How long does it take for a request for sitter to post?
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Iām wondering the exact same thing. Iām on my sixth sit and have three more confirmed.
Iāve applied for a Christmas and New Year one, but itās been over a week without any response.
It would be nice to know how long the homeowner has to reply. I donāt want to be hanging on then not get it and potentially missing out on other sits.
Hello @Bridgie & @Gleekay - I think youāre asking different things. @Bridgie keep applying for other sits whilst you wait for a response as that sit might come to nothing. Thatās totally normal practice. If you get offered something else thatās when you have to make a decision and reach out again. And @Gleekay i think youāre asking how long for a listing to go live for sitters to apply? Usually a few days from what Iāve read but ask THS support on the chat 
for an update if itās been longer than that. Request a human to talk to. #thinkthatsproblemsolved
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@Cuttlefish - I donāt know about the sitter side, but your advice feels right.
As for āposting a sit as a HO and wait timesā - my experience is that applications start coming in about 30 minutes after I post new dates. No days waiting time - perhaps this is for the first sit you post?
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Yes I thought the question was āhow long until my new listing is seen?ā but maybe itās āhow long until I get some applicants?ā. Which is how long is a piece of string for some HOs. If you have a great listing and home (like yours Iām guessing) then super fast, if not, can be slowā¦thanks for the reply. #highfive
As a sitter iām curious if thereās a time limit on owners approving a sit, or responding.
Itās been over ten days since applying but not hearing anything?
I always write a personal application for each sit and find it a little frustrating not having an response at and then possibly getting a rejection.
Yes I undesirable owners may be busy but theyāre the ones asking. Surely a quick message takes no time
The T&Cs state that responses should be received within 72 hours (I may be wrong about the timeframe, but itās certainly less than 10 days). Unfortunately, it is very commonplace for applications to go unacknowledged. I know this myself, having put my heart and soul into applications, only for them to be overlooked and not responded to. It is incredibly disheartening.
I would suggest it is up to you to determine what is an acceptable length of time to wait for a response. For me, if a response isnāt received within a few days, it is usually not a good sign and indicates a lack of communication from the side of the HOs that could be reflected in the way they communicate during sits. At the very least, it is downright disrespectful and I am increasingly withdrawing applications after a few days due to non-response. You may wish to have a look at this thread, which is very helpful and may help you come to a decision about how to proceed:
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As @strawberryjen says, this is a common topic. Many of us just withdraw our application if we donāt get an answer, often before the 72 hours. The sits Iāve had there have been communication within the first 48 hours. So that is kind of my limit ( although sometimes my application linger longer because I forget to withdraw). Often I can see that the host has read my application almost immediately without giving a response - and when I withdraw I can again see quite quickly that they have read my message, again without giving a response. So that pretty much tells me that it is a sit of no interest for me.
Upon application I personally immediately archive my application and move on to the next one. That way there is no lingering āthey havenāt responded yetā in my brain. And if they do respond, I take it from there. But in my experience if they donāt respond quickly, itās not a sit Iāll do or Iāll find a different one and theyāll be shocked when the contact me a month later and Iām no longer available.
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If they donāt reply to you within 10 days, our brains say āimagine what theyāll be like during the sit or if thereās an emergency? Doesnāt bode wellā. Timely comms on both sides is so key to a great sit. Either withdraw and move on or leave it bubbling and keep looking for other sits in that date frame is the best thing. @strawberryjen is right about the 72 hours on both sides as a guideline and itās a good one. #plentyoffishinthesea
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You could always send a follow up message asking if they have had time to consider you. If you donāt get a timely response then you might want to consider if this is a good fit for you and your needs.
People are people and donāt always communicate in the time or way you would like them to whatever the T&Cs advise.
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There is no standard that hosts adhere to, so sitters essentially use their own judgment about how long to wait or not. THS says 72 hours, but thereās no teeth in that and itās often ignored.
Personally, I typically withdraw within 48 hours if a host doesnāt respond to ask for a video chat to see whether thereās a mutual fit.
This morning, Iāve just withdrawn in record time ā eight hours. Thatās because I applied for a sit that would involve flying in and the sit is supposed to begin this Friday. I saw that the host had read my application last night, yet hadnāt replied, so I figured they either have a better fit with another sitter or they donāt care about whether sitters need time to arrange travel plans, which would be inconsiderate. So I moved on.
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Sending a separate message sounds a bit needy, I certainly donāt feel I shpuld need to do this.
But I also donāt want to withdraw as itās a lovely home/location
Iāll certainly keep my options opens and apply for others.
I currently have nine sits booked and iām currently on one
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I agree. Invariably, if the home owner sends a response, whether to show an interest or to let me know they are reviewing applications and will get back to me, it is within the first 2-3 days. While there is no way to enforce the 72 hour guideline, I tend to think this is an appropriate timescale to allow for responses, and donāt hang around after this. Archiving an application doesnāt work for me, as I still go back to see whatās going on with it, especially if itās one Iām keen on.
I donāt think Iāve ever had a response from an application beyond this point, and certainly not after 2 weeks. I believe in the old adage, if itās not a āheck yesā, itās a āheck noā. A HO that is interested in having you as a sitter will usually respond quickly.
I recently withdrew from a sit I was very keen on. They had read my application almost instantly but, after over a week, it had not been acknowledged. I sent a polite message saying, since I had not heard from them, I assume I am not what they are looking for. Again, the message was read quickly but not responded to. The ad remains online and I have noticed recently other sitters have also withdrawn, as the number of applicants have been reduced (either that, or they were declined by the HOs). Iāve applied for other sits and have not received a response, then withdrawn and noticed that the sit remains live only days before it is due to start. They havenāt chosen a sitter. Iām not sure whatās going on with HOs but this seems to be increasingly common. If a HO responds to my application the same day, it leaves a very good impression on me!
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Last year, I applied for a sit abroad. A couple of days later, withdrew my application, because Iād not heard back.
Then many weeks later, the host msgs and says theyāve > just < had a chance to review applications and wonder whether Iām still available? That was within a week or two of the sit abroad.
Note: Last-minute airfare for even the most inconvenient flights to that location (including multiple stops) would run into the thousands, in USD.
LOL, for the same price, I could have zero sitting responsibilities by buying airfare and hotel on my own with a bit of planning, and go during much nicer weather.
The HO had asked for someone familiar with their city, which I very much am. Plus, I speak the language fluently, which Iād also mentioned in my application.
Some hosts have little regard for sitters. Personally, I look for red flags and would rather avoid such hosts, no matter how great a sit might be otherwise. Thatās because sitting is a partnership. I donāt settle for weak partners.
And as it turned out, I landed an idyllic sit in another country instead. It was so lovely that Iāve since repeated that sit, even though I normally donāt, because I prefer variety.
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Your reply made me smile. It shows how differently people view communication.
You view of needy is my view of clarity. And whatās wrong with needing clarity ?
Out of interest Iāve just checked on 3 sits I applied for over a month ago for xmas. All 3 are still showing as available. I withdrew from those 3 when I accepted the 4th one I applied for which was sorted within a couple of days.
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As a sitter I find this extremely frustrating also. I have applied for a couple that said nil applicants and yet after a week still no response, Previously you could at least see if your application had been read but that facility is no longer availabe. Yet other sits I can apply for and receive a reply within half hour and find I have been confirmed before the day is out. I do believe that home owners should be given advise, to try to reply within 24 hours. If they havenāt then TH should send out an automated reminder, in case application had been missed. By nit giving quick responses some owners could find they are without a sitter. I withdrew an application from one I had applied for, simply because i had not heard back and confirmed another sit that clashed with their dates.
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@Visit On the app, it does say Read under an application or message from sitter and on the website (computer) it says Seen by ownerās name or their photo.
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Today we hit our shortest application and withdrawal: four hours!
The sit starts tomorrow so we applied, waited three hours, then sent a follow up. An hour later still nothing so we withdrew and booked a hotel instead 
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@Bridgie have you heard anything yet ?