As a native speaker of American English, I find it a bit off-putting when I see a post (usually in GB) that uses the expression “Sitter required.” I’m not sure that’s the case in Britain, though, or is it indeed indicative of someone who is looking at a sitter as a servant?
As a native speaker of Australian English, whatever that is, I would use and relate to a house and pet sitter as “sitter required”? Not sure what you are meaning by this being off-putting. How do you find this common terminology off-putting? I find it quite normal and acceptable and don’t see it in the least as looking at a sitter as a servant. I personally think that is taking political correctness to the next level.
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It’s nuance and reading into tone, which of course can be wrong. I’d probably write it as “sitter needed.” But actually every host is looking for a sitter, so that’s a waste of space that could be better used to tout their sit.
When I looked at the on line dictionary
needed meant required and required meant needed 
Yup. They usually mean the same thing. The key difference in interpretation can be that “requiring” can mean that someone is deigning to grant you something if you meet their criteria.
I live in North of England, and I haven’t noticed it on many, as there’s no reason to say it, however, I have noticed it when someone has had very specific needs, so that’s fair enough.
I think if I did see it, I would judge things on the friendly feeling of the rest of their profile, not just one small phrase, because there’s no other way to describe what any owner needs in a short way apart from “sitter required” or “sitter needed”.
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What would you use instead @DianeG as a native speaker of American English?
Hey @ziggy, that’s why I asked. Have you spent much time in the US? Here, that expression is quite imperious, but as I said in my post, I suspected that this was not the same in other countries. I simply wanted feedback - not snarkiness and judgement, thank you.
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@temba. “Sitter needed.”
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I too get cautious when I see «sitter required» and would read the rest of the listing more carefully. It does to me look like a posting for a job. But the rest of the profile text is of course important.
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Words are subjective to a high degree. Everyone’s backgrounds and experiences differ. And power dynamics and experiences with them differ. You can always write one thing and have different people see it differently.
I just saw a listing that said the “lucky” sitter will get to use X space in the house, for instance. Does that mean the hosts think that the sitter is getting a better deal? And what are the implications of that, if any? Who knows. There’s only so much we have to go on information wise with any listing. And perception can affect reality as well.
I figure, if your judgment is leading to sits that work for you overall, then you’re good. By contrast, if you’re repeatedly encountering quandaries or problems, or being surprised unpleasantly, then you probably should adjust how you choose. Or adjust your expectations.
Also, if you can avoid problems by using others’ experiences, even better. It’s basic logic to spare ourselves unnecessary grief.
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Sitter required
Sitter needed
Hi folks, want to look after my pets?
Lucky, lucky, you reading all about my gorgeous pets and home
Desperately looking for a sitter
Please enquire about my sitter requirements
Dud, wanna hang out at my place
Only honest and clean sitters need to apply
Please apply to sit at my place
Sitters with immaculate record needed
Sitters with immaculate record required
And it goes on and on. Each of us will find a different phase mildly offensive and some of us will just pass on the initial greeting and get straight into the nitty gritty of the sits requirements/needs. It all is a reflection of what has shaped you. I’m dyslexic but I still cringe at bad grammar and spelling mistakes in listings. That’s my thing.
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Is it not a simple case of some people are better with words than others?
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Even someone great with words can be interpreted differently by different people.
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Words have different connotations. I would be inclined to skip a listing that said ‘sitter required.’ That sounds to me like they are looking for staff and not a friendly exchange of equals. Of course, if it’s someone who is not a native English speaker I wouldn’t be concerned about it since it’s very difficult to learn the subtleties of languages.
There is also really no reason to state ‘sitter required’. If a host is posting a listing, the fact that they are looking for a sitter is quite obvious. So the fact that someone chooses to start with ‘sitter required’ implies to me that they view it as a job posting.
Well I speak English English and it sounds perfectly normal to me.
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Well said @ziggy , It appears that sometimes people look to be offended sometimes, I’m not saying this is the case here. Just scroll on is the easiest method
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For me (American born writer and editor, now expat) “sitter required” is different to
“We require a sitter that xyz”
Or “All applicants are required to…”
As others have said, it’s a tonal thing, and it’s highly nuanced. If you read a listing for a sit in Germany or France (especially one where they have translated it into English) you may be appalled to see what’s written. (For example, did you know the words ‘demand’ and ‘command’ in French simply mean ‘to ask’?) This is why for us, it’s important that we read the entire listing, look at reviews, and have a conversation to make sure we are a good match. If the homeowner is in fact looking for a servant or free employee, that will be made clear beyond that initial ‘sitter required’ heading (which really only bothers me because it’s redundant, but that’s a different topic).
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Sure, sometimes people can be offended in different circumstances. Everyone can.
I’d say in THS listing circumstances, that’s irrelevant, at least to me. Why: We’re trying to figure out how hosts will potentially act if we agree to a sit. That has nothing to do with us individually when we’re perusing listings — it’s gauging their mindset with limited info. We’re all strangers to them, so no reason to be offended.
@CRU I don’t think it’s a matter of being offended. We each have our own way of choosing our sits. As someone who has done almost 50 sits, I’ve learned some things. After a couple bad sits, I now choose very carefully and I do scroll past a lot of listings. The word choices in a listing provide a lot of information. Typically, if someone says ‘sitter required’ the rest of the listing also has a tone of someone looking for staff - it’s not just those two words. I’m sure that’s not always the case, but it’s enough for me to scroll on by. I may miss some that could be great, but I also might dodge a bullet by scrolling past one that has a tone that I find off-putting. We all have our own system for choosing sits, just like hosts have their system for choosing sitters.