But how would you do that on your listing for the sit, I thought offering or asking for money was prohibited?
Again, >no one is asking<. Hosts can offer, just like they offer other gifts — gift cards, welcome baskets, food, etc.
There’s nothing stopping you from saying for example, that while your car isn’t available, you’re open to sharing the costs of a rental car. You could mention that in your listing if you want to. If THS allows the loan of a car, they’re not going to get into your business about pitching in on a rental.
As a sitter I once had a Host offer to cover the cost of a rental car so I could sit for her. (this came to about $300 at the time).
So, this is always an option if you can’t find the right sitter. Or perhaps offer to split the cost of a rental if covering the whole amount is cost prohibitive for you.
Ideally, you’re looking for someone willing to drive to your location so perhaps you can reach out to sitters within a 3-5 hour drive from you.
It sounds like a car is necessary for this sit. I think that especially for sits this long, that rules out anyone who is flying in, as renting for that long would be pretty expensive. And a four-week sit already limits the pool to those who can be away from home for that long. So, yes, probably not having a car to offer is further limiting your pool of applicants. Maybe consider deleting and relisting every week. That will help catch new-to-the-site locals who are trying to get their first reviews.
Great idea, I’ve never tried reaching out to sitters who live within driving distance, but that is actually a good idea. Thank you! 
Oooooh, another great idea, I love you guys on THS!! Anyway, I do have ONE applicant right now, who I would love to host, he’s very established on THS, but he’s waffling about choosing another possible sit close by, so if I do delete & re-list then how should I handle the dude that is in there? Just give him a heads up on email & then invite him to apply again?
If I were in your shoes and had one applicant who looked good, I’d consider how to improve your odds of him choosing your sit. Making him apply again might tip him toward the other sit. You have breathing room till your sit, and being impatient might cost you a good sitter.
As you mentioned, he’s deciding between your sit and another in the area — you’re essentially competing against the other host.
Last year, I had two video chats scheduled for the same day for Portland sits. I’d let both hosts choose times for our chats, because I have lots of control over my schedule. One chose morning and the other afternoon. The morning one ended up offering me their sit during our video chat, so I canceled chatting with the other host. And that one was close to Portland city center and offering use of a car. It’s not hard to land good sits in Portland or Seattle for sitters with strong track records. I’ve done several in the PNW since that one and getting the sits was relatively easy, as was getting invited back.
Smart words
Your listing states your car is not available but that your dog loves adventures in the car and you’ll provide a seat cover. That would turn me off as a sitter reading it. Are you able to provide cash for their gas/possible cleanup? If so, you might want to state that.
Honestly, I’ve had hosts offer the use of their car, but I usually don’t feel comfortable with that. I haven’t had a fender bender in decades, but the “what if” still worries me. That said, I did use a host’s car during a 5-week sit in Sydney, mainly to help keep the battery charged, and only for quick trips to Costco.
In general, if I have to fly into a city and public transportation isn’t convenient or reliable, I tend not to apply to sits in areas where rental prices are high. However, if a host reached out and offered assistance with a rental car, I’d definitely consider applying.
Hi there!! Yeah, I’m thinking about offering half of what the rental would require, I have one interested guy & he’s hesitant due the car issue, so I may offer him $500 towards a rental for the time period, I looked it up & it would cost around $1100 for the rental, so I might offer that. Also considering putting it in my listing, but I don’t want to get in trouble with THS, because I know there is not supposed to be any monetary exchanges. Do you have any suggestions on how I could do this & not get a ding from THS?
Whilst it is forbidden for a sitter to ask for money for the sit or for travel expenses. There’s no penalty for a host offering their own car or in your case offering go halves with the sitter on car rental .
“Since our car is not available this time , we will consider sharing the cost of a hire car with the sitter . “
Thank you, I will see how to weave it into my post!! Appreciate the feedback.
You are one kind person!
@Silversitters we can always count on you for great advice. That’s a good solution
Maybe international sitters don’t want to come to the U.S. at risk of getting arrested, so that the U.S. Sits are now only filled by Americans and thus fewer people for all of the sits.
check out rentals through turo dot com. Might be less.
Turo is a good option but it was a learning curve for us. Some great deals and some heaps that reeked of cigarettes. We check reviews carefully and have our own separate insurance. Many credit card coverage for rental cars don’t cover Turo in our experience. Still it’s a great option.
As a sitter, I travel without a car (I don’t actually have a license / lived in NYC and never learned to drive!). And I’ve done some very rural or small-town sits and loved them. It depends partly on the sitter’s personality, but I really enjoy these kinds of retreats in somewhat out-of-the-way places. I spend a lot of time in cities, and it’s nice getting time in quieter spots with cleaner air and access to nature and/or small town vibes.
A few practical considerations that would help seal the deal for me:
- If it makes sense for you, offer to pick the sitter up from the airport/train station.
- Offer to take the sitter on a big grocery run when they arrive, so they can stock up on most things.
- If you have friends/family who can help in a bind, be proactive about confirming their willingness to help and connecting them to the sitter. This is especially important in an emergency situation, like if your pet urgently needs to go to the vet.
- Similarly, offer to cover any lyft/uber costs if the pet needs an emergency run to the vet.
^ I wouldn’t necessarily include all of these details explicitly in the listing. Instead, I would include a general statement about working with them to make sure the sit is a success if they don’t bring their own car, and then discuss specifics in your later conversations with them.
Also: I would state in the Home & Location section if anything in your area is walkable. For example, you mention lots of nice parks nearby. Can any of them be reached by foot?
Similarly, how bike-able is your area? Do you have a bike you could let them use? (Or is this something you might be willing to buy for them if they were interested?)