Sudbury man turns house sitting into a long-term housing solution

For one Sudbury, Ont., resident, house sitting isn't just a temporary fix — it's a way of life. What started as a one-time opportunity has turned into a strategic housing solution.

Lasse Borgos has been house sitting for more than three years. While he plans to move into a permanent residence in May, he still sees house sitting as a viable housing alternative.

"It started with someone I knew who had bought a property a bit outside of the city, and they weren't ready to move in yet when they bought it," said Borgos. 

Borgos moved in to house-sit for about a year until the owners, who worked in the mining industry, were ready to take possession.

"It just so happened to be that they knew that I was looking for a place at the time, and they kind of just put two and two together, and they offered me the opportunity to live out on that property until they were ready to move in." 

Word of Borgos's reliability quickly spread within the local mining community. His first homeowners connected him to others in need of a caretaker.

"That led me to my next one — that was a shorter one that was just a couple of weeks. That actually led to another similar one, where another mining family was going away for a couple of weeks, and they needed someone to look after their house. That was the third one."  

House sitting offers flexibility, but not without challenges

Borgos stays in regular contact with homeowners, who appreciate having someone on-site to handle unexpected issues. They rely on him to oversee property maintenance, co-ordinate renovations and allow access to workers in their absence.

He is currently on his fourth house-sitting arrangement, where he lives alongside his daughter.

"It was almost like they felt bad for the house that somebody wouldn't live in it. So they kind of liked the fact that it would provide them someone to look after the house in case something happened," Borgos said.

Over the years, Borgos has negotiated various arrangements — sometimes paying reduced rent, sometimes living rent free. In some cases, he's even received perks like a vehicle or been paid to house-sit.

But the lifestyle comes with challenges.

Since the property isn't truly his, he has to abide by homeowner restrictions. Without explicit permission, Borgos explained he can't make significant changes, like painting walls or adding personal touches, which limits the sense of home.

Still, he says, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

"I would like something more permanent, but at the same time it does benefit the renter if you do get a reduced rate so that you can kind of live above your means." 

As Borgos prepares to enter the housing market, he said, "I've been quite fortunate to be able to live on a reduced rental rate for the last three, four years. So that's going to be a bit of a reality check, but, I mean, that's no different than everyone else out there that is renting currently."