house-sittern.
/ˈhaʊsˌsɪtə/, U.S. /ˈhaʊ(s)ˌsɪdər/ Originally U.S.
A person who lives in or looks after a house while the usual occupants are away, often as a commercial service.
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1949 Chron.-Telegram (Elyria, Ohio) 19 May e3/1 (advt.) Life size doll is easy to make from pantyhose and fabric. She makes a great house sitter, giving the appearance of a real person sitting in your living room.]
1950 Stars & Stripes (European ed.) 29 Apr. 2/2 To keep prowlers, thieves and undesirables away from empty houses, house sitters come into the picture.
1966 Washington Post 20 Jan. e6 (advt.) House Sitter—Live in, care for & protect home while you are away.
1987 Independent 18 Apr. 12/4 One way of avoiding the problem can be to use a house sitter.
2003 P. Lovesey House Sitter (2004) 2 You'll end up paying through the nose for some house sitter who runs up enormous phone bills and burns holes in your carpet.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2011; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1950