Summer Sit-In

Make things clear

Even sitters who don't use written agreements or provide deposits emphasize the need for a clear understanding between homeowner and sitter about what is expected and acceptable. Can a sitter smoke in the house, have overnight guests, use the home computer? Should she sleep in their sheets or bring her own? Use food from the cupboard, or pack groceries?

Righi urges homeowners to outline a sitter's responsibilities. Zonies suggests homeowners also note any unusual features of the house (leaky toilet, flood-prone basement). Emergency contacts and itinerary information are musts. Righi and Zonies both say they eat from the homeowner's cupboards only if invited, and buy perishables or eat out. They use the homeowner's linens unless told otherwise, and launder them before leaving.

White said short arrangements made through HouseCarers.com normally include free gas and electric service (but not long distance telephone charges) in addition to accommodations.

Chores

Watering plants, mowing small lawns and forwarding important mail are often part of the deal, but homeowners should expect to pay for some extras. "The spirit of our site is rent-free accommodation," said White. "However if there are onerous duties to be performed such as grooming three horses or large lawns to be mowed, a fee can be negotiated between the housesitter and homeowner."

Righi's chores have included watering plants, filling bird feeders, and taking out trash and recycling. Gregor often does yardwork.

Who lets the dogs out?

Many HouseCarers.com sits include free pet care, White said. Gregor cares for pets for free, as does Zonies if it's for a friend and for only a weekend. But some sitters, such as Righi, charge: Cats are free, but Righi asks an extra $20 per day for dogs, which need walking. If an animal needs medication, an extra charge may be in order.

Transportation

Location can make a difference in finding a sitter. Heidi Quist, a State Department employee who occasionally housesits, said she may refuse to stay in a house that is too far from her office. Gregor has the same concern, and said a housesit should include parking: "In Washington, that is a major concern." Righi, who often does not have use of a car, said unless the homeowner makes a car available to her -- and some have -- she takes only jobs within walking distance of a Metro.

After all the bases have been covered, there's the more imprecise business of gauging a potential sitter's familiarity with things domestic.

College students often are asked to housesit; some college career offices list openings, and ads may be posted at student unions. But many students have little experience in home maintenance and repair, especially if they've lived only in dorms.

Alex Antram, a senior at George Mason University's Fairfax campus who frequently sits for a former professor, has handled basic plumbing and other household tasks for her parents. "It's definitely helpful if you are comfortable with a house and know how to handle emergencies," she said.

Likewise, Zonies's experience as sorority director makes housesitting easier. "I know a house's pipes, how they connect . . . the smell of gas, when water pressure is not right. If I didn't, I definitely would not be triggered as quickly if something went wrong."

Barb Goetting had college students from Arizona sit her Falls Church home during the summer two years ago. The students both lacked basic experience maintaining a home, and knew nothing about basements, which are scarce in Arizona houses. When heavy rains caused flooding in Goetting's basement, the students were oblivious. "Once they mentioned a funny smell," says Goetting, "but I didn't think anything of it . . . . Then a friend of ours stopped by the house. She opened the front door and immediately smelled that something was wrong."

Goetting's friend headed straight for the basement, found soaked and smelly carpeting, and took charge of the problem. Goetting's lesson: "I will only allow people to housesit who are relatives and are older, and have had a house."

On the other hand, Quist, an apartment dweller, points out that if she did have her own home, the extra responsibilities that come with it might make her less inclined to take a job sitting for someone else. "I wouldn't want to go back and forth to check my own house," she said.

Bottom line? Righi offers this advice: "Treat [the homeowners'] space as theirs, not yours."