for example, you'll have to feed Arthur the cat twice a day, and in Richmond Teazel (a one-year old moggie) and some fish need looking after. This means you couldn't be out of the house for 15 hours a day. If you're allergic to animals, this may not be the option for you. If you can be trusted with someone else's pet for a couple of weeks, and you like the idea of a free stay, you'd better sign up quick -- Logan warns that these sorts of properties get snapped up fast, so be sure to choose the instant alert option which means you'll receive an email as soon as a house is listed, rather than the daily alert. She also advises creating a listing with as much biographical information as possible as owners like to know as much about potential sitters as possible -- it's a good idea to post a video of yourself too, and character references. While Housetrip says longer lets have been snapped up by foreign tourists visiting the UK there are plenty of shorter stays available. "For every property we rent out, another property comes on as a family or owner decides to list their home," said a spokesman for the company. The latest private home rental company is Hester Gray which specialises in architecturally interesting properties in London. They come at a price (between 100 and 300 per person per night), and it's so exclusive the properties are not actually listed on the