Kiwi House Sitters Reviews 41

TrustScore 4 out of 5

4.0

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See what reviewers are saying

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

The platform seems OK at first but support is extremely weak. We had a very mixed/ negative experience with a sitter, but I didn't post a review immediately because we were waiting to try to resolve p... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Proven website with many satisfied Sitters and Homeowners. Largest and most popular so, lots of variety in available sits. Really positive vibe from Co and excellent website. Have been housesitting fo... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We have been members of Kiwi House Sitters since 2017 and it has been an awesome experience. Faultless service and every property (and we have done over 50 Housesits, many repeat properties) has bee... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

As a housesitter that's completed 4 sits we can say with confidence this is a fantastic site to use. Any questions we had regarding the process of setting our selves up were answered quickly and effic... See more

Company details

  1. Pet Sitter
  2. Pet-Friendly Accommodation

Written by the company

Kiwi House Sitters launched in 2010 with a simple philosophy, to keep pets happy in their own homes while their owners are away. Since then we’ve grown into New Zealand’s largest and most trusted house and pet sitting site. Every day we connect homeowners with kindhearted house sitters who care for their home, pets and garden in exchange for free accommodation. The pets are happy, the home is secure and the sitters live rent-free. It’s a win-win for everyone!


Contact info

4.0

Great

TrustScore 4 out of 5

41 reviews

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1-star

Replied to 75% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 24 hours

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

The platform seems OK at first but…

The platform seems OK at first but support is extremely weak. We had a very mixed/ negative experience with a sitter, but I didn't post a review immediately because we were waiting to try to resolve payment for a bad scratch on our vehicle. The review period expired with no notification, and apparently it's a hard limit. The review character limit is also ridiculously low. I already had the review drafted and it took me hours to get it down to the limit, but then I was unable to post! Every part of the experience, including interaction with support, was sub par.

March 20, 2026
Unprompted review
Kiwi House Sitters logo

Reply from Kiwi House Sitters

Hi there, thank you for taking the time to share your feedback - we're genuinely sorry the overall experience didn't meet your expectations.

We do want to respectfully clarify a few points raised in your review, as we feel it's important for others reading this to have an accurate picture.

Regarding review notifications: our system automatically sends three reminder emails - one 2 days after your sit ends (based on your confirmed sit dates) - then another 7 days later, and a final reminder 2 days before the 14-day review window closes. These are sent to ensure members have every opportunity to submit their review, so we're sorry if these didn't reach you as expected - we'd recommend adding our email address to your contact list to make sure they get through to you - the email is admin@kiwihousesitters.co.nz.

On the character limit: our review window allows 800 characters, which is consistent with many well-regarded platforms and is intentionally designed to help reviews remain clear and digestible for the community reading through reviews on sitter profiles. We appreciate that you put time and effort into your response, and we apologise if this felt restrictive.

Our support team has been actively corresponding with you regarding this and has done their best to explain the process and assist, explaining all the options to you via those emails. We take all feedback seriously and use it to continually improve, and if you'd like to continue the conversation, we'd welcome that - please reach out to us again at admin@kiwihousesitters.co.nz to discuss.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

BEST and Biggest

Proven website with many satisfied Sitters and Homeowners. Largest and most popular so, lots of variety in available sits. Really positive vibe from Co and excellent website. Have been housesitting for 2 years with most of my work from this site. Thank you Kiwihousesitters 🥰

January 7, 2026
Unprompted review
Kiwi House Sitters logo

Reply from Kiwi House Sitters

Thank you so much for the kind words Patricia! So great to hear you are finding success through the platform, and thank you for being part of our awesome community 😊

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Its a good idea in priciple but the execution is rubbish and the fact you have to pay is a joke

I would say the site is a good Idea. and we have used them in the past with zero issue However I have been looking for someone to house and pet sit since September and without exaggeration I can say that of the over 50+ messages I have sent out so far EVERY SINGLE one has replied with "We are already booked for that time" or "We are not available at that time or in that AREA DESPITE. Me checking the availability on their calendars and setting my search parameters for my location..... Its infuriating when i also got a message with "Lol sorry we are already booked THANKS for this message its reminded me i need to update the calendar" despite me reaching out to Kiwi House Sitters who told me that their Calendars update automatically so one of you is lying. Sort it out

December 11, 2025
Unprompted review
Kiwi House Sitters logo

Reply from Kiwi House Sitters

Hi Jace,

We're sorry to hear about your frustration in finding a sitter for your Christmas/New Year sit.

To clarify the calendar confusion: our automatic calendar update only applies when a sit is formally confirmed through our platform. If sitters make arrangements outside the platform or are still in discussions with other homeowners, their calendars won't reflect this until they manually update them. We do send regular reminders to sitters to keep their availability current, but we acknowledge this doesn't always happen as quickly as we'd like.

As we discussed via email, the 24th of December and 1st of January are among the most challenging dates of the year for finding sitters, as most people are committed to family plans during this period or already settled for those dates.

We're sorry you haven't been able to find someone, and we understand this has been frustrating. If you'd like to discuss this further or need help with the ad reactivation suggestion we explained via email, please feel free to reach out to us directly.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Cancelled on at the worst time of year.

I have just been bailed on with barely four weeks notice, over the Christmas period.
While this has totally stuffed me around, there is zero grief caused for the people who cancelled on me, or the company itself.

I absolutely wouldn’t trust this company.

December 7, 2025
Unprompted review
Kiwi House Sitters logo

Reply from Kiwi House Sitters

Hi Elisabeth,

We're truly sorry about the frustration and inconvenience this cancellation has caused you, especially during the busy Christmas period.

House sitters should not cancel confirmed sits without significant reasons, and while cancellations are uncommon, when they do occur we investigate each case and take appropriate action to maintain a trustworthy community for both home owners and sitters.

Please check your email as we've outlined options for how we can investigate this matter further, and process a full refund for you.

We genuinely regret the disruption this has caused you.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Kiwi house sitters a dream.

It was so easy to set up and what a great way to make sure your house and fur babies are being looked after. Saves us heartache and money having to put them in a kennel and cattery and peace of mind they are in their own home.

October 25, 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A very user friendly service

As house sitters we find Kiwi House Sitters a very user friendly website. It is easy to navigate, find sits for the dates we need and communicate with house owners. On the rare occasions when we have had no response to house sitting ads, KHS always send a message explaining why this may have happened. We have used this website for over five years now and are very happy with it and the number of sits we have secured!

November 12, 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent service - top marks from us.

I have used this agency many times over many years. Every time the service has been excellent - fast and effective. The sitters engaged have been wonderful - no problems and we have been most grateful to them. Over all experience gets top marks from us, and hope to use them more in the future.

October 26, 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

First Choice for reliable, loving dog care.

I have used Kiwi House Sitters many times and think they provide a fabulous service. We have always received many applications even at the last minute and had multiple sitters we would consider - spoilt for choice in fact. We recommend the service to others and have met some wonderful like minded people over the years.

July 21, 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Friendly, professional, trustworthy service …

We have been members of Kiwi House Sitters since 2017 and it has been an awesome experience. Faultless service and every property (and we have done over 50 Housesits, many repeat properties) has been interesting. We have made good friends along the way.
We highly recommend Kiwi House Sitters as a reputable professional and friendly service.
Monica & John Page.

August 19, 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 4 out of 5 stars

My housesitters

I have used Kiwi Housesitters for approx seven years. I have had a variety of sitters, all but one have been excellent.
They have looked after my dog, garden and house to a high standard.
The one exception left my dog over night, I found it hard to mention in it in my review.

May 25, 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Highly Recommended

We have found Kiwi House Sitters to be a highly professional website. It is also a very user friendly website and very informative. I recommend KHS very highly.

May 1, 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

100 percent positive experience

I have only had great experiences with Kiwi House Sitters. Their website is very easy to use, their system of reviews and star rating of sitters is reassuring, and the 'blind' review system between sitter and house owner, whereby each party can't see what the other has written until both reviews are submitted, ensures honesty. I've met some wonderful people through this site, and my house and pets have always been extremely well looked after. I highly recommend this service.

October 24, 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We have had 15 housesitters sourced…

We have had 15 housesitters sourced through the Kiwihousesitters site since 2022, and never had a bad experience. Most of the sitters have the 3 dogs following them out the door when they leave!! The period of the sits has varied from a few days to 3 months.

September 3, 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Kiwi house sitters is the best house…

Kiwi house sitters is the best house sitting platform I have been on. They have lots of houses for you to sit and if you do well you get a positive review. I have been on other house sitting platforms and this is the best platform. All the latest house sits are on this site.
If you are looking for a house sitter or you are looking for a house sit job then this is the best site to be on.

October 23, 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

As a housesitter that's completed 4…

As a housesitter that's completed 4 sits we can say with confidence this is a fantastic site to use. Any questions we had regarding the process of setting our selves up were answered quickly and efficiently. The process for sitters and property owners is set up to protect both parties, the site is very user friendly and the app kept us updated along the way. We will continue to use this site over any others based on our fabulous and positive experience.

September 30, 2025
Unprompted review

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