Handing House Keys to a Pet Sitter | Stafford County, VA | Stay With Lacy

The Question No One Wants to Ask

There's a moment every pet owner faces before a trip: standing at the door, house key in hand, wondering if they're making a smart decision.

Handing someone access to your home — your alarm code, your lockbox, your garage remote — is a big deal. It should be. The fact that you're thinking carefully about it doesn't mean you're paranoid. It means you're a responsible homeowner.

The good news is that this is exactly the kind of transparency and preparation that good pet sitting is built on. And if your sitter isn't proactively talking through these things with you, that's a red flag worth paying attention to.

Here's everything you should know — and everything your pet sitter should be confirming — before the first stay begins.

When someone provides in-home pet care, they're not just caring for your animals. They're responsible for your home. They're the reason your lights are being turned on and off at normal hours (making the house look occupied). They're the reason your mail isn't piling up. They're the reason that strange sound your house makes at 3 AM gets investigated instead of ignored.

At Stay With Lacy, this responsibility is formalized in the Invisible Guest Guarantee — a commitment to respecting your home exactly as you've left it, following your routines, and leaving your space as tidy or tidier than I found it. But that guarantee only works if the access setup is thorough and clearly communicated before I arrive.

1. A spare key or lockbox

The gold standard is a lockbox mounted at your home, programmed with a code that can be changed after your service ends. This gives you full control: I never have to carry a physical key, and you never have to wonder where your key is.

If you prefer to use a spare key, decide where it will be left and make sure I have that information before your departure. Never communicate a key location in an insecure channel (like a social media DM) — save those details for an in-person exchange or the secure messaging system in Time To Pet.

2. Your alarm code and disarm instructions

Please provide:

• The full entry code (and note any delay timing — how long you have to disarm after opening the door)
• Any special modes (home, away, night) and which one should be set when I leave
• The monitoring company name and your account password (in case the alarm triggers accidentally)
• Instructions for rearming when I leave

If you use a smart security system with an app, a temporary access code or guest profile is even better — it lets you monitor entries and exits remotely and revoke access when the service ends.

3. Garage access (if applicable)

If I'll be entering through your garage, I'll need either a remote (clearly labeled and left in an agreed location inside) or your garage keypad code. If your garage is app-controlled, a guest profile or temporary PIN is the cleanest solution.

4. Smart locks and secondary entry points

Smart locks are increasingly common — and I love working with them because they make access management cleaner for everyone. Just confirm the PIN or provide guest app access before you leave, and I'll document the instructions in your Time To Pet profile for future stays.

5. Wi-Fi network and password

I'll need your Wi-Fi to send you photo and video updates from inside your home. It also ensures I can reach the Time To Pet portal and communicate through the app during my visits. A simple sticky note with the network name and password left in the kitchen works perfectly.

Every code, key, and access detail you share with me is treated as confidential. It's documented in your Time To Pet client profile, which is accessible only to me, and it's used only for the purposes of your pet's care. I don't share access information with third parties, and I don't leave it accessible to others.

For the same reason, I ask that you inform me in advance of any other people who may be entering your home during my care period — family members, cleaners, repair workers, neighbors. This isn't distrust; it's protocol. Knowing who has access to your home while I'm responsible for it keeps everyone safe and prevents misunderstandings.

Security cameras inside and outside the home are common, and I operate with the full expectation that they may be present. I have nothing to hide, and cameras are a legitimate tool for homeowners to monitor their property. My only request is that you tell me upfront which areas are covered so I can communicate openly with you about what they'll show.

If you have outdoor cameras, I appreciate them — they provide an additional layer of security during the stay. Interior cameras in living areas are fine. Cameras in private areas (bathrooms, changing areas) would be inappropriate, but I assume that goes without saying.

Every single piece of access information above is handled in person, at your Meet & Greet, before any service begins. This is not paperwork-at-a-distance. It's a face-to-face conversation in your home, with time to ask questions, test the lockbox code together, confirm alarm procedures, and make sure we both feel confident before I ever show up for a real stay.

The Meet & Greet is required for all new clients — not as a formality, but because there is no substitute for meeting in person when you're trusting someone with your home and your animals.

Stay With Lacy Pet Sitting, LLC is a registered Virginia LLC, licensed, bonded, and insured through Pet Sitter Associates LLC — one of the most respected professional pet sitter insurance providers in the country. This means that in the event of an accident, injury, or property issue during care, there is professional-grade coverage in place.

If you're evaluating any pet sitter, professional bonding and insurance should be non-negotiable items on your checklist. A hobbyist without coverage might be cheaper — but the difference between insured and uninsured becomes very clear if something goes wrong.

• Lockbox installed and code confirmed with your sitter
• Alarm code and instructions written clearly
• Garage remote in agreed location, or keypad code shared
• Wi-Fi network and password noted
• Smart lock guest profile or PIN created
• Camera locations communicated
• Anyone else who might enter the home during care identified to your sitter
• Emergency contact (local, authorized to make pet care decisions if you're unreachable) on file in Time To Pet

If you're in North Stafford, Fredericksburg, Dumfries, or the surrounding Stafford County area and you want pet care you can trust — completely — the place to start is a Meet & Greet.

Create your free Time To Pet account at staywithlacy.com, complete your pet profile, and request your Meet & Greet. We'll handle everything else together.

Questions? Call or text (571) 364-2105 (Sun–Thu 7 AM–9 PM, Fri–Sat 7 AM–5 PM).

Stay With Lacy Pet Sitting, LLC | North Stafford, VA | Licensed · Bonded · Insured | staywithlacy.com