Rover Sitter
- Best for: Animal lovers with flexible schedules and a home that can host dogs overnight
- What Sets It Apart: Overnight boarding in your home at rates you set, the service Rover says earns most
- Earnings: Rates you set for each service; optional holiday peak rates, typically 10% to 20% higher; extra-pet and puppy rates
- Payouts: Direct deposit 2 days after a service, or on Tuesday of the following week for a recurring service
- Features: Boarding, house sitting, drop-in visits, doggy day care, and dog walks; weekly recurring services; 24/7 support with vet advice; the Rover Guarantee
- Platform Fees: 20% of each booking in most of the U.S.; none from your base rate in California; in pilot metros, 30%, then 15% and 10% as a client’s bookings with you reach $600 and $1,200
- Eligibility: Age 18 or older; a background check; a safety quiz; manual profile approval
- Pros: Your own rates and schedule; steady repeat clients; payments collected for you
- Cons: A fee on every Rover client’s booking; taxes are yours; approval takes weeks; the Rover Guarantee isn’t insurance
Sign up as a Rover sitter if you love animals and have flexible days, and offer boarding if your home can host dogs overnight, since Rover says boarding earns the most. Price every service to leave a profit after Rover’s cut and taxes, and add peak rates for holidays.
Rover lists your boarding, house sitting, drop-in visits, doggy day care, and dog walks for nearby pet owners to book, at rates you set. At its standard 20% fee, a $40 night of boarding pays you $32 before taxes.
Key Features
- 20% service fee per booking in most of the U.S.
- California sitters keep the full rate they set, while owners pay Rover’s 25% marketplace fee and 11% booking fee on top
- Pilot fees in the Seattle, Chicago, and Dallas-Fort Worth areas that drop from 30% to 15% when a client’s bookings with you reach $600, then to 10% at $1,200
- Peak rates for holidays, which sitters typically set 10% to 20% above their regular rates
- Pay sent to your bank 2 days after a service, or on Tuesday of the following week for a weekly recurring service
Pros
- You choose your services, schedule, and the pets you accept
- Weekly recurring walks, drop-in visits, and day care for steady work from repeat clients
- Rover collects every payment, so no client forgets to pay you
- Rover Guarantee reimbursement of up to $25,000 for eligible vet care when a pet is hurt during a booking, plus 24/7 support with vet advice
- Up to $25,000 from the Guarantee, after your first $250, for eligible damage a client’s pet does to your property that the owner won’t pay
Cons
- Clients you meet on Rover must keep booking through it, so outside California its cut applies to all their bookings
- Taxes are yours, including 15.3% self-employment tax once you net $400 or more in a year
- Approval requires a background check and a manual profile review that Rover expects to take 10 to 20 business days, and a rejection is final
- The Rover Guarantee isn’t insurance and never covers your own injuries
Rover suits animal lovers with flexible days, and most of all those whose home can host a dog overnight, since Rover labels boarding its highest earner. Without room for an overnight guest, start with dog walks or drop-in visits, which you can book around your own schedule.
Learn more about Rover or see how it compares to the best sharing economy apps.
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