Thanks for all the replies, was very helpful to understand what was occuring. Just a couple hours after posting this thread we got a bunch of replies but the reply times showed they occurred earlier than they did so I suspect our message replies were held up somehow. And I do think the 5 applicant rule created a quick response without fully reading the sit details as the first 2 obviously did not read everything, then we had 3 who weren’t sure they could make the dates but wanted the introduction. I do have a couple great applicants though so hopefully one of them works out and if not I will decline and unpause and move on to the next batch.
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@ShAmy Just so you know for the future there is a quirk with message date stamps as they are all marked on UK time so they look strange when you receive them but there isn’t an actual delay
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We are very new to this. We have an add up and received an application right away. We responded with some questions as they said at the bottom of their application to ask if we had any. It’s been 5 days with zero response back. We sent a follow up message yesterday just stating that we are new and not sure what the appropriate timeframe is for replying so we just wanted to touch base to see if they are interested still or not?
Curious to know what is the timeline for communication before you just remove that applicant?
Does having an application stop others from applying?
Thanks for any tips and advice.
I’m a sitter and always reply asap, especially when I’m invited to a sit that I have to decline. Then the homeowner can promptly go on to the next sitter. Having an application does not prevent other sitters from applying but there is a maximum of five applicants now and then the homeowner needs to choose one of those applicants or repost the listing. Five days seems like a long time to me and if I was a homeowner, I would move on to contacting the next sitter applicant. On the flip side, I have applied on listings where homeowner(s) have not even acknowledged my application. Considering I have 35 glowing reviews, it’s very disheartening. It means a lot when people are courteous.
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As a sitter i would get back to the HO as soon as was possible for me to their questions.
The only thing i would add is whether there are any app issues going on & whether the applicants have received your questions.
Have you checked to see if its been read?
If so I would write them off. If unsure maybe send again but maybe with a time frame for them to get back to you.
Thank you for your comment. Yes, they read the first one right away and after 4 days of no response we sent a follow up.
It’s our first and only application so we just want to make sure we aren’t being rude and giving people the time to respond.
We are still learning how to use the site. I sent an invite to someone who we felt would fit perfectly, typed out a very lovely message and hit send. I guess I did it wrong because it sent the invite but not the message and was immediately declined. OOPS! I have no idea if not having a message was the reason but I didn’t take offense and have learned in the future that I should send the message before I lose it. 
We want to make sure we are being respectful in all our interactions.
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@SabrinaCam i would definately move on from your 1st applicants. I think they’ve had plenty of time to reply. Put them down to experience, sadly this lack of communication is happening on both sides to HO’s & sitters.
I checked your listing though, it looks lovely.
And your dates arent too near too, so i think there is plenty of time yet.
I think just by asking on the forum you are being considerate in interaction. But yes we dont know when we start off!
Good luck & keep us up to date as time goes on with new applicants.
Good luck.
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@Gina thank you for your reply!
That’s great to know that our dates aren’t necessarily considered too close. 
Also, that we have given enough time to respond before moving on.
This forum is great! I’ve been reading tons of topics the last few days and gaining lots of insight from both sides.
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The immediate decline is not necessarily because your note did not send. If the sitter could see instantly the sit was not a fit for them- either because they were booked elsewhere or for any other reason- they might just decline immediately. If your note had reached them they may or may not have written back. We often get invitations both with and without messages attached. The longer or more personal the message to us the more care we take in our response! But we reply to all invitations.
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Hi all
I have had a lot of people interested in some of my dates
i have offered to someone but they have not confirmed
i have emailed them to see if they still want to do it…i have waited 48 hours
how long do people leave it before offering it on to someone else ?
Thank you all
Depends entirely on you. As sitters we wait max. 24 hours until we consider other options (but most sitters apply to many sits at the same time). If people aren’t very responsive they are most likely not really that interested.
I wouldn’t wait too much longer. I think 48 hours is enough. When we really want a sit, we make sure that we frequently check for correspondence. Do you have a phone number? Perhaps text them once more and if they don’t respond swiftly, move on to the next. I would use the text method in case the app malfunctions, or they didn’t see the message in their inbox.
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Great suggestion
Thank you
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yes i thought 24 hours was long enough
thank you for your reply
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Thank you that’s very helpful
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Don’t forget to search your question before posting it. This has been asked several times. Here is one link:
As a sitter and I really wanted a sit I wouldn’t decline just because there was no message attached to the invite. I’d either accept or message a HO back to explain why I was declining. So move on I’d say.
And no you didn’t do anything wrong.
Bringing this old thread back to life a bit because I just had a bit of an unfortunate ( or fortunate depending on how it’s framed ) exchange with a HO.
I sent an application / introduction message yesterday evening for a sit a few weeks ahead that read to me as a lovely fit of a sit. I suggested we arrange a call within the next few days if they felt the mutual interest as well.
I had been traveling all day and haven’t had a chance to read or reply to their message back. The clock hasn’t striked 24 hours since I applied but I already received a “hello ?” Under their message.
Bummer , as I read this a red flag for the sit at hand and felt it set the wrong tone for our communication ahead.
I think that was a stretch too far on the impatient side… And I think anything over 48-72 is a bit too far on the slow end.
my two cents !
Maybe they feel a bit desperate and/or was really looking forward to chatting with you. If you’re so inclined, I would just explain you were traveling. See where that takes you. If I really like the look of it, give them one more chance, as I said, they may be a bit worried or newcomers. See how the next communication pans out.
I don’t think that’s pushy @xtinaxxo - they might not know if the message went through or if you’ve read it. Just a “hello” sounds like a wave or an inquisitive host, not a pushy one IMHO. Have a chat with them 