printable
House Sitter Instructions (Printable)
By Jason Su · Updated October 12, 2026
A house sitter does not need your life story. They need to know how to get in, what will break while you are away, and who to call when it does — ideally before they are standing in a cold kitchen at 7 a.m. wondering which switch is the furnace.
This sheet is written for the person who is actually in the house: a neighbour for a long weekend, a relative for two weeks, or a friend checking in twice a day.
The three things that go wrong
Almost every “I came back to a problem” story is one of these:
- Water. A supply line, a water heater, or a slow leak under a sink. The sitter needs to know where the shutoff is before they need it, and they should know it is fine to use it.
- Heat. The thermostat gets turned down “to save money” and the pipes freeze, or it gets turned up and the furnace fails. Say what to leave it at, and say not to change it.
- Nobody could reach you in time. The sitter had a question, called, got voicemail, and guessed. Leave a second number and permission to decide.
The sheet
Getting in
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| How to enter (front door, side door, garage code) | |
| Where the spare key is | |
| Alarm code, and how to disarm | |
| Who to tell that someone is staying | |
| Which lights to leave on | |
| Wi-Fi network name and password location |
The systems, and where to shut them off
| What | Where it is | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Main water shutoff | ||
| Water heater shutoff | ||
| Breaker panel | ||
| Gas shutoff (if any) | ||
| Sump pump | ||
| Thermostat setting to leave | Do not change this | |
| Where the manuals are kept |
If something happens
| If this happens | Do this first | Then call |
|---|---|---|
| Water where it should not be | Shut off the main water | |
| No heat, or a strange smell | Do not restart it | |
| Power goes out | Check the breaker panel | |
| Alarm goes off | Disarm with the code, then ring the alarm company | |
| Storm damage, or a tree down | Stay out of the way of wires | |
| A break-in, or a door left open | Call the police first, then us |
Who to call
| Who | Name and number | When |
|---|---|---|
| Us (first number) | ||
| Us (second number, or the one we will answer) | ||
| Neighbour with a spare key | ||
| Plumber | ||
| Heating and cooling | ||
| Electrician | ||
| Insurance agent | Before any repair is arranged | |
| Vet or pet sitter |
While we are away
| Task | When and how |
|---|---|
| Mail and packages | |
| Bin day | |
| Plants to water | |
| Pets (see the pet sheet) | |
| Car in the driveway | |
| Driveway and walkways in bad weather | |
| Anything to leave alone |
How to use it
- Fill in the shutoff table by walking the house, not from memory. Write down what is behind the panel or under the sink, and take a photo of each shutoff to keep with the sheet.
- Write the thermostat number and the words “do not change this.” It is the single most common avoidable problem.
- Give two phone numbers, and say which one gets answered at night.
- Say what the sitter may spend. If the furnace dies, they need to know whether they can authorise a repair — that sentence is worth more than any other on the page. Practical details like where the heating records live are in the free Home Maintenance Record.
- Hand over the sheet in person, the day before you leave, and walk the house together once.
- Leave the pet details separately. Use the Pet Care Instructions sheet, which covers feeding, medication, and vet authorisation.
- Record who has a key, using the Emergency Contact Card for the wallet-sized version of the same numbers.
Frequently asked
Should I tell the alarm company someone is staying?
Yes — call them before you leave and add the sitter’s name to the account. Otherwise you come home to a false alarm, a fine, or a sitter who could not disarm a system that reacted to them.
Should I tell my insurer the house will be empty?
Call your agent before a long trip and ask what your policy expects. Policies differ, and it is a five-minute question that is much better asked in advance than after a claim.
What if the sitter cannot reach me?
Give them a second person who can decide — a neighbour, a relative, or the person who holds the spare key. A sitter with no permission to act will wait, and waiting is what turns a small repair into a large one.
How much detail is too much?
If a line of the sheet would not change what the sitter does, cut it. The sheet works when it is short enough to read standing up in the hallway.
Next step
Walk the house tonight with a pencil and fill in the shutoff table. Then write the two numbers and that one sentence about what the sitter may spend — and put this sheet where a visitor will actually see it, not in the filing cabinet.
This is a record sheet, not legal or insurance advice. Insurance terms, alarm policies, and local requirements differ — confirm the details with your insurer and your service providers.