Melbourne House Sitters offers work for accommodation in three inner-Melbourne properties — Richmond, Abbotsford and Fitzroy. You get a free bed in exchange for helping keep the house running. No rent, no bond, no lease.
How the arrangement works
Everyone in the house cleans together, every day, from around 9.30am to midday. That is the core of it. If the group works efficiently the cleaning is finished sooner, and the rest of the day is yours.
Across the week it comes to roughly 15 hours. There is no shift roster to memorise and no manager standing over you — the house works through it together and then gets on with the day.
What you get
- Free accommodation — a bed in a shared room
- A location in inner Melbourne, close to the city rather than out on the fringe
- No rent and no bond
- Your afternoons and evenings free
- The chance to earn cash directly from guests staying at the property
The house sitting side of it
Once the daily clean is done, the house needs at least one person present at any given time. That is the house sitting part, and it is what makes the arrangement work.
There are usually around four people in each house, so the group rosters it among themselves and takes turns staying behind. With four of you sharing the responsibility there is a lot of flexibility — if you need a particular time out, someone else covers it and you return the favour.
Earning cash from guests
The properties take guests, and whoever is house sitting is the person on site when they arrive. That puts you in a position to earn cash directly from those guests, on top of the free accommodation.
The sorts of things house sitters can get paid for include:
- Handling check-ins
- Early check-in and late check-in
- Late check-out
- Laundry services
- Luggage storage
- After-hours call-outs
- Visitor fees
What you actually make depends on how many guests come through and how much you take on, so it varies from house to house and day to day. Someone who is around and willing to help out can do reasonably well from it. Give Frank a call and he will talk you through what it tends to look like in practice.
Who it suits
All kinds of people have done this with us. The arrangement suits anyone comfortable living in a shared house and pitching in with a group.
It works particularly well if you are relocating within Melbourne and need free accommodation while you get set up, if you have no other outside commitments tying up your days, or if you study or work from home. Being around the house during the day fits the house sitting side of the arrangement rather than getting in the way of it.
What matters most to us is that you are here to stay. We are looking for people who will be in Melbourne on an ongoing basis rather than passing through — anyone settled here long term, whether that is as a citizen, a permanent resident or on a longer-term or bridging visa. Continuity counts when a household shares responsibility for a property, so someone putting down roots generally works out better for everyone.
Where you could be staying
- 151–153 Hoddle Street, Richmond VIC 3121
- 15 Charles Street, Abbotsford VIC 3067
- 132–134 Nicholson Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065
All three are inner-city Melbourne suburbs within easy reach of the CBD, with trams and trains close by.
Roles we have available
We operate three houses in the Yarra area — Richmond, Abbotsford and Fitzroy — in a team of over ten people, and we usually have two kinds of work for accommodation roles open to Melbourne housesitters:
- Cleaners and laundry attendants
- House sitters
Characteristics we look for
- Fast-paced, energetic, an early starter and reliable
- Cleaning experience, or a sharp eye for detail
- Comfortable sharing a room with other staff
- Long term — six months or more
- Preferably without much outside commitment
Frequently asked questions
Is the accommodation actually free?
Yes. There is no rent and no bond. You are giving your time to the daily clean and to house sitting, and in exchange you have a bed.
How many hours a week is it?
Around 15 hours a week for the cleaning. The daily clean runs around 9.30am to midday, and the house sitting thereafter is shared out among the people staying there.
Is it a private room?
No — it is a bed in a shared room. Worth being clear about that up front so there are no surprises.
Do I have to be home all day to house sit?
No. Only one person needs to be at the property at any given time, and with around four people per house you take turns. Most of your week is your own.
Can I earn money as well as the free room?
Yes. The properties take guests, and house sitters earn cash directly from them for things like check-ins, laundry, luggage storage, early and late check-ins, late check-outs and after-hours call-outs. How much it comes to varies, so ring and ask.
How do I apply?
Call Frank on 0403 215 314. It is worth a quick conversation to work out whether the arrangement suits you and which of the three houses has a bed free.
Get in touch
Details vary from house to house and from person to person, so the quickest way to find out where you stand is to ring and ask.
Call Frank on 0403 215 314 to enquire about work for accommodation in Melbourne.
A fee of $50 can be payable for successful referrals.