Hi. We all have things that would be concerning if we were to walk into a pet sit home and discover them. One of mine is interior cameras. Or a home where people have/do smoke inside the home. Those are things that would make me uncomfortable.
Marijuana is legal in many US states now, and in many of those states it’s also legal to grow your own for personal consumption. If being in a home where they grow pot would make you uncomfortable, you might want to acquaint yourself with the laws in the states where you’re considering applying for a sit. If it’s legal to grow in that state, you may want to ask about it in your phone/video conversation with the homeowner.
@Karen_E Sidenote to other Canadians’ comments (@Kelownagurl, @meow): I live in Ontario Canada and although marijuana use and growing is legal here too, I live in a condominium complex. I encourage every sitter who takes on a sit in a condominium/strata or one where there is a homeowners association - in any country in the world - to ask for a copy of the rules. In the complex where I live there are strict rules against smoking/growing/vaping (of anything), with specific exceptions for medical purposes.
When I do a sit, I routinely ask for a copy of such rules when in similar homes. I have yet to receive one, as each homeowner says ‘oh, just be a reasonable neighbour’. I then ask some specifics that come to mind, given the location.
Homeowners - please make those rules available to your sitters, for everyone’s sake. We need to know rules to be able to comply.
Sitters - in case anyone doesn’t know this, a listing that shows reference to ‘420’ in any form (other than an obvious highway maybe) refers to marijuana use. I saw a listing yesterday that mentioned it as being fine to do, and is often seen in rental listings here as ‘420 friendly’.
That’s a very good point to bring up as we did a house sit a few years ago which was in a very desirable location but the entire apartment building reeked of marijuana! We’re very open-minded seniors but didn’t enjoy the overwhelming aroma
On the same theme, it’s not illegal, is alcohol.
We do love our sundowners and carry a couple of bottles of our favourite rum in our luggage along with mixers. But it’s always a bit awkward whether to break it out or not if we are staying the night before the pet owners leave. We try to gauge if they drink alcoholic beverages or not before asking if they want a rum cocktail but very occasionally it is met with silence.
Does anyone discuss alcohol in their initial video chat?
Great tips @Snowbird. I hadn’t thought about getting the HOA rules. I’m going to start asking if they are in an HOA and, if so, if there are any rules I need to be aware of as a guest.
@ElsieDownie Interesting! I usually just follow my hosts’ lead during dinner, but I don’t usually carry alcohol with me. I drink the cheaper wines and craft beer. You can find the former almost everywhere, and craft beer varies by area. Part of the fun of drinking it is discovering the styles in each new place
My hubby and I love our vino but not something we’ve ever discussed in a video chat. We’ve had homeowners ask if we like wine and left us a nice bottle of wine which is appreciated but haven’t discussed anyone’s drinking habits. We have stayed in many homes though where they’ve had well stocked liquor cabinets!
My last sitter does not drink alcohol (mentioned a few times in pre sit chats) We offer use of the liquor cabinet contents in the welcome guide (help your self to a cocktail or 2) and have a well stocked wine fridge as we entertain often.
I wouldn’t let my husband have a glass of wine during our pre sit dinner as I felt a little uncomfortable drinking in their presence.
Just learned this 420 expression a few weeks ago from my college-age daughter. She was looking to room with two other girls in a townhouse and this was part of the screening.
