Glad to read that you have walked away. I wonder if she has had sitters before?
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exactly my question. She sounds like an Airbnb host, even the “cancellation amount” sounds Airbnb-ish 
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Wow, I have had many ask for a Photo of my ID, so they can verify who I am, I have had on a longer sit their Insurance company ask for my ID (it was 6 Weeks and the HO was on the other side of the Planet)
However, handing over my Original Passport (s) Driving Licence, never ever going to happen.
A deposit, again a hard NO. (It’s not a Hotel, Airbnb, etc)
Contributing to the Utility Bills, if it is the Listing, up front and what they expect you to pay IE half of Electricity Bill during the Stay etc, maybe, it’s up to each person.
We had a sit where they left money for us £100.00, there was no central heating in the house and it was Winter, it was cold, very cold. However we knew what we were getting ourselves into, I would never do it again, the temp in the Bedrooms upstairs didn’t get over 10 degrees, I ended up with a Chest Infection that took Months get better, you live and learn huh.
They had 2 small gas heaters downstairs, however the house layout meant it didn’t get upstairs at all and it was a very old house with high ceilings the heat just didn’t make it upstairs, anyways I kept getting messages from them that they kept getting emails that their daily usage was over, this was 2 adults who work full time 6 days a week and most of their time was spent in their home to sleep. They heated up left overs from their meals out. The Oven/Hob were brand new. They wanted us to be home most of the time so that the dogs didn’t fret because they were away, so they knew that apart from Grocery Shopping a couple of Day trips (only out for 4hours) we would be there all the time and it was 4 of us, of course the daily usage was going to go over, we didn’t enjoy the sit, we were coping with it being cold, we knew they didn’t have central heating so there’s no complaining, we knew what we were getting into, however when the messages kept on coming, I was just watching the meter the whole sit. I did try to make it fun by us trying to hit their daily usage, however really that was for my own sanity, mind 5 dogs sitting on you does keep you warm, if not a big whiffy, lol.
I did work it out how much the Gas Bill was for our stay, it was about £150.00 more than their usual usage, so I left the £100.00 they had left in the first place. I was reminded that the Dogs going to Kennels would have cost (even with a discount for 5 dogs) would have been at least £2k in their location and being Christmas and New Year.
I let them know we would not be sitting in their area again, which is true and that they would need to advertise to secure future sitters. They have 2 Single Adult Children who live close by, who’s Mail/Parcels and Amazon deliveries we near daily and so came by nearly everyday to pick it all up, that didn’t want to look after the Dogs, however I have not seen their listing come up, so maybe they told their Adult Kids to share it between them and seeings as they are everyday between them, to look after the Dogs for them while they are away? or maybe they went on another HS site? anyways, If Utility Bills were discussed in the listing and it’s clear and you are okay with it, then you know what you are in for.
Happy Sitting
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@Manda That sounds like a terrible sit. Even if you hadn’t been there, they’d have to keep the dogs warm, wouldn’t they?
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should not be on this site they are absolutely deluded. Glad you told them and reported it this is outrageous.
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Seems like a time where you say due to the economic situation you will need xyz deposit on your end as your time is valuable and resources are limited.
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@ddacey Good idea. “HO, please pay me a deposit and if you end up not treating me right, I will keep it.”
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I agree. The HO is the one getting the greatest benefit. In the past, I’ve house/dog sat for pay. My sister paid a house/horse sitter a few hundred dollars to take care of her place while she visited our parents.
You did the right thing by walking away and reporting this.
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You could even phrase it “Thanks so much for bringing up money, I thought it was rude to do so but since you brought it up…”
But sounds like the way you phrase it, it may even be within THS Terms and Conditions as you are not being paid for the sit itself.
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I would decline and report.
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It is my understand that no money is required to change hands. If the Owner is looking for a deposit or for the sitter to pay anything, they need to post it on their sitter request information. On the other hand, we as sitters are free. I do not leave the house when I am sitting other than to go to the store or bring the pets out. BUT…I have had some very generous Owners and it sure is nice for them to leave you a tip or even a “fee”. Lets you know they really appreciated your work. It would cost an owner lots of $$ to get a house/pet sitter for even a week so don’t be afraid to leave a tip or maybe some extra groceries or snacks. I even had Owners bake me goodies…what a treat!
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Whaaat? You should show her your invoice for taking care… maybe so she will understand.
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As a HO I am surprised that anyone would consider asking for money for utilities or request a deposit from a sitter. We are grateful for the sitters we have had and do our best to show our appreciation. We see THS as a win-win all around. We live in a popular city and expect sitters to come and enjoy their time here. At the same time, we want peace of mind when we leave our anxious fur baby, and staying at home with a loving sitter is the best place for her when we can’t bring her along.
I think that setting expectations for a sit at the outset is crucial for success, and a happy sitter and a well-looked-after pet. That said, we don’t all think of everything beforehand, so honest and open communication before the sit is also key for a great experience all around.
There is a lot of Trust needed on both sides and I really appreciate reading all the feedback from sitters and HO on this forum. I really just wanted to say thanks!
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I am NOT paying any home owner’s bills & I am NOT giving up my passport and doing other craziness ANY homeowner may require! Keeping the place clean & tidy is something that should be done from any sitter staying someone else’s home & taking care of their animals and property should be done, but anything else NOPE!!. 
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That depends on the pet. If I didn’t have a THS sitter, I could have someone check my cat once a day for about US$20 a visit. For a short sit, I wouldn’t pay anything and would ask a friend to do it (we trade these duties when we travel).
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I agree to all the other comments, decline the sit, that’s not in the spirit of the site. HO’s should use their gut feeling on first conversations and video calls, trust that people are genuine and are there to look after animals and homes. Their terms are unacceptable.
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It’s only equal if the owner of happens to be passing thru, if they plan on site seeing or if they are unrestricted as too the times they have to come and go.
I am a HO, and when I’ve described the site to friends, I always say that you have to have a basic level of trust. I would NEVER ask for the concessions that person asked you for!
I do take a little exception with the characterization that HO benefit most from the arrangement. Yes, we are very grateful to have our house and pet taken care of while we’re away, AND the sitters we’ve had have been very grateful to have a clean, safe, comfortable and totally free place to stay. One of the things I love about this platform is that it is MUTUALLY beneficial.
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Well even for $20 a day, 5 days is $100. Asking a friend to stop over and care for your pet everyday is a lot, even for a friend. If you trade these duties there still must be a problem cuz you joined THS.
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There is no problem. I just don’t want to ask friends to check the cat for longer sits. We live 2 blocks apart and are both happy to sit for each other for short periods. She gets a better deal, actually - she has 2 cats and needs litter boxes scooped. I have one cat who goes outside so doesn’t need a litterbox. My friend just needs to top up his dry food and water. She is a very good friend, so I am happy to help her
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