We just completed our first sit for a cat for 18 days. The owner gave us $100 tip which blew us away! So the bar has been set high although we know not to expect it. Currently on our second sit and we won’t see the owners when they return so we know we’re not getting one, which is fine. Personally I’d rather owners leave a restaurant/grocery gift card. It’s also nice when owners tell you to enjoy any food?beverage in the house.
Hello, @islandgirl603 I would like to wish you a warm welcome to the community forum. Thank you for your contribution to this thread and for sharing your sit experiences, that was really very generous of the owner.
We received a very sweet welcome gift of locally made coffee and maple syrup. It was very gratefully received and so special as it was thoughtful to give us local produce made so near our stay. As you mentioned we never expect anything as getting to hang out with amazing pets fills us with enough joy.
If you would like to add your THS profile to your forum profile so that others can get to know you and offer helpful feedback and tips you can do it this way:
https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/how-to-add-a-listing-or-profile-link-to-your-forum-profile
What pets are you currently caring for?
No, you’re not supposed to tip her. I’ve never received a tip in my 8 years of pet sitting via THS (in Europe) despite all the 5 star reviews and it’s not expected
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@Jlegault - Tipping in any circumstance is always discretionary and so there is never an expectation for a home host to leave one. Most don’t. However, some do either in cash or in the form of a gift card or small gift.
Personally, as sitters, we have received a cash tip once, a gift card twice and a few bottles of wine /chocolates etc along the way.
I would say around 80% of our home hosts don’t give us anything which is absolutely fine as we are not expecting anything. However, when we are offered something we consider it to be an unexpected and kind gesture that we are very happy to accept.
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@Jlegault No, tipping is not usual. As another person stated, sitters are not staff (like a waiter, for example). It’s an equal and fair exchange between sitters and homeowners.
We are both HOs and sitters and have never been tipped nor have we tipped sitters. I think it is awkward, to say the least. Others have mentioned receiving a bottle of wine, chocolates, etc. and that’s nice to do. It doesn’t set up an uncomfortable moment when the sitter is leaving – that giving money would do.
The best “tip” you can give sitters is a clean house upon their arrival, pets who are accurately described in your listing, and a great review once they leave. 
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I’ve done around 75 sits not including return sits here and abroad. I have never been offered a tip.
I would never expect a monetary tip. That would be awkward. But a thank you gift I think is appropriate, though we have not received these on all sits.
We are currently on a 2 1/2 month sit where we are much more than pet sitters. We open specific mail and send it where it needs to go including mailing checks for deposit to a bank, we check lawncare drip lines, have dealt with the phone company, gardeners, a tempermental house keeper, “feed” the bread yeast starter, keep them abreast of leaks due to heavy rain, and more. These are not complaints, just that it’s more than feeding pets and cleaning up poop, pee, and vomit.
This couple left us 3 bottles of wine and a $100 gift card to our favorite grocery store as well as use of their cars and their discount card for gas. Very thoughtful of them to do so but they explained that it would cost them way more to hire pet sitters who come twice a day and a house manager to check that all is well. They are not wrong.
I would do the same if someone was caring for my pets and home for so long.
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I’m both a professional sitter and also a sitter with THS. With THS i do not expect tips or gifts, yet I’m very grateful for gift baskets and gift cards for grocery stores. I’m one who has always gone above and beyond so I typically leave a token of gratitude for the HO’s as well and usually in the forms of a printed photo as I’m a photographer. Having lived abroad in the past I understand the customs with the concept of tipping are very different here in the U.S as opposed to abroad. I always appreciate, yet do not expect any extra token of appreciation from those I sit for. In some cases where a sit can be very demanding or more expected from a sitter than most I feel since there’s extra liability and responsibility some token of extra appreciation is very much appreciated.
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I have never been left a tip.
I have been on numerous house sits and two owners left bottles of wine for me which was really nice.
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Sometimes nothing but I have been given bottles of wine and chocolates, as well as being taken out for meals on a number of occasions, as well as home cooked meals on arrival. Also some home owners are very generous and have stocked the fridge up for me and said help myself to wine. On the other hand not had anything and fridge more or less empty. Some home owners are definitely far more generous than others.
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I felt myself cringe at the idea of receiving a cash tip for a sit when I read this (and I’m from a country that tips for everything). It’s really not the ethos of this platform to exchange any money… we have had occasional gifts- which feels much more natural- see the posts here:
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Is tipping your sitter appropriate and acceptable?
We’ve just received our first and totally unexpected tip after 30 sits @jnjlangston Probably our easiest sit ever for 4 cats over 3 weeks. It was given to us with a card with a “please have dinner on us, love the furbabies”. Great to be given, but not the norm. Gifts on the other hand are pretty common from HOs.
I would prefer not to receive a tip. Somehow it makes the relationship feel more unequal. HO’s have left wine and / or brought back a small gift from their trip which is fine and in fact we often leave a small parting gift too or at least a ‘thank you’ card. However a ‘tip’ doesn’t sit well with me but I am sure it all depends on the person.
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@jnjlangston It is not the norm. We are sitters and homeowners and we have not been given nor left tips.
@LizBCN That is our view, too. We bring a food gift back for our sitters to take with them to their next sit.
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Welcome to the world of housesitting
Your question has been discussed on the Forum before. Here’s one old post I’ve found:
Couple sitting full time for 2 years here. We have been left a few presents over 25+ sits. Grocery gift card, welcome basket, bottle of wine, etc. There has been twice that we have been left money for “emergency or animal food/treats” and the rest we would be able to keep. However one sit (the HO were pretty wealthy), it was over $200 and we just didn’t feel comfortable keeping any of it. Returned it all. With that said, in our experience, if you take cash, we feel it brings more “expectations”. Not always the case, but we just don’t except cash so we don’t cross that barrier. We do accept gifts though, but always leave a welcome home gift and/or a meal (depending on length of sit).
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I leave a couple of gift cards to my favorite restaurants that allow dogs. Both are within walking distance. Along with all sorts of tourist information such as local maps, discount coupons, local activities. I treat our wonderful sitters as guests.
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Not a tip. Keep in mind this is supposed to be a win/win exchange system.
HO are as varied as sitters so we’ve experienced a wide range of “welcomes” and consideration.
We have been treated to a restaurant (either with the host or via a gift card) and/or bottle of wine.
And by the same token, we make an effort to “welcome” them home with something.
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