Hello, is it right that home owners can charge for utilities if it’s a long sit?
As long as they list it in their profile so you know before applying, it’s allowed. If you don’t want to pay then you can choose to not apply for that sit. How long of a sit is it? Because I’ve done up to 2.5 months and have never paid. I’m going to start a 6 month one soon and our agreement is that I’ll pay for any usage over what they would normally use, but I don’t see that happening given my personal habits.
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It is allowed if it is clear before confirmation. If it comes up after confirmation the sitter can say no, as it hasn’t been part of the agreement.
Many sitters (incl me) don’t want sits where one pay to stay. For various reasons - the mutual agreement is house/ pet-sit in exchange for a home, because the pets also need warming/ cooling and because sitter pays utilities for own home. So it will affect pool of possible sitters.
On the other hand some hosts can have worries or bad experience, or maybe a single host has a family for sitters, so of course it can be valid grounds for such. Make a reasonable agreement that is transparent and some sitters might well apply.
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It’s allowed but it’s rare, at least in my experience of UK sits. I’ve been a full time sitter for nearly 6 months and I saw one this week which I’m pretty sure is only the second one I’ve seen. I wouldn’t apply for such a sit as I think it’s too much to ask and not in the spirit of what THS is supposed to be, and says a lot about the HO.
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THS says hosts can charge for sits, as long as declared in the listing. They don’t require it to be a long sit.
Many sitters avoid such sits, though. Personally, I wouldn’t on principle pay anyone a cent so I can take care of their home and/or pet(s).
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If it’s appealing to you in other ways, just be aware in some parts of the world utilities are very very high.
I’ve seen one posting that comes up every winter: clearly a Snow Bird.
They want someone to keep their home & pets safe for four months in a remote area which is often made even more remote by weather AND where we know utilities can run USD$1,000/month.
Not sure? Ask them to send you the utility bills they want you to cover for that time period the last two years!
Some places have high utilities and/or the hosts are poor or frugal enough that they’ll want to charge for utilities. The thing is — if the sit is remote, for instance — sitters can always pursue other sits and/or pay outright to stay elsewhere.
Many parts of the world offer places you can get away and your utilities will be included in affordable rentals, for instance. And they come with absolute freedom to spend your time as you please, without any responsibilities.
I mention that, because hosts often see their homes in a vacuum. Meanwhile, a sitter can consider many more possibilities.
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@Battybackpacker61 did you know that you can search for answers to questions on the Help section ?
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BINGO! There are resorts which drop their rates dramatically “off season” and the cost of staying in those can be comparable to the utilities for a house in many areas.
And you’re right: increasingly seeing new Home Owners who don’t seem to understand that if they aren’t offering something attractive in the exchange, they won’t be getting responsible, considerate Sitters.
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There are? Where are these magical places?
Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Greece, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt…
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Basically anywhere where high season is summer. I stayed at an amazing hotel in Antalya for $10/night. Beach views, great balcony, right in town so easy walk to restaurants, etc. It was great.
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