The “application” said no such thing . Don’t make assumptions of things that are not there. The sitter proposed to sit for the host for the listed dates.
Host did not say anything more than what’s on the screenshot.
So maybe reply to precisely what is there instead of creating all kinds of scenarios that have nothing to do with reality and projecting your own situations onto this question.,
Yes, THS allows hosts to ask. If you agreed, it would be taking on unnecessary trouble, expense and risk, considering that most hosts are fine with video chatting.
Host cannot ask of a sitter, traveler in the case of THS which was created for this purpose, to meet them at their house beforehand unless they are willing to host the sitter earlier or cover the cost of her or his accommodations for that period. If that is not a rule of the Code of Conduct then it should be. Everything else is an unreasonable demand and abusive.
No, your question was not clear and the situation wasn’t/isn’t either. Best of luck.
No, it is not abusive. Just decline any request/demand that is not reasonable for you.
Why don’t you say, “Sorry I’m not in LA prior to the sit dates but happy to do a video call. It’s not normal practice on THS to meet in person on an unpaid sit as most members travel to do them. Let me know if the call option works for you instead.” Then you’ve explained it’s unusual, laid out your stall and offered an alternative @LongTimer #mutualexchange
This happens on lots of forums, especially relationship forums. The person is supposedly asking for advice but really just looking for validation in regard to something they’ve already done or are going to do, which they’ll do even if every reply is unanimous and suggesting they not do it.
People ask for opinion, but everyone decides what they will do for themselves .
In any case, I was not asking for advice,. I was asking whether that’s allowed for a host to request or not. But some people seem to want to tell others what to do, and that’s their problem..
Of course, I did tell them I have no plans to be there beforehand , etc .
However, again, I was not asking for advice about what to do. I asked if this was allowed for a host to request from sitters.
Thanks for the advice in any case.
Yes, true observation. Plus, many of these posters then get grumpy with the people who responded and tried to help. Not very healthy communication, maybe today I will try talking to some people in real life instead 
Sure. I stayed at pet parents places an extra night before they left a couple of times. Few times i booked a hotel myself - especially for longer sits i do some extra efford. Recently i declined a 5 day sit right away when they ask me to arrive a day earlier and pay the hotel myself. For such a short cat sitting and i have 60 great reviews i dont see a point for arriving a day earlier to pease them. I also work remotely and dont have time for all the double check in process.
The answer to your question is yes. Hosts are allowed to ask.
Their message you describe as “curt” could be taken differently. We often ask sitters when they will be in the area to meet. That’s because we too like to meet people in person. We like it be cause there is always stuff we need to show them that is easier and more thoroughly done face to face. Most sitters seem to prefer face to face handoffs as well
I agree with you 100% that it would be a bridge too far to agree on arriving early to an UNconfirmed sit. That’d be silly. But if the sit is confirmed, asking a sitter to meet in person when schedules allow is very reasonable and even friendly. Schedules sometimes don’t allow and we deal with that as appropriate.
But let me turn your other question around. If a host meets you the day before a sit and decides they don’t like you, what can a host do about it? Cancel their trip? Go out and hire a “professional” sitter they may dislike just as much if not more? I’d suggest that neither hosts nor sitters want to cancel confirmed sits hours before the sit would commence. It would take some bright red flags for us to cancel a sitter on arrival.
Finally, what would you suggest we call the applications received by hosts from sitters? Something better than application?
I stand by my belief that people can ask anything (except when those asks are illegal, immoral or egregious).
And you - sitter or ho - can decline for any reason.
It doesn’t seem wrong for a ho to request a meeting in person or other tech-y means before confirming a sit. In fact, I believe that it is beneficial for all parties involved.
In person not a go for you ? No problem as options abound.
Re: THS - It is not NOT allowed.
Yes, an owner can ask that
Yes of course it’s allowed and I do understand that many people are not comfortable unless they meet in person, that’s why some people require that their sitters be local. And of course you don’t need to apply if it is an added expense to travel to that city. You are definitely not guaranteed to get any sit even if you do an in person interview.
You have both the question
and the answer
So what do you really expect from the forum? I honestly don’t understand. I cannot think of any situation where questions are forbidden. What this HO wrote is just a question. Nothing wrong with that.
You already seem to have answered your own question as stated in the post above this. If you just want confirmation that somewhere in the T&Cs it states they are not allowed to request this then you will be disappointed!
Hosts can ask anything, (so can you!) and you can decide if the request is reasonable for you. Its all about finding the right match. From my own experience we were once, very early on, invited for a pre-sit visit (a 200km round trip in Australia) thinking it was just a friendly formality before confirming. Only to find on arrival they had other sitters arriving later for a pre visit too so it was actually more of an interview! We felt extremely mislead, left the home & withdrew our application. Since then we would NEVER agree to a pre- sit visit for an unconfirmed sit, unless we were already in the area and it was absolutely convenient for us. This is not the THS way- most sitters are travelling and would incur unnecessary costs which no unpaid sitter wants. Video calls are the norm these days, in lieu of meeting.
However if the sit is confirmed and the hosts are leaving early morning, or have a somewhat complex sit, it is perfectly normal to be requested to arrive the night before for a more relaxed handover. We have done that many times.
The host in question may be new to THS and not understand the system properly. If you are interested in the sit then its your job to explain how you would wish to proceed. If they insist on a meet up, at your cost, before confirming, and you don’t want to do that, just withdraw. Simple.
Above is what I originally posted.
Do not take my words out of context and put together schemes that fit your narrative.
And yes, if there isn’t a rule of that kind, I think there should be one. Hosts should abide by a code of conduct that take into consideration the sitter that’s offering a free service to them.
Thank for your reply. I personally see a lot wrong with that (being allowed). THS was created for travel and travelers, for cultural exchange, etc., not to replace local sitting services.
If we claim that is is any other kind of exchange (accommodation for labor), there are many legal and tax repercussions. There was recently a case of a Canadian girl getting arrested at the US border for “working” in the US illegally, and she was a housesitter.
And THS should protect the sitter by setting standards of conduct.
You keep going on about what THS and hosts “should” do for no other reason than they don’t conform to what you believe is acceptable forms of conduct. Clearly, many experienced members don’t agree with you.
No, THS and members “shouldn’t” have to do anything. Using this platform and choosing a host or a sitter and agreeing to their requests is optional. If you don’t like it, you don’t need to be here.
It’s like you think it’s ok to walk into a neighbors house and start rearranging the furniture because you believe it should be the way you want it decorated.