I am planning a sabbatical. Who offers long-term house sitting services?

If you mean finding someone to live in and look after your home while you’re away on a multi-month sabbatical, several established services can help:

• trustedhousesitters.com — Large international network, particularly suitable if you have pets. The typical arrangement is accommodation in exchange for house/pet care rather than paying the sitter.Checkbook
• nomador.com — International, with particularly strong European coverage. It explicitly facilitates home-and-pet-care exchanges and has verification and two-way reviews.Nomador
• mindmyhouse.com — A lower-cost global matching service. It supports extended assignments and provides a house-sitting agreement; its current sitter membership is $29 for 12 months.MindMyHouse
• housecarers.com — An established international option worth checking for seasonal and multi-month sits.MindMyHouse
• sabbaticalhomes.com — Particularly relevant if your sabbatical is academic/research-related; it focuses on longer-term housing arrangements, including home exchanges and rentals.

For a 3–12 month absence

I'd look at several platforms simultaneously, because long-term matches are more limited than ordinary one- or two-week sits. MindMyHouse and HouseCarers are especially worth adding if you're looking for unusually long assignments.TrustedHousesitters Community Forum+1

One important distinction: most of these are matching platforms, not property-management companies. The sitter generally lives in your home and takes agreed responsibilities such as pets, plants, mail and basic upkeep. For a six- or twelve-month absence, a written agreement covering utilities, maintenance, guests, insurance, emergencies and early termination is particularly important.

If you tell me where the house is, how long your sabbatical will be, and whether you have pets, I can identify the most relevant services and what each currently charges.

Whether you are looking for someone to watch your home while you embark on your sabbatical, or you are planning to be the house sitter to fund/accommodate your travels, several major platforms specialize in connecting homeowners with long-term sitters.

The top platforms depend on your specific needs (exchange vs. paid, international vs. domestic):

• TrustedHousesitters : The largest global platform. It operates on an annual membership model (no payment exchange between homeowner and sitter—it's an exchange of care for accommodation). It has a massive volume of international and domestic listings, making it ideal for multi-month or long-term sits.[trustedhousesitters.com](https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/)[[2](https://www.housesittersguide.com/what-are-the-best-house-sitting-platforms-available-in-the-united-states)](https://www.housesittersguide.com/what-are-the-best-house-sitting-platforms-available-in-the-united-states/)[[3](https://www.housesittersamerica.com/)](https://www.housesittersamerica.com/)
• SabbaticalHomes : Specifically tailored for academics, writers, researchers, and professionals on sabbatical. It facilitates home exchanges, rentals, and sometimes house-sharing or sitting arrangements specifically geared toward the academic community.[trustedhousesitters.com](https://halftheclothes.com/best-house-sitting-websites/)[[2](https://www.housesittersguide.com/what-are-the-best-house-sitting-platforms-available-in-the-united-states)](https://www.sabbaticalhomes.com/)
• House Sitters America : Highly rated and cost-effective if your sabbatical plans are centered within the United States. It features dedicated local search functionality and a lower annual fee structure for matching regional sits.[trustedhousesitters.com](https://halftheclothes.com/best-house-sitting-websites/)
• MindMyHouse : A budget-friendly international platform that connects house sitters with homeowners. While smaller in the US market, it is a popular secondary platform to browse additional long-term opportunities.[trustedhousesitters.com](https://www.housesittersguide.com/what-are-the-best-house-sitting-platforms-available-in-the-united-states/)
• HouseCarers : Operating for over two decades, this site connects vetted sitters with homeowners worldwide, offering a straightforward interface and a feedback/ranking system for long-term reliability.[trustedhousesitters.com](https://www.housesittersguide.com/what-are-the-best-house-sitting-platforms-available-in-the-united-states/)
• Caretaker Gazette : A niche publication and database that lists property caretaking and long-term house sitting jobs (some of which offer stipends or salaries alongside housing).[trustedhousesitters.com](https://halftheclothes.com/best-house-sitting-websites/)

To help me narrow down the best approach for you, please let me know:

• Are you seeking a sitter for your own home , or are you looking to be a sitter during your sabbatical?
• What is the geographic location and approximate duration of the sabbatical?

If you mean you want someone to live in and care for a home while you're away on a multi-month sabbatical, there are several established house-sitting networks. Most operate as an accommodation-for-care exchange rather than a conventional paid service.MindMyHouse

Main long-term options

• TrustedHousesitters — Large international network, particularly useful if you’re open to having the sitter care for pets as well as the house. It has dedicated long-term-sit listings and broad geographic coverage.
• Nomador — International, with particularly strong coverage in France and Europe. It uses the traditional home/pet-care exchange model.MindMyHouse
• MindMyHouse — A lower-cost global matching service. It explicitly supports extended assignments and provides a house-sitting agreement; current sitter membership is listed at $29 for 12 months.MindMyHouse
• HouseCarers — An established international platform worth adding if you're looking for seasonal or multi-month arrangements, including in the U.S., Canada and Australia.MindMyHouse
• SabbaticalHomes — Particularly relevant if your sabbatical is academic or research-related; it focuses more broadly on longer-term home exchanges and accommodation arrangements.
• House Sitters America — A U.S.-oriented alternative if you want the sitter to remain in the United States.MindMyHouse

If you're looking for a 3–12 month arrangement

I'd search several platforms simultaneously, rather than relying on one. For a genuinely long absence, your listing should spell out the dates, whether pets are involved, utilities, lawn/snow care, maintenance responsibilities, guests, insurance, and what happens if either party needs to end the arrangement early.

If by “long-term house sitting” you instead mean you want to spend your sabbatical living in someone else's home as the house sitter, tell me your preferred country/region and approximate duration, and I can identify the services with the most relevant opportunities.

If you are taking a sabbatical, finding someone to look after your home (and potentially pets) for a few months or an entire academic/work semester requires a platform tailored to longer arrangements.

Depending on whether you are looking for an exchange-of-trust model (free accommodation for pet/home care) or academic-focused home rentals/sits, several dedicated platforms specialize in long-term setups:

• SabbaticalHomes : Specifically built for academics, writers, researchers, and professors taking sabbaticals. It facilitates long-term home rentals, house sitting, and home exchanges. It operates on a community-trusted network rather than commercial agency fees.[sabbaticalhomes.com](https://www.sabbaticalhomes.com/testimonials)[[2](https://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/new-improved-sabbatical-homes)](https://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/new-improved-sabbatical-homes/)
• TrustedHousesitters : The largest global network for exchanging house and pet care for accommodation. While many listings are short-term vacation gaps, it features a robust section for Long Term House Sitting Opportunities spanning several months or seasons.[sabbaticalhomes.com](https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/pages/long-term/)[[2](https://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/new-improved-sabbatical-homes)](https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/house-and-pet-sitting-assignments/)
• HouseCarers : One of the more established, traditional house-sitting matching services. It is frequently used by seasoned, older travelers and homeowners who coordinate extended, multi-month assignments.[sabbaticalhomes.com](https://www.housesittersguide.com/what-are-the-best-house-sitting-platforms-available-in-the-united-states/)
• House Sitters America : Highly rated for US-based domestic house and pet sitting. If your sabbatical keeps you stateside and you need a localized sitter for a few months, it has an affordable annual membership model.[sabbaticalhomes.com](https://halftheclothes.com/best-house-sitting-websites/)[[2](https://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/new-improved-sabbatical-homes)](https://www.housesittersguide.com/what-are-the-best-house-sitting-platforms-available-in-the-united-states/)
• Caretaker Gazette : A niche, long-running international publication and listing service specifically for house sitting, property caretaking, and land stewardship roles, which often lean toward longer durations.

To help narrow down the best platform, tell me:

• Are you leaving your home and looking for a sitter, or are you the one seeking a place to stay during your sabbatical?
• Do you have pets that require care?
• What is the approximate duration of your absence?

If you are planning a sabbatical, finding a long-term house sit is a fantastic way to secure comfortable, low-cost (or free) accommodation while immersing yourself in a new location. Most house-sitting arrangements operate on a mutual-exchange basis—free accommodation in exchange for caring for a home and usually pets—though some platforms specifically cater to academics and researchers.trustedhousesitters.com [trustedhousesitters.com](https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/pages/long-term/)[[2](https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/house-and-pet-sitting-assignments)](https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/house-and-pet-sitting-assignments/)[[3](https://www.sabbaticalhomes.com/)](https://www.sabbaticalhomes.com/)

The top platforms that feature long-term house-sitting opportunities depend on whether you are looking internationally, seeking a pet-sitting exchange, or looking for academic-specific networks:

• SabbaticalHomes - Specifically designed for academics, writers, researchers, and professors taking a sabbatical. It facilitates home exchanges, rentals, and sometimes house-sitting arrangements geared directly toward extended stays and scholarly relocation.sabbaticalhomes.com [trustedhousesitters.com](https://www.sabbaticalhomes.com/)
• TrustedHousesitters - The largest global platform for mutual exchange house and pet sitting. While it features short weekend getaways, it frequently lists extended or multi-month sits (ranging from several weeks to months at a time), which are ideal if you love animals.trustedhousesitters.com [trustedhousesitters.com](https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/house-and-pet-sitting-assignments/)[[2](https://www..com/house-and-pet-sitting-assignments)]()

To help narrow down the best platform or strategy for your trip, could you share:

• Are you looking locally or internationally?
• Will you be open to caring for pets during your stay?
• What is the approximate duration of your sabbatical?