Well it only crossed my mind when I saw someone suggesting a pet parent charge a sitter for insurance for using their car. I didn’t think it was allowed for money to change hands but then I see it’s okay for bills and car insurance so why not cleaning if the sitter makes a mess? It’s another bill I have to pay because of the sitter. If I say to sitters they will be charged if they leave a mess it’s no different from saying the sitter has to pay the deductible if they crash the car or pay the electricity bill if it’s high and they used the AC too much. It will make them think more carefully about respecting my home that they’re staying in for free. I don’t think that’s unreasonable.
The same way as I would get the insurance deductible from them if they crashed my car.
Okay so maybe don’t charge sitters then for bills or car insurance etc even though they’re getting a free place to stay?
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Feel free to do whatever you like, as long as it complies with THS policies. 
What I’m trying to tell you though is that charging for amenities is highly unpopular and is highly unlikely to get you a sitter, because the platform is built to be a mutually beneficial exchange with no money changing hands. Owners get free pet care, so sitters get a free place to stay. It’s an exchange. If an owner gets free pet care, plus payment from a sitter, meanwhile a sitter gives their services for free PLUS has to pay the owner, it wouldn’t be a fair & mutually beneficial exchange, and the platform would not have the appeal & purpose that it has. That’s all take and no give.
Take my advice or leave it, it’s really up to you, but I do wish you luck with THS if you decide to use it
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Okay I’m sorry I’m just very confused as there are people here encouraging pet parents to charge sitters for things. It’s difficult to know what is best because sitters get a good deal. A free place to stay can be worth thousands on a long sit for example.
Yes, because you are getting free pet care .
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Who pays the utility bills is up to you, but THS themselves say that it is ‘rare’ for a sitter to pay the utility bills & usually only happens for longer term sits.
As I have said, listings that expect contribution to utilities, especially if they are not a long term sit, rarely find success, so this is something to be aware of. THS is designed to be a good deal for everyone, not just a sitter. 
@Mary61 I hope you are doing well with your listing - let us know if there’s anything else you need help with!
@Mary61 You might want to specifically mention some of the wonderful parks in your area! If anyone wants to spend time in nature, this is a great area for seeing the California Redwood Forests that you may have heard about!! The weather is pretty mild year round, so you can get outside and explore.
Beautiful beaches AND forests! And bird watching too! Gorgeous area. It could be part of a tour of California, Oregon, and Washington states!
Mary, I would probably ditch the photo that looks like snow on your grass. I imagine that snow is extremely rare, and even frost is not common in the winter? Since some of your travels are in December and January, that photo gives the wrong impression.
Thank you for your suggestions! Yes, I now realize the captions don’t show, so “amazed dog viewing rare snow dusting” doesn’t work! Yes, I will include mild year round weather and nearby state and national parks!
No one is getting a better deal than the other @Devina77 - free pet care in exchange for free accommodation. That’s it. Win win as @Silversitters says. You choose the details of the sit & find a good match. Charging sitters for any bills will make your pool of applicants much smaller, most experienced members just skip those listings altogether. #mutualexchangealltheway
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Yep, that’s my outlook!
I was just confused when I heard people recommending a pet parent charge sitters for car insurance and get them to pay insurance deductibles etc it seemed like that was a common thing charging sitters for bills
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I would think it very strange if someone charged med for car insurance if their home was situated sot that I would need a car to stay there, or the care of their pets - in general or if they need a vet - would require a car.
When I sit locally it would often be the best choice for myself to go there by my own car. If not, I can say for sure - for myself - that the travel costs would for me be the cost I was willing to invest. I’m in no way willing to pay a stranger for the doubtful privilege of providing them with free pet- and housesit. The moment when someone would have even just an opening of asking me for money to pay their expenses would be the moment I no more look at it as a mutual exchange of good will - and work - between pet lovers.
On the other hand - if another person apporaches me with trust and a good will to cooperate- someone who treats me as an equal partner in a mutually beneficial agreement - someone who says “please”, “thank you” and show me that they want me to have an enjoyable time together with their pet(-s) - oh, my! That’s when the magic happens! 