House sitting is the practice whereby a landlord (or "homeowner"), leaving his house for a considerable period of time, entrusts it to one or more "home-sitters", who by a mutual agreement are entitled to dwell there rent-free in exchange for assuming such responsibilities as taking care of the landlord's pets, performing general maintenance (including pools, lawns, air-conditioning systems etc.), readdressing the mail and, in general, making sure that everything runs smoothly just as if the owner was at home.
It is also generally implied that crime is deterred either by the sheer presence of the tenants or possibly by watch-dogs or security systems.
Of course the whole practice is open to negotiation, notably as for whether a security deposit is required by the landlord and whether a money payment should be made from one of the parties involved (as its share of the benefits is larger: typically, this is considered to be the home-sitter).
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