Terms of Service
Last updated: 28 September 2026
These Terms of Service ("Terms") explain how you may use simplyhousesit.org and the related Simply House Sit services (together, the "Service"). The Service is operated by Simply House Sit ("Simply House Sit", "we", "us", or "our").
By creating an account, browsing the Service, posting a listing, or sending an application, you agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.
1. What Simply House Sit does
Simply House Sit is an online introduction service. It helps homeowners and house sitters find one another, communicate, and consider a possible house-sitting arrangement.
We are not a house-sitting agency, employer, insurer, travel provider, property manager, or emergency-response service. We do not arrange or supervise house sits and are not a party to any agreement made between users.
2. Eligibility and accounts
- You must be at least 18 years old and able to enter a binding agreement.
- You must provide information that is accurate, current, and not misleading.
- You may maintain only one personal account unless we agree otherwise in writing.
- You must keep your login details confidential and tell us promptly if you believe your account has been accessed without permission.
- You are responsible for activity carried out through your account.
3. Listings, applications, messages, and reviews
Homeowners are responsible for the accuracy of their listings, including dates, location, property details, pets, tasks, and any requirements. Sitters are responsible for the accuracy of their profiles, applications, experience, availability, and references.
Messages and reviews must be honest, relevant, and based on a genuine interaction. You must not use the Service to impersonate somebody, create a misleading listing, pressure another person, or publish private information without permission. We may moderate, hide, or remove content that we reasonably believe breaches these Terms or creates a safety, legal, or operational risk.
4. Making a house-sitting arrangement
Any house-sitting arrangement is made directly between the users involved. Before agreeing to a sit, users should independently confirm identity, references, dates, access arrangements, keys, pets, duties, expenses, emergency contacts, cancellation plans, and any other important detail.
We do not verify identity, criminal records, qualifications, references, property ownership, pet information, or the accuracy of user content unless we expressly say otherwise. A profile, review, message, or application is not an endorsement or guarantee by Simply House Sit.
Simply House Sit does not provide insurance, payment protection, guarantees, veterinary or property services, or emergency support for a house sit. Users are responsible for deciding whether they need their own insurance or professional advice.
5. Payments and future paid features
The beta Service currently does not collect membership payments or process payments between homeowners and sitters. Homeowners can currently create listings without charge.
We may introduce a paid sitter membership or other paid features in the future. Before you pay, we will show the applicable price, billing period, renewal details, cancellation process, and any refund terms. Payments may be handled through Stripe or another specialist payment provider using its hosted checkout. We do not intend to store full payment-card details on our own systems.
Nothing in these Terms limits mandatory consumer rights, including rights relating to cancellation, refunds, services supplied with reasonable care and skill, or unfair contract terms.
6. Your content
You keep ownership of the text, photographs, reviews, and other material that you submit ("Your Content"). You give Simply House Sit a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, store, reproduce, display, format, moderate, and distribute Your Content as reasonably needed to operate, improve, and promote the Service.
You confirm that you have the rights needed to submit Your Content, that it does not infringe another person's rights, and that it does not contain unlawful, deceptive, or harmful material. You may remove Your Content through the available account features or by contacting us. We may retain limited copies where reasonably necessary for backups, security, dispute resolution, or legal compliance.
7. Acceptable use
You must not use the Service to:
- commit fraud, facilitate unlawful activity, or publish content that is threatening, discriminatory, abusive, or defamatory;
- share another person's personal information without a lawful reason or permission;
- send spam, unsolicited marketing, malware, or other harmful code;
- scrape, harvest, copy, sell, or commercially exploit user data or the Service without our written permission;
- interfere with the Service, bypass security controls, or attempt unauthorised access; or
- misrepresent your identity, authority, experience, or relationship with Simply House Sit.
8. Moderation, suspension, and ending use
We may investigate reports and take proportionate action where we believe it is necessary to protect users, comply with the law, or operate the Service. This may include requesting information, limiting features, removing content, suspending an account, or terminating access. We may act without advance notice where there is an urgent safety, security, or legal reason.
You may stop using the Service at any time. If you believe we have made a mistake, you can contact us so we can review the decision. Ending access does not remove obligations that reasonably need to continue, including obligations concerning Your Content, payment amounts already due, disputes, and legal compliance.
9. Availability and beta features
The Service is being developed and may change. Features may be added, withdrawn, reset, or temporarily unavailable, and we may need to correct errors or perform maintenance. We will take reasonable steps to keep the Service available and to protect information as described in our Privacy Policy, but we cannot promise uninterrupted, error-free, or permanently available access.
10. Disclaimers and responsibility
To the extent permitted by law, Simply House Sit does not guarantee that a listing, sitter, homeowner, message, review, or proposed arrangement is accurate, suitable, safe, available, or successful. You make your own decisions and accept the risks of communicating and arranging a house sit with another user.
Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or your statutory consumer rights. Any other limitation of liability applies only to the maximum extent permitted by the law that applies to your situation.
You agree to take reasonable care when using the Service and to reimburse us for losses that result directly from your deliberate or seriously negligent breach of these Terms, to the extent allowed by law. This does not make you responsible for losses caused by our own breach or negligence.
11. Privacy
Our Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we use it, how we share it, and the rights available to you.
12. Changes to these Terms
We may update these Terms when the Service, the law, or our operations change. We will post the updated version with a new "Last updated" date and, where a change is material, take reasonable steps to draw it to your attention. If you continue using the Service after an update takes effect, you accept the updated Terms. If you do not agree, you should stop using the Service.
13. Governing law and contact
These Terms are governed by the laws of Portugal. The courts of Portugal will have jurisdiction, subject to any mandatory consumer protection rules that give you the right to bring a claim elsewhere. Please contact us first so we can try to resolve a concern informally.
Simply House Sit
Quinta Vale do Trabuco
Povoa de Midoes
Castelo Branco 3420-201
Portugal
For questions about these Terms, email hello@simplyhousesit.org.