Getting back to the op question, “are sitters leaving THS” Yes they are.
But sometimes they come back again.
It’s a bit like a drug.
I sit for various reasons,mostly because I do miss the company of a dog. And I am not in the position to have one of my own again at the moment. so it is much more than a holiday for me, its a lifestyle.
@springy . Were all your reviews still there? The booking fee is £9 ( for now) per sit for both sitters and HO, apart from premium members ( for now) As said, it’s taken automatically when a sit is confirmed.
Yes, all reviews and profile still there.
I’m undecided whether to renew in November so cancelled auto-renewal but hit a problem with bookings, If interested look at product updates section -booking fees
The booking fee is not taken automatically. A window pops up asking you to pay and confirm it. Then they email you a receipt.
You don’t know why it’s happening. Could be due to unrest in the world, increased cost of travel, or just a cyclical pattern. The booking fees could have little or nothing to do with it.
The introduction of the sit fees in late 2025 probably caused many non-premium sitters to reconsider their renewals. It was the catalyst for me and others in FB and Redditt forums. Add to that the war in the ME and its effects on travel and those members who were hesitating may just have decided against renewing.
There’s a lot of anecdotal and observational data that sits are going unfulfilled. Partly. that might be an unintended consequence of an increase in membership with an imbalance towards HOs.
Reading back on this forum, old posts are everywhere about hosts not being able to get sitters. It’s not a new thing.
The difference is, nowadays even “good” sits are increasingly struggling to get applicants vs. previously, when mostly sits that weren’t appealing would struggle.
Maybe not, but the THS forum is only a tiny sample of members. I see a lot of discontent on FB and Redditt as well. HOs I know and have sat for have also said that the quantity as well as quality of available sitters seems to be decreasing, while overall membership is apparently increasing.
It’s the short sits that are going to suffer. I have no intention of being bullied into upgrading to premium, so will no longer be considering sits of less than 2 weeks. I will probably do a few short sits in the Facebook groups.
We are desperate to sit in Portugal this January but can’t even see anything, never mind apply for it. (Retirees with over 100 five star reviews)
I have thought about leaving and have actively joined a couple of sites. However, I always end up back on THS. The quality is far superior and I like the layout and process. Maybe it’s just because it’s familiar. I don’t know.
We have decided to suck it up and grudgingly pay the booking fee. I have noticed the huge amount of new hosts especially in US and a reduction of sits in Hampshire where we sit most of the summer. I’m hoping it’s just adjustments to the new regime.
We will probably need a sitter in January but will be leaving THS. Maybe send me a DM with a link to your profile.
HAHAHA
Just applied for a sit in Miami in July!!!
With NO HVAC.
Only window unit in bedroom
What is HVAC?
Lots of houses and coops/condos have only window units, it’s not like HVAC is the norm or to be expected. What’s the big deal about A/C only in the bedroom, at night is when it’s most important to make sleeping more comfortable.
During the day lots of people are out and about, exploring the area, shopping etc. If the hosts can do it, certainly a guest or a sitter can do it for short periods of time.
You can certainly search the term but since I’m already replying I’ll save you the trouble.
HVAC = Heating, Ventilation and Cooling. Refers to central systems that run on gas or electricity or both and pump the hot or cold air through vents as opposed to localized systems including but not limited to window A/C units or individual radiators supplied by water heated by gas or oil.
Oooo I’m in Portugal on a sit for the next few months, If you need anyone around the end of the year I could possibly be interested 
I don’t think sitters are leaving the platform, it’s just there are so many house sits to choose from, that we can be very selective for which house sit to do.
I mean in the UK alone there are 3500+ house sits at any given time.
I comb from listings when traveling, and if there is anything off putting about a listing I move on. Literally something better will come along.
House Owners need to step up their game I guess. Sorry to say this, but it’s just how it seems at the moment
I thought the booking fee would have a bad result on the sits, but the number goes up and up every month. At the start of the year there were 9000+ globally, now there is closer to 12000 listings. I know in January there is usually a lower amount, but [wow], it’s growing a lot.
(Edited to meet Posting Guidelines)