My memory tells me that the start date was called arrival date.
I wouldn’t bet money on it but I believe it.
I was testing that and saw this new screen since the last time I posted dates earlier this year, which I think is a good addition.
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@HelloOutThere I think that pop up is a good addition. They should really add something about internal cameras there too… If I had to guess, that is probably the biggest ‘breach’ of conditions that sitters are encountering
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@Huronbase, yeah sometimes it’s just not possible to line up end and start dates on the same day. It’s great when it works, but I’ve found it to be rare. They are usually either too far apart or times just don’t work out. I had two recently that worked out perfectly, but they were both in the London area and the second HO was leaving in the evening so I had plenty of time to finish the first sit and get to the second. But, I typically have at least 1 or 2 hotel nights in between sits.
@KC1102 agreed.
Perhaps you could add that suggestion to the "what features would you like to see thread"
I like to see HOs list any overlap requirements upfront in the listing, along with whether or not the sitter can choose to stay at the home that night if the sitter prefers.
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Agree with @KC1102 and others: this new pop-up that THS recently enabled (when you post new dates) mentions the third parties issue but does not mention the internal camera issue, which is equally important.
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@KC1102 @HelloOutThere @Crosswords_and_puzzles and everyone else who suggested that no internal cameras be added to the pop-up.
I have passed this internally to the team as it is such a popular request. The forum team have passed on feedback from previous threads about no internal cameras being more prominent somewhere on the site, but this seems like a great opportunity to add it to this area. I can’t promise anything but if they add it I will let you know 
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Thanks so much.
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HO’s I’ve dealt with so far have put the overlap day as the start date as that’s when they require you to be there. I thought that was the norm.
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I prefer no overlap on either end with the pet parent as I find it very uncomfortable for me. When the sit is over I’m ready to move on. I inform the pet parent of the time I plan to depart during the video chat. I only cat sit so there is not much that needs to be explained unless there are meds involved. Whenever I’m traveling from one country to the next for a sit I arrive 2 days early and book accommodation at my own expense. I provide flight info to my pet parents so they can rest assured I will arrive for the sit. If I find there is an overlap embedded in the sit dates I will not apply or cancel my application (if revealed during the video chat).
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Because of the new overlapping rule, I think it is best to NOT include the pre-sit day in the official Sit dates. It should be very clear in the listing. For example:
Sit dates: 10-20 August
Please arrive: 9 August unless you can visit way ahead of the Sit to get a tour and meet our pets!
Guest suite on August 9: Provided/Not Provided
Hotel stay on August 9: Owner pays/Sitter pays
Other thoughts?
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I find out during the application process if they will need a personal handover and if so, exactly what date and time we will get there. Then as we get closer to the start date, I send a message reiterating, “Per our previous agreement, we will arrive on … date around … in the afternoon”. I’ve only had a couple of pet parents ask me if I could come earlier and I state no I cannot. Has not been a problem.
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If hosts seem at all squishy about dates or otherwise act entitled, as if their time matters, but mine doesn’t, I withdraw my application. I strongly believe in paying attention to red flags and other signals.
I’m on my 17th sit and haven’t had problems with coordinating arrival or departure, or being surprised by hosts suddenly appearing.
I just ask at the outset when hosts are leaving and returning. And they tell me.
With many sits, I fly in a day ahead and stay with my hosts. I’m perfectly comfortable doing that for a day or two.
I just arrived for a sit today, for instance. My hosts had sent me info about the airport shuttle, offered to pay for it (and followed up and have already given me more than enough cash on arrival). They met me at a shuttle drop-off point in front of a nice hotel and took me to a great dinner.
Tomorrow, they’ll show me around more and I’ll drop them at the same airport shuttle stop, so they’ll fly off for a cruise abroad.
I’ll have their car during my stay and pick them up for the short drive back home and they’ll drop me off for my airport shuttle ride the next day.
Two previous hosts had legit emergencies and cut short our sits. They offered to pay for a hotel for me, but I declined and took care of myself. Even with those emergencies, they gave me notice when they’d be returning. They didn’t just pop back in.
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I always include an extra day at the start of the sit, as I am usually leaving early the next day. This allows me to run the sitter through everything , pets, house, where the bus stop is etc. I then take the sitter out for a bite to eat. As I have a single guest room with ensuite, so this works well. I then go away relaxed.
I did once have a couple come for a sit starting the day before I left, but as I only have my double bed for a couple, I put them up in a local hotel for the night. They turned up very late at night, I had to get a taxi to meet them from the coach. I then had to do a very quick rushed tour of the house etc first thing before I left. Not the relaxed start to a holiday I hoped for.
I now only book single sitters, and with the extra day at the start.
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I had a surprise overlap with one very easy cat. The owner wasn’t leaving after all till the following day, which I didn’t find out till I arrived. Not a massive issue as she was a nice lady, cooked me dinner, but
…she was obviously lonely and talked at me non-stop for hours that evening when I was tired from a long drive and just wanted to settle in and relax
…she knew I was going to be working during the days but kept interrupting me the next morning to show me family photos and chat again.
I was counting the minutes till she left.
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Highly disagree that overlap should not be included in the listing dates. All pertinent information is supposed to be included, per THS policies, and this includes dates. Not including all dates in the actual listing leaves the Sitter/Guests at a loss regarding cancellation coverage if that does happen. In my inquiry to THS support coverage is only for posted dates.
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I usually offer to arrive the day before as many HO post the actual dates of their travel.
However I posted on here that I got offered a sit in Cyprus where the HO wanted me to stay in the on resort luxury hotel for a week prior to the sit so we could get to know each other at 300 euros a night (peak season) at my cost. That was a no thanks from me.
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Are you an Owner, Sitter, or both? We often are able to visit the Owner well ahead of the Sit, to meet the Owners, the pets, and get a tour of the house. We do not need the additional night with the Owner.
If Owners truly understand the overlapping rule and what that means for potential Sitter applicants, Owners would constrict their listing dates as much as possible, to open themselves up to more applicants. The Owner can always change their dates later, to match exactly what is agreed with the confirmed Sitter.
We can certainly agree to disagree. No harm, no foul.
If the HO’s are going to change the dates after confirmation, why not just do that from the start? People disagree daily. However not sure that on a site that has so many members and a set of agreements, the reason that this rule can be broken is that it works for you personally. I gave one solid reason to list all dates and could provide another half dozen. Is there a beneficial reason for members as a whole not to list the dates from the start?
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We’d prefer dates to include handover nights in the listing like you @lou28 or we don’t know if we’re available when we apply. We also might have checked flights for the dates they post & if they change it could make it unviable. #fullinfoupfrontplease
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