Just intrigued to know if it’s common to be invited to sit when the HO has already received 3 applicants.
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No telling how common that is, but some hosts might do that if they get applicants they consider to be bad matches. And that’s more likely to happen with hosts in areas with lower demand.
Generally, I get invited by hosts I’ve never applied with or some hosts I’ve sat for before will share a bunch of sits they’ve not posted yet, though they’ve already made travel plans. Or they’ll sometimes ask if I’d be available for certain dates if they’re in the process of considering various trips.
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We were invited to one of our favourite sits ever when they had 5 applicants. It was their first THS experience and they thought we would be a good match. We thought the same and it worked out perfectly 
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Never done it myself @ChristineB , but I would think the HO has some ok but not really good applicants, who could do the sit… but they’re hoping to find someone, who’d be a great match.
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An applicant might not be an actual application for a sit, as sending an «application» is the only way a sitter can reach out to for instance ask a question. I have done it myself. And might very well «withdraw application» (or be declined) when the question is answered.
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I’ve done it when my applicants weren’t ideal, but only to previous sitters we’d formed a bond with or locals who’d saved us as a favorite. It’s just a way to widen the pool and open up lines of communication.
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Has the pet parent invited you, or simply sent you an invitation to apply?
The invitation where you decline or accept. Not sure of what the alternative is?
Hi @ChristineB
In that case make sure you really want the sit. Really you want to speak to the HO to know it’s right for you. If you aren’t super anxious to secure it I would write back saying you’re delighted with the invite but can you arrange a chat first to make sure you’re on the same page. Good luck
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Ive already declined as I have commitments outside THS. I was just intrigued as it was the first time receiving an invite when the HO already had received a number of applicants.
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Just check, since if it was an unsolicited invitation (ie you hadn’t applied) it was probably an invitation to apply for the sit. They have ‘apply’ or ’ decline’ options.
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Do you mean 3 people applied, but the host sent you an invitation? As a host, I could easily imagine that situation. I usually get a lot of applicants as I live in a place sitters like to visit, but I remember one sort of last minute sit around but not including a holiday, where I wasn’t getting a lot of suitable applicants and reached out. Ultimately, I wound up finding someone throught the posted listing, but I could easily see a situation where the host is just not feeling great about the applicants.
As others have said, and you probably know, it’s an invitation to apply not an acceptance.
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Note: In such circumstances, the host often invites multiple sitters to apply for their sit, in hope of boosting the odds that they’ll get a strong match.
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