Having done many sits, I’m surprised how often the actual start date & end date are not clear in a posting.
For example, a HO may say “July 1 - July 15.” That could mean they need the sitter to stay the nights of the 1st through the 15th inclusive.
OR it could mean the HO will be leaving on the 1st and returning on the 15th.
So I usually ask that question right at the start.
When we were on the HO side of the equation. writing an ad for sitters, we always spelled it out.
Now as sitters, we ask for clarity right at the beginning of a chat about a sit.
But - what about a HO who thinks it’s not a big deal to keep changing dates AFTER a sit is agreed upon? That’s happened to us only once.
.The start date changed twice just days before it was supposed to begin - and the end date was vague when they left - due to different family members having different plans. In the end? One of the adult children returned unexpectedly two days early and wanted us to leave within a couple hours.
Now, that HO had previously only used local paid sitters: perhaps they didn’t understand the win/win concept behind the unpaid THS system.
IMHO, both sides of this equation have to be considerate & respectful.
Of course things happen in travels: we have had HO returned a day early and also a day late: but in every other situation the HO contacted us to figure out a solution.
Of course, being respectful & considerate should be the MO for most things in life!
A situation I’m having now: confirmed a repeat sit, this time for 28 days but now that it’s come closer, they are leaving two days later than originally planned and coming home a day early. No biggie for me but now they tell me they’ll be coming home for six days in the middle of the sit. They say I’m welcome to stay over but I think that would be awkward and really not what I signed up for. I feel stuck because I believe I would be justified in cancelling since this is not what we agreed to, however the sit is in a place I enjoy and where I have done other sits through word of mouth and would also like to sit for these folks again in the future.
I have a search set for those six days and if I don’t find something I think I will probably take an Airbnb nearby. That will probably be the best for me but I am a little aggravated.
@jcvbva If this is a confirmed sit through THS , then the HO will be breaking the THS no third party policy by coming home for 6 days mid sit .
“Once a sitter has begun their sit, we require that the pet parent(s) have vacated the property for the entirety of the stay, and no other individuals (apart from the confirmed sitters) are present during the sit. ”
HO may not be aware of this policy , You can politely point this out to the HO and if no change inform member services who can remind them of the policy .
That sounds so uncomfortable! Are you sure you really want to sit for them again in the future? It’s so unfortunate when people can’t stick to their agreements.
Same thing here.
We always double check with owners about exact arrival/departure date/time. On our lasts sit owners decided to come home a day earlier and said we could leave. We stayed put and asked to stay until the agreed date.
This would really bother me. I’d probably gently tell them I wouldn’t be able to stay for the last bit.
I guess an alternative if you really like these HOs would be to say that you should really cancel, as it’s no longer the sit agreed and breaking Ts and Cs etc (which they may not realise), OR you could agree to go to an Airbnb for the 6 day gap and they pay some of your costs?? Not standard behaviour but depends how much you like them, the sit and how long the whole thing is I guess. Hope it gets sorted for you 
We’ve often found that the start date means when the hosts are going, and sometimes they then ask us to arrive the day before, so yes, a good one for the list of questions.
We’re fairly flexible, and sometimes proposed changes suit us even better, so we’re genarally easy come easy go - literally!
A biggie for me, though, is how we’re asked. Most hosts ask could we please change dates… apologies, understand if not, etc… but occasionally, people don’t appear to consider what their changes of plan might mean for us.
@jcvbva If it doesn’t feel right, it might be better not to do it. I had a bad experience where I had confirmed for 3 weeks. They then asked if I could come a week sooner, which I couldn’t. I took over from another sitter instead. They then changed the return date to one day later. I agreed to stay until then.
It was just one thing in a series of disrespectful actions on their part.
It depends on the vibes you are getting from them though. They could be lovely people and just a bit disorganised. Or they might actually be inconsiderate. I think your gut feeling will tell you.
All things considered, I’m planning to complete the sit with the gap in the middle. The positives outweigh that inconvenience. Something that being a sitter has helped me with is my ability to pivot and roll with the changes. I’ve done three sits in this community, which I love, and have more in the works so would like to maintain my reputation as being flexible and reliable.
@jcvbva In that case I would ask the hosts to create 2 sits- instead of one- so that the dates they are back home are excluded. If two different sitters were doing each part there would be two separate reviews- so why not two for you?! A little compensation for your inconvenience. We’ve done this a couple of times in unusual circumstances like yours- we figure we might as well get the most out of it! In your case its most definitely against THS t&c that they want to come back when you are there so this would be a perfectly valid request. The more 5* reviews the better! 
Great idea about splitting it into two sits!
Maybe I should encourage them into taking another trip themselves during that gap! I had something like that happen recently where I had two one week sits for the same people with a week in between. They ended up deciding to use that week for a third trip so they consolidated the two sits into one. There was one day where they came back for the night while I was there to do laundry and re-pack but I knew in advance that was happening and I just made myself scarce during that time.
Hi @jcvbva. I hear you. I’ve done 2 sits were the HO changed their plans post me confirming that meant I was in the home with HO for a long period of time. One 8 days but could have been 15 days but I changed my flight and the other 5 days with HO.
I do feel like a spare part if HO is suddenly around apart from breaking THS T&C’s.
@richten1 You’ve got me thinking now - I would be ok staying with them during the six days they will be home, I guess I’m thinking of their comfort level. Maybe I should assume since they offered to let me stay they mean it. Then I can use their home as my base to explore without the dogs! 
@jcvbva Are you thinking about your own comfort level too? Remember that you are just as important as the home owners
We recently had a sitter ask if they could arrive two days earlier than originally planned (due to the difference in airfares). We said yes and asked if, in return, they could drive us to and from the airport, in our car. She said yes and we saved the cost of an UBER or parking fees at the airport. So flexibility was key and she was a lovely person, so the two days before we left were relaxed and comfortable and she got to see the usual routines for the dogs.
As HO a sitter asked the same: to come a day early, stay two nights afterwards - and have the use of a vehicle. Just as with you - the handover worked smoothly AND we were driven to the light-rail station to go to/from airplrt: win-win. Since we became sitters we’ve been asked to come early and have been lent a vehicle perhaps 4-5 times with the same arrangement. To a great extent it’s a matter of the HO & Sitter’s comfort level with all of that. But when it works - it’s great!
I try to get as much information before each sit as sometimes I’m coming from another country so have flights and accommodation to book, which is cheaper the further in advance. However ive had HO change their flight to a previous day at the last momemt so I’m expected earier. Another is going 4 days earlier and coming back 3 later. I’m paying out for accommodation i don’t need. When trying to ascertain their time of leaving and arriving home, they’re forthcoming about the first but vague or ignore the latter.
Any suggestions?
We usually arrive in the general area 24 hours before a sit and plan to stay 24 hours after a sit. We explain to HO during the interview process that we do this in case there is a delay in getting to them or any delays they have in getting home, so we need to know actual day/time of their departure and scheduled day/time of return. Explaining that this is ensure the pets (if any) are taken care of and the home secure resonates with 99%. We also share with them that on more than one occasion a delay (no fault of HO) has caused a late return: cancelled flight, missed connecting flight, storm, a lot of things can happen…
@MichelleD firstly, that is absolutely ridiculous that the Owner expects you to arrive and leave on different days than what you agreed to. If the Owner needs you to arrive earlier or stay later, and your schedule is open, they should pay for any inconvenience on your part—airline tickets, hotels, etc. I see the finalized agreement as a Contract. The dates are clear; the agreement is clear. It is rude to expect Sitters to be able to change their plans on a dime. But, if you actually have the availability, the Owner should pay for any additional expenses that the change creates for the Sitter.