As a home-owner, I completely agree. I say to my sitters to use whatever they want, but please to let me know if they finish anything.
I also manage their expectations as I hate cooking so if, for example, they are expecting fully-stocked cupboards and an exciting array of herbs and spices, they will be very disappointed 
And there isnt any alcohol because I rarely drink.
Sorry if I’m coming across as entitled. Let me give you an example of what I’m talking about. There is a loaf of sliced bread in the house and your flight home is the next day. Are you going to grab a couple of slices for breakfast or buy a whole other loaf, bb knowing you can’t take it home? At the same time, you would have bought other food that you would have left behind, something I have done regularly with AirBnB sits. That’s all I’m envisioning. Im not talking about cleaning out one’s freezer and wine cooler.
Hi Richard, On most sits Ihavedone I have found that homeowners have told me to help myself to anything in the fridge, such as cheese, milk, butter, fruit and salad things etc. They are happy for me to use as would go off before they arrived back. I have also been told to help myself to dry goods in pantry such as rice, pasta etc. One a few occasions I have been told to help myself to wine etc. also, although not a big drinker so a bottle would last me a week. Some owners have even bought things in especially for me such as a kind of welcome pack of a loaf of bread, some nice cookies, chocolate and a bottle of wine. If arriving the night before I have always shared a nice meal with the owners also. I have also been taken out for meals, as well as a gift voucher for a nice cream tea at a nearby place. I once had a free meal and drink at a leisure club every day, as they owned it. I used the indoor pool beforehand. I have rarely found an empty fridge. I think it is really mean if never offered anything, especially if multiple pets and want a lot of hours work from you, such as dogs walked an hour in the morning and two in the afternoon, along with ducks, geese, goats and chickens etc.
Thank you very much. Glad to find someone else who shares my perspective. I just think people, whether sitters or homeowners, should nice and considerate. Be well.
I am sorry. I didn’t mean you came across as entitled.
What I meant is that there are all sorts of homeowners and sitters and that it’s important to find good matches but regarding this particular matter, I wouldn’t know how to find out if an owner would share some food or not. I only know that once I am there.
Everything else is easy to clarify in advance.
The thing is, people vary widely and some see THS as transactions, rather than relationships. And that falls along a continuum. Plus, what’s seen as hospitality varies.
Personally, I agree with you on welcoming guests (including sitters), but know not everyone does, and because I know that, expect variation over consistency as a sitter.
The key thing is to match as well as possible for whatever it is we individually need or prefer as a host (or sitter).
When I’ve screened listings (and reviews), it’s been pretty easy for me to find signs of hospitality and reciprocity. I don’t look for references to food and don’t care about them, but hosts who come across with signs of hospitality and reciprocity usually are gracious and generous as well.
My next sit for example will be with hosts who previously offered me airport pickup and drop-off, treated me to welcome dinner, invited me to eat whatever I wanted from their huge and upscale food supply, bought me gifts on returning, left emergency cash, gave me a Chinese New Year’s red envelope, and have offered me roundtrip airfare to repeat sit. I’d say that’s above and beyond, and I don’t expect such from all hosts.
Not at all. All good. Thanks for reaching out.
AirBNB’s are paid accommodations, not sits.
Most AirBNB’s clean in between guests and usually toss food left behind (same with hotel fridges) and if I found leftover food in an airbnb fridge, I would toss it and mark the host down for it.
I do not want or eat random food - don’t know who’s it was, how old it is, or how it was handled. Not touching it, no thank you.
Another self-sufficient sitter : I always work from the assumption that, unless the HO has clearly stated what I can use certain items, I never use anything aside from basic spices, condiments and such.
Further, I never open anything or use the last of anything even if the HO says it is OK. (Clearly that is a personal problem !)
If for some reason I have to do one of the above because I forgot to purchase something or an item looks particularly delicious, I always purchase a replacement which I leave unopened.
As a non -drinker, alcohol is not an issue but I imagine this could be a spiky issue with HO’s and asking is ALWAYS one’s safest bet.
Oh, and your comparisin of THS stays to ABNB stays is not valid here. Completely different situations and relationships with homeowners.
As a relatively new sitter to the platform, I strongly believe that this subject should be clarified as common practice. Obviously there is a wide range of opinions & experiences!!
I think sitters & HOs should be able to clarify preferences that are shown after they accept a sit, ie in the welcome guide, etc.
Example, from sitter: a. I prefer an empty fridge if possible, or b. don’t worry about cleaning your whole fridge as long as there’s at least a shelf or two open or c. Feel free to leave [fill in blank] but please clear out [blank]… and from HO: a. please only use oil & condiments and replace anything you finish off or b. help yourself to anything and don’t worry about replacing it! or c. Help yourself to [fill in the blank] but please don’t use [blank].
I agree that gift cards are a kind gesture if wanting to give food, since the sitter may have eating limitations. Or, if you’re someone who loves preparing a meal/shopping for your sitter then it should be standard to check on dietary restrictions.
My first sit on THS, the HO kindly told me to eat whatever I wanted and I believed they meant it. I cleaned out some spoiling items, ate some food but not a lot (for a combo of reasons, one being that I have a lot of food sensitivities and the other being that they had a number of things past expiration date)… my next sit, I texted to see if they wanted me to use or dispose of perishables that were going bad and they never answered me so I didn’t touch them. It was only a 4-day sit so nothing got too bad.
As for the Airbnb vs guest mentality, etc… every sit is so different and people use the platform in different ways and for different reasons. Usually, overnight pet care includes a place to stay plus paying someone and unless your home is already set up for income as an Airbnb, chances are you’re not losing $ by not hosting while away, whereas sitters would be losing $ by not getting paid to sit… but travelers who would be otherwise paying for hotels/airbnbs ARE saving $, so benefits vary by the individual.
Also, there is SUCH a wide range of expectations for time spent with pets, and of course the concept of how guests should be treated… the quality of the location & home…
I think the taboo of discussing it should be removed. Nothing should be expected but basics like use of cooking ware (maybe with exceptions like a really nice knife set or cast iron pan), oils and condiments… and it should be standard to clarify wants & needs on both sides once a sit is confirmed (without asking too much on either end), as that helps everyone!
I searched this topic because of an experience I just had. I always told my sitters they could use all spices, coffee pods, and popcorn for the popcorn machine and eat all items in the fridge that would expire before we return home. I also asked them to write what needed to be replaced on a shopping list attached to the fridge. I always take sitters out to dinner the night they arrive and show them where the nearby grocery store is located. When we got home from our last sit, the fridge and freezer were almost totally empty, alcohol had been consumed, and nothing was written on the list. We were shocked we had no food for ourselves. I texted the sitter and asked why he did that when he was told what he could have, and I mentioned that sitters I’ve had in the past always brought their own food. He said he must have misunderstood what I said because he thought all the food I left was for him. The next day he texted me back and offered to pay for what he ate, but of course I said no. He then docked me a star on his review of the sit for Hospitality. After that, I added my preferences to the Welcome Guide.
Wow, what and entitled sitter. Did you respond to his review? I hope so.
No, because he didn’t say why he dinged me in hospitality. He talked mainly about he communicated well and kept the house clean. I dinged him for those lies in his review.