Privacy policy

Information you give us:

• Account details: your name, email address, password (stored hashed by our authentication provider), and whether you are a host or a sitter.
• Profile details you choose to add: profile photo, gender, a short bio, the regions you are interested in, and your available dates.
• Pet and home details (for hosts): number and type of pets, listing title, description and photos.
• Content you create: messages to other members, reviews, and saved favourites.
• Messages you send us through the contact form, including your email address.

Information collected automatically: basic technical data needed to run the service, such as your login session and preferences stored in your browser, and server logs (IP address, browser type, pages requested) kept by our hosting provider.

We do not use advertising trackers, and we do not sell your personal information.

• To create and secure your account and let you log in.
• To show your profile and listing to other members so hosts and sitters can find each other.
• To deliver messages between members and keep your inbox.
• To respond when you contact us, and to send essential service emails (such as password resets).
• To keep the community safe, prevent abuse, and comply with the law.

We rely on your consent and on our legitimate interest in operating the platform you signed up for. You can withdraw consent at any time by deleting your account.

Your profile, listing, photos, regions, available dates, pet details and reviews are visible to other logged-in members. Your email address and password are never shown to other members. Messages are visible only to you and the member you are talking to.

We use a small number of service providers who process data on our behalf, under contracts that require them to protect it:

• Supabase: database, authentication and file storage.
• Vercel: website hosting.
• SendGrid (Twilio): sending emails.
• Google Fonts: serving the fonts used on the site (your browser requests them directly from Google).

Some of these providers store data in other countries, including the United States and the European Union. We share information with authorities only when the law requires it.

We keep your information for as long as your account is active. When you ask us to delete your account, we delete your profile, listing, photos and favourites, and anonymise messages and reviews you left for others, unless we are legally required to keep something longer.

You can view and edit most of your information in your profile at any time. You can also ask us to give you a copy of your data, correct it, or delete your account entirely. Contact us through the form at the bottom of any page and we will reply within 30 days.

If you are unhappy with how we handle your data, you can complain to the data protection authority in your country.

We use encrypted connections (HTTPS), hashed passwords and access controls on our database. No online service is perfectly secure, so please use a unique password and tell us right away if you notice anything suspicious.

Housitters is for people aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone younger.

If we make meaningful changes, we will update the date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, let members know by email.