Home Tales

Code of Conduct

Last updated: 7 October 2026

Home Tales works because hosts and sitters trust each other with homes and much-loved pets. This code sets out what every member can expect from each other. It forms part of our Terms of Service, alongside our Acceptable Use Policy.

1. Be honest

  • Keep your profile, listings and pet profiles accurate and up to date.
  • Complete email, phone and photo ID verification so others know who they are dealing with.
  • Hosts: be upfront about your home, its condition, any house rules, and your pets' health, behaviour, medication and routine. Nobody should discover a difficult pet or a problem with the home on arrival.
  • Sitters: be honest about your experience, and about who will stay with you. Only apply for sits you can genuinely commit to.

2. Get to know each other first

  • Read profiles and reviews, and talk before agreeing a sit. A video call is a good idea.
  • Agree the details in writing through Home Tales messages: dates, arrival and departure times, house rules, pet care, use of a car, visitors, and how often the host would like updates.
  • Remember that we do not carry out background checks. Use your own judgement and ask questions.

3. Hosts: set the sit up well

  • Leave clear written instructions for your home and each pet.
  • Leave contact details for your vet, a local emergency contact and any trades people who may be needed.
  • Give your vet permission to treat your pets in your absence, and agree how vet bills will be paid.
  • Leave the home clean, safe and as described, with space for the sitter to stay comfortably.
  • Leave enough pet food, medication and supplies for the whole sit.
  • Be reachable during the sit, or name someone who is.

4. Sitters: care for the home and pets

  • Put the pets' welfare first. Follow their routines, feeding and medication exactly as agreed.
  • Do not leave pets alone for longer than agreed with the host.
  • If a pet is unwell or injured, contact the vet straight away and then tell the host.
  • Treat the home with respect. Keep it secure, clean and tidy, and follow the house rules.
  • Do not bring guests, other people or your own pets unless the host has agreed.
  • Leave the home as you found it, and report any breakages or damage honestly.

5. Respect each other's privacy

During a sit, the home is the sitter's place to live as well as the host's home. Both should be able to trust that their privacy is respected.

Hosts

  • If your home has cameras, video doorbells or any other recording device, say so in your listing and tell your sitter where each one is before the sit is agreed.
  • Never place cameras in bedrooms, bathrooms or anywhere else the sitter would expect privacy, and never record sound without the sitter's agreement. Use cameras to keep the home secure, not to watch how the sitter spends their day.
  • Do not send anyone to the home during the sit, including friends, family, neighbours, cleaners or trades people, unless you have agreed it with the sitter first. The same goes for visiting yourself.
  • In an emergency, contact the sitter first wherever you can.

Sitters

  • Use only the rooms, belongings and equipment the host has made available. Stay out of private rooms, drawers, cupboards, paperwork and devices.
  • Never share the address, door codes or photos of the home publicly.
  • Keep what you learn about the household private, during the sit and afterwards.

6. Communicate

  • Reply to messages and applications promptly, even if the answer is no.
  • Sitters: send sit updates as often as agreed, and tell the host straight away about anything urgent.
  • Be polite and respectful, including when something goes wrong.
  • Cancel only if you really must, and tell the other member as early as possible. Hosts and sitters plan travel, work and pet care around a sit.

7. Stay safe

  • Keep your conversations on Home Tales until you are confident about the other member.
  • Never send money, bank details, copies of ID or passwords to another member, and be wary of anyone who asks.
  • If you feel unsafe at any point, leave and contact the police on 999 if there is an emergency.
  • If a sitter must leave a sit early for safety reasons, they should make sure the pets are cared for and tell the host.

8. Payments

  • Sits on Home Tales are an exchange: a place to stay in return for caring for the home and pets.
  • Do not ask for, offer or accept payment for a sit outside Home Tales.
  • Hosts who wish to reward a sitter can send a tip through Home Tales. Tips are always optional.
  • Agree in advance who pays for things such as pet food, vet bills or utilities, and keep receipts.

9. Reviews

  • Leave a review after each sit. Reviews help the whole community.
  • Be honest, fair and specific. Describe what happened rather than attacking the person.
  • Do not review a sit that did not happen, or offer or ask for anything in return for a review.
  • Do not include private details such as addresses, phone numbers or door codes.

10. Report problems

Use the report option on a profile or forum post, or email [email protected], if a member:

  • puts a person or animal at risk;
  • harasses, threatens or discriminates against you;
  • asks for payment outside Home Tales or seems to be running a scam;
  • records you with a hidden camera or where you would expect privacy, or sends people to the home without agreement; or
  • seriously misrepresents themselves, their home or their pets.

In an emergency, call 999 first. For concerns about an animal's welfare, you can also contact the RSPCA (or the Scottish SPCA in Scotland).

11. If the code is broken

We review every report. Depending on what happened, we may give a warning, remove reviews or content, or suspend or close an account. We may also share information with the police where the law requires or someone may be at risk.