Have you as sitters broke something in a sit, and how did you handle it? Also, for HO, if the sitter breaks something do you just ask them to pay for it or do you take it as part of life?
In our case we broke the handle of a plastic bucket use for litter. It was definitely not misuse, it just happened that it was uncommonly cold that night and the bucket was almost full. (Less full than how the HO had it when we arrived though) So we went to lift it and the handle just snapped. We of course told the HO right away, and that was it but when they arrived they told us to pay 15 euro to replace it. We agreed and a couple of days later they asked for 19 euro because of shipping costs. We agreed again and just paid but I am curious as to how you guys see it. For me, I just think it broke while we were there so we pay for it, but my partner says we shouldnāt have to pay if it was not negligence on our part and I wonder. What would happen if something expensive like a washing machine stopped workingā¦ ? Would we be expected to pay as well?
I appreciate your views and experiences on this topic
If I break something on a sit, I automatically just replace it, no questions asked. In your case I definitely wouldnāt be questioning the replacement, itās part and parcel of sitting.
Insofar as a washing machine or something like that, each case would have to be looked at individually, there isnāt an across the board answer to that one. I broke a door on a dryer once and replaced it immediately but when I told the homeowners, they gave me the money back that I paid for it as they said it was an old machine that they had expected it to happen sooner rather than later. You need to take each case as it happens but in your case with the bucket, pay it and move on is my advice. Itās really not a big deal I think. Sitting is a benefit to homeowners for sure but itās also a great benefit to sitters as well.
I think you were unlucky as it was most likely wear and tear and also in an awkward position because you were there on return. I think most owners I have sat for would have said donāt worry about it. If something like a washing machine needs repairing a lot of people pay for insurance cover or they are under warranty. In the UK we have home and contents cover which usually includes accidental damage for bigger items, it wouldnāt cover your bucket. Usually in the welcome guide there are contacts for repairs but the best thing of course is to say up front what has happened.
Charging you for that bucket was petty. If I saw that in a sitterās review, Iād avoid those hosts, because Iād wonder what else they might be petty about. A bucket in that type of use sounds to have worn out. Itās not as if you were abusing the bucket.
With something like a plastic bucket, we wouldnāt have told the HO while they were away, we would have just bought another and told them when they returned. Weād do the same for anything cheap like that.
I donāt think weāve had any HOās that āexpectedā us to pay for things, weāve had a really lovely āthese things happenā bunch of owners. But I know from this forum that weāre bound to get a not-so-nice HO at some point.
Thereās buckets, and then there are Buckets, especially when waste is a consideration. At this price it sounds like it might have been part of a system, in which case the HO may want to be particular about which one is bought. If I were the HO Iād not charge the sitter as normal wear & tear causes this sort of breakage.
If I were the sitter Iād investigate the replacement price online and if it wasnāt overly expensive (and some of them are) Iād order a replacement or leave a note for the HO with cash to cover it (I did this for a discontinued plate that was already broken in the dishwasher before I arrived). If the price is way too high Iād maybe suggest contributing to the cost, but point out normal wear & tear.
Iām a HO. If a sitter broke something, or something broke while they were using it, I would like the sitter to send a photo of the item and say, āThe handle of this bucket snapped off when we lifted it when full. Do you want us to replace the bucket?ā Personally, I donāt like to buy excess plastic stuff and would prefer to find a more ecological solution. So I would feel a bit of regret if the sitter just went ahead and bought a new bucket. For an object that doesnāt cost much, I would not make the sitter pay to replace it, but thatās just me.
That is incredibly petty and rude. Accidents easily happen in unfamiliar surroundings. We are just trying our best. We have replaced small things that may have broken if possible.
Please put it in your review because we would never sit for someone like that.
Weāve been a bit unlucky with breakages. We were told by the HO that a dimmer light switch over heated if turned up full. We didnāt turn it up full but it over heated and blew the downstairs lighting circuit, another sitter was coming in after us so we wanted to get it fixed. We debated telling the HO but she was in the US, and had given neighbourās details so we called - but the neighbour was away too! So we took it on ourselves to find an electrician and get it fixed, about Ā£90 and he said the switch was wired up wrongly in the first place. We were really worried the HO would be hacked off, we explained, and said if she thought weād done the wrong thing weād pay - but although a bit snarky at first (I thought ), she left a glowing review that we got it fixed.
The last sit we did, the toilet flush broke, it was only a weekend so there was no time to get it fixed (luckily there were 2 bathrooms!) Again we were really worried they might think weād been heavy handed (tbh my OH can beā¦) and we offered to pay if we had been, but they were super nice about it.
Things break in houses. We use as few appliances as possible for this reason. Weād never use eg a posh coffee machine even if the HO says we can. Too risky!
I think as @Maggie8K and @Enjaybee says it is really petty to ask someone who does tasks for you to pay for a bucket that snapped while doing chores. For them.
Hope you mention it in review as I would like to avoid a host like that.
I have broken a glass and the plastic part of a swifter - that connects the handle to the floor pad while on two separate sits. I bought a new set of the same glasses and bought a new swifter. I messaged the host that xyz broke and I purchased a new xyz to replace it. I sent pictures of the broken item and the new replacement item. There was no further conversation afterwards.
As a long time sitter, just adding what we do.
Most of the time, we replace what we break and donāt mention it. Glasses, dishes, etc.
(I wish we checked on the price of some wine glasses before we touched them!)
If itās part of an appliance and it was normal wear, we let them know and offer to pay if we feel guilty in some way.
If itās something that seems silly / useless- like once a plastic step break off the kitty litter box when we cleaned it- but the cat never stood on the step, we let them know it broke but that we didnāt see the point of replacing.
I should think so! This makes me think that, as sitters, we could be putting ourselves in dangerous situations. Iām renting my house out while housesitting full time & understandably there are strict rules to follow to ensure the house is safe for tenants regarding electricity, gas, having smoke alarms etc. And Iāve been to many homes where thereās dodgy locks on doors (why donāt they get them fixed before getting locked out), no smoke/carbon monoxide alarms. We sometimes take our lives in our own hands.
Iād prefer a sitter not replace something that breaks during their stay unless itās something they need, and Iād be embarrassed to let a sitter pay for a broken item unless maybe they were being ridiculously careless. I wouldnāt let a friend pay either, so thatās the mindset I try to keep.
Seems crazy to me that the host didnāt have their faulty light switch fixed before, regardless of whether anyone sat for them. Thatās a safety hazard and some insurers will decline a claim if a homeowner knew something was wrong electrically and didnāt fix it, then leading to say a fire. Thatās nutty to me. And I certainly wouldnāt expect a sitter to pay for something like that, nor would I offer as a sitter.
If anyone goes by that sort of logic, then a homeowner with a house full of problems could just invite sitters to stay and keep making them pay for crap thatās wrong with their house.
She shouldāve thanked you immediately and been glad there wasnāt a fire or such. The snarkiness was ridiculous even if she was appreciative later.
If you didnāt misuse the bucket and it broke due to wear and tear whilst you were using it for the purpose of the sit, why on earth did you feel compelled to replace it? More to the point, why on earth did these pet parents feel you should fund replacement?
If something broke due to our negligence during a sit, weād replace it. If it was clearly a case of wear and tear - nothing lasts forever - then we would not. Itās surely about accepting responsibility for your own actions, not for assuming financial liability for all the house contents?
Is it just me or why are these topics always the same? I salute to everybody who is in the forum for years, writing to the same topics every week, month, yearā¦
I mean, there is a search function and when you start a topic you also get topic recommendations and could easily continue and old topic instead of creating a new one. It would be beneficial to the forum as it doesnāt overload it so much.
I was on a sit where the owner was moving in the following month, so there was only a large pot and a small sauce pan, with plastic coating on the handle. I boiled water in the sauce pan to make my coffee and on the second day, the plastic started to melt. I searched mutliple stores and online to replace it. I left $20 to replace it. The HO said I didnāt have to, but I would rather leave the $20 and feel responsible. And I got a rave review after, so, it was worth it.
