Not sure this is the right place but need a housesitter. is there some legal stuff I need to worry about?

[shouldibecrossaboutthis]

I need someone to live in my house. For an unspecified period of time. Could be 8 weeks could be 1 year. This person can stay for as long or as little as they want. I don't want them to pay me any rent.

Do they still have tenancy rights? Will I have to test the electrics, gas etc. I just want an informal house sitter but can't seem to find anything or where to look for advice :(

Thanks.

I have no idea whether these are good companies - I have just found them through Google - I'm not recommending them...
www.mindmyhouse.com/
housesitters.co.uk/
www.trustedhousesitters.com/uk/

Hi shouldibecrossaboutthis,

I've used TrustedHousesitters.com as a sitter and I also have friends and family that have used it to find a sitter. All very positively I should add. I would recommend them as a website for finding a casual sitter.

If it was me, I would just post a 'house sitting assignment' (you can see a sample of other people's assignments here: www.trustedhousesitters.com/house-and-pet-sitting-assignments/ ) saying what you've said here and see what the response is. I don't know what the rules are regarding tenancy rights, but you'll find a 'house sitting agreement' here www.trustedhousesitters.com/faq/homeowner/ which you and the sitter could both sign to make sure you're covered. In most house sits that I've taken on I've not paid any rent, nor has the homeowner paid me for my sitting services - it's an exchange of free accommodation for minding the house.