Hi @Jjay, you’ve received lots of advice from members of the forum, both owners and sitters. I’m sure we’d all like to know what you have decided to do.
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It’s probably because they feel they can because it’s their property. If I were a solo woman traveler and the property belonged to a man, I would feel horribly uncomfortable.
@Jjay we are all curious on what you have decided to do?
Yes, not a dickie bird……
Hi everyone, thank you for all of your messages and replies, i haven’t had a chance to read them all yet as I’ve had a migraine the last two days and been trying to get better but I will get back to everyone ASAP. At the moment everything has been on hold as I can’t think about what to do next whilst I’m not well. Thanks again, J.
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@ziggy I disagree. Run away, run very fast and don’t look back!! 
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@Crookie I was going to say that but someone had already said Run Forest, run! So I didn’t want to spoil their moment lol 
All sounds a bit suss to me to be honest. Surely the sitter has been out during the day at some point, leaving the house unattended, and surely people go out to dinner at night sometimes, or to a movie etc etc etc. What is so different about leaving the house unattended for just a few hours this particular night??? Somethings not quite right
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My first international sit via THS was meant to be a short handover but the HO’s flight got cancelled due to a last minute strike. They only had one bedroom. They slept on the coach that night and found a hotel for a couple of nights until their rescheduled flight a few days later.
It’s about respect and like others I worry what other demands this HO will make during your sit especially with a baby.
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Yikes, I personally would either withdraw my application or insist they allow you to leave the night before.
Even if they agree to getting a hotel themselves, I’m not sure I’d trust them to not show up unannounced before you’re even up!
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Wow, that’s unreasonable request! I’ve done almost 100 sits and never had such request. I feel the owner should provide a lodging if you can only leave between 2-3am.
But if you really want the sit - as you say it’s over a month in a desirable location, can one of you check into a hotel before closing hours and then return to pick up the other? Or at least that’s what i would do but I’m solo.
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If it were me there is no way I would ever depart from a sit between 2 and 3am in the morning. In fact I have never ever left late at night either. If owners late back I have always stayed over until the next morning. Do they have a lounge? You could sleep on the sofa or air matres on floor for last night. Or maybe owners could campo out ion the lounge when they arrive back late? And there could be flight delays anyway. Ask the owners to come up with a solution, as say you are not prepared to leave in the early hours of the morning with a nine montrh old.
Sitters please say NO to these unreasonable requests. HOs that ask for sitters to do these kind of things are inconsiderate.
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No host should make such an unreasonable request of sitters. It shows total disrespect and lack of care for the sitters comfort (and in this case with a baby too!!)
As a sitter I would never consider such a request. If it came up before confirming I’d withdraw my application and if it was after confirming I would consider it grounds for cancelling. Unless the host offers a better solution- the most obvious solution being the host finds a hotel and arrives home at a reasonable hour.
I’m very surprised how many commenters above suggest solutions that turn the sitter into a complete doormat!!
This is meant to be an EQUAL exchange and there should be mutual respect between host & sitter. We are on the same level but this unreasonable request dismisses the sitter and puts them in the servant/staff category…
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Absolutely @Lokstar. I was amazed at the suggestions about getting an airbed for the sitting room etc. As a completely unsupported, theoretical opinion I wonder if younger forum members are offering these sort of solutions? I imagine it’s just the sort of thing I would have been OK with 35+ years ago but no way now!
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I’m sorry, but this is unreasonable. Has the HO even considered that their flight could be delayed, which is more common than not nowadays? They SHOULD have a trusted friend of neighbor do the handoff in the evening given the situation. Did they not give you a local contact while they are gone?
If they are inflexible, I certainly wouldn’t worry about the laundry, which I obviously also usually do.
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Why isn’t THS member support getting involved here to educate the HO about what is and isn’t reasonable?
This is the HO’s problem to solve and they are trying to push it on the sitter. The HO is to provide accommodation for the duration of the sit, that’s the exchange. A sit does not end in the middle of the night. I wonder, which day was the end date of the sit? If it’s the night before, the sitter is well within their rights to expect to leave at a reasonable time, I’d say no later than 8 pm. If the end date is the next day, then the HO is to provide accommodations until a reasonable time in the morning. Either way, the HO made their travel plans knowing they would have a sitter, in this case a family, staying in their home. They should either get a hotel for the night and return home in the morning or get a friend to do the handoff the night before. But again, this is the HOs problem to solve, not the sitter’s.
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This is, like many other have said, a very unreasonable request. Who on earth asks a sitter to leave in the middle of the night? Outrageous, and especially with a baby. I would decline the sit. And honestly do these people NEVER leave their house for a few hours? They should at least allow you to leave at a reasonable time. If this were me, I would myself sleep on the sofa for 1 night, but never would I ask someone to leave in the middle of the night. If there is no other solution then they should pay for your 1 night accommodation elsewhere.
Never heard such an unreasonable request.
Karin
I proposed the air mattress for the hosts to use, should they insist on coming home at 2-3. Though, I don’t consider that a good option, just a not-as-bad option.