How much does pet sitting cost in Los Angeles?

It varies a lot by service. On Rover as of May 2026, drop-in pet sitting ran a median around $25 per visit, dog boarding in someone's home had a median near $63 per night, and overnight house sitting averaged about $75 per night. Independent local companies usually price by the visit or hour and tend to cost more than marketplace sitters, while boarding facilities and resorts sit at the higher end. Always confirm current rates with the provider, since holiday weeks in LA run higher.

Do I have to give a pet sitter a key to my apartment?

Not necessarily, but they do need a reliable way into both your building and your unit. Many LA sitters offer lockbox setup or will hold a copy of your key. The harder part in an apartment or condo is the building's front entrance, which is usually a locked lobby with a buzzer. Decide how the sitter clears that door before you decide how they get through your apartment door.

Is in-home pet sitting or boarding better for an apartment dog?

For a dog that gets anxious leaving home or a cat that should never be moved, in-home drop-ins or house sitting keep your pet in familiar surroundings. For a social dog that does well around others and burns energy through play, a cage-free daycare or boarding facility can be a better fit. Match the choice to your animal, not to the lowest price.

Blog / Best Pet Sitting Options in Los Angeles for Apartments and Condos (2026)

Best Pet Sitting Options in Los Angeles for Apartments and Condos (2026)

By Ty · 2026-05-31

Looking for a pet sitter in Los Angeles? You are spoiled for choice. LA has one of the deepest pet-care markets in the country, from app-based sitters you can book tonight to cage-free boarding resorts on the Westside. This guide compares the real, current options, what each is best for, and roughly what they cost, so you can find the right fit for your pet.

Your options compared

Prices below are approximate and in US dollars (USD), drawn from provider listings and Rover’s published LA cost data as of mid-2026. Rates change, so treat these as a starting point and confirm directly.

Option	Best for	Typical cost	Notes
Rover	Booking fast, comparing many sitters	Drop-ins around $25/visit; in-home boarding median ~$63/night	Huge LA supply (thousands of sitters), reviews and bonded sitters. Quality varies by individual, so vet the person, not just the app.
Wag	On-demand walks and last-minute help	30-min walk ~$22; sleepovers ~$39 to $59	Strong for quick walks. Sitter pool is smaller than Rover’s and turnover is higher.
LA Pet Sitting	In-home sitting across most of LA	By visit, contact for rates	Covers Northeast LA, DTLA, Hollywood, Westside, the Valleys and more. Dog, cat, and exotic pet care plus medication.
Animal Magnetism	Westside in-home care, peace of mind	By visit, contact for rates	Fully licensed in LA, bonded and insured, Pet Sitters International member. Serves Santa Monica, Venice, Culver City, Mar Vista and nearby.
The Wags Club	Social dogs, cage-free daycare and boarding	Membership/day rates, contact for pricing	12,000 sq ft cage-free West LA facility with real grass and pools. Great for high-energy dogs; not for cats or anxious pets.
K9 Resorts LA	Luxury boarding near LAX	Premium nightly rates, contact for pricing	Spacious play areas, size-based groups, outdoor breaks. Convenient if you are flying out of LAX.
Vet-clinic boarding	Pets with medical needs	Roughly $40 to $75+/night, varies by clinic	Staff can manage meds and watch health closely. Often kennel-style with less play, and your own vet is the best place to ask.
Trusted neighbor or friend	Simple, low-cost, familiar	Free or a small thank-you	Free and your pet knows them, but no insurance, no backup if they bail, and you are leaning on a favor.

How to choose

Once you have a shortlist, weigh these before you book.

Insured and bonded. For any paid sitter, ask. Companies like Animal Magnetism state this plainly, and Rover includes coverage on bookings made through the app. It protects you and your pet if something goes wrong.
A meet-and-greet. Always do one before the trip. Watch how your pet reacts and confirm the sitter is comfortable with feeding, meds, and your routine.
How keys and building access are handled. Clarify exactly how the sitter gets in. Will they hold a key, use a lockbox, or rely on a code? In an apartment, do not forget the building’s front door, covered below.
Daily photo updates. Most reputable LA sitters and facilities text photos after each visit. It is reassuring and it confirms the visit actually happened.

Getting your sitter into your building

Here is the catch every LA apartment and condo dweller hits. Whichever sitter or facility pickup you arrange, the person still has to get through your building’s front door while you are away. Most LA buildings gate the lobby with a buzzer that dials your phone, and if you are on a plane, asleep in another time zone, or just out, no one answers, and the sitter is stuck on the sidewalk with your dog waiting upstairs.

Lowkey is built for exactly this gap. It is a software app that forwards your building’s buzzer call to your phone and can auto-buzz your sitter into the building on a schedule, say every morning and evening for the dates you are gone, or with a 4-digit passcode they enter at the panel. It opens the building’s front door so the sitter can come up to your unit. It does not open your apartment door itself, so you still arrange that with a key, lockbox, or smart lock as usual. There is nothing to install, and it works with any buzzer that dials out to a phone number, which covers most apartment and condo systems in LA.

Last updated June 2026. Pricing and availability change, so confirm current rates directly with each provider.