Hello,
We are a couple looking for a house sit (that can include a pet). We are intending to travel to Malta in 2-3 weeks. What is the procedure for getting approved as a sitter and how long does it take? Can we try to find sitting opportunities in the meantime?
Is there a freemium plan for Trusted Housesitters?
Looking forward to replies.
Welcome to forum @Petlover2025 !
Youāll need to sign up as a paying member, and will get the choice between different plans according to your needs. The premium might give you rebursement for alternative accommodation should a sit be cancelled short-notice. However you will still have costs to transport and such. So read the terms not to be disappointed. In general I would say THS works best if you have a plan B and isnāt stuck if something happens.
It could take a few days for the verification to go through, perhaps somewhat depending in the US or not as the procedures are somewhat different.
It is a great way to travel - again welcome and ask and read here in forum. Be aware though that members often come here if they have issues and not so much if they are happy! All my sits so far has been good - also because I select carefully. You are allowed - and ecouraged to, by me! - to have criterias also as a sitter. It is all about a good match.
Hello and welcome,
Iām sorry, I cannot remember how long it takes to be approved so I cannot advise you on that.
However, if you are anticipating getting a sit, as brand new sitters, in Malta in the next two or three weeks, I would say that your chances are somewhere between extremely slim and zero. Any sits that come up in Europe (excluding the UK) are often snapped up within minutes.
The general advice given to new sitters is to apply for ones locally, or extremely short, and those that are not so desirable. This way you can build up reviews which then, hopefully, will give you a better chance to be accepted for somewhere like Malta.
Even I, as an experienced sitter of many years standing, and with multiple 5* reviews would find it a challenge to acquire a sit in Malta. Iām sorry this is probably not what you want to hear but this is the reality and you could be throwing money away by joining unless you have the time, and are prepared to do the ground work to get started.
I will double up on what CathyCat said. A maximum of 5 sitters can apply at any one time for a sit. If some sitters get declined, then it opens up the opportunity for other sitters to apply. You need to build a profile with 5 star sit reviews for any highly desirable sit. Sits in Florida, during the winter months, get 5 applicants within hours.
It took me about 10 days to get fully set up- partly due to getting replies loaded up via THS from my references. During this time I also populated my profile and got feedback from this forum as to how to improve it.
I donāt think Iāve ever seen a listing for Malta. Happy to be proven wrong though. Some cultures donāt use Housesitters itās simply not a thingā¦.
What bothers me is that you say you are looking for a house sit that can include a pet. You do not sound like an animal person. You sound like someone who wants free accommodations and will tolerate a pet. Please donāt join if you will be giving minimal attention and care to the pet.
Hello @Petlover2025, there are currently 0 sits listed for Malta so your best bet is to look for accommodation elsewhere there. Although THS advertises about free accommodation, the reality is that pet care is the priority when sits are listed. Without a strong profile and excellent reviews, the chances of securing a sit there (if there was one for your exact dates!) are slim as you would be competing against very experienced sitters.
@Seniorsitter I read this as meaning the OP wants to include their own pet. If thatās the case, it will limit opportunities still further.
@Petlover2025 there are currently no advertised sits in Malta, so the chances of your being invited to one, starting in the next 2-3 weeks, is negligible.
If only there were sits available in every place I might dream of going. After completing our last sit in the UK the daughter asked about our plans. As I listed the next six countries on our list she said āwow all house sitting?ā No, all paid accommodation, no sits available in locations I want to travel to. I would actually be blunt and say you have no hope of getting a sit in Malta with your current circumstances.
@BonnyinBrighton. I did a sit in Malta about 7 years ago for 2 cats, but they are certainly very rarely seen.
A THS sitter I know did a sit in Malta not long ago
Thereās a FB group called Pet Sitting Malta with 12k membership so thatās probably a much better option for you @Petlover2025 #joinquick
Welcome to the forum @Petlover2025 .
Your forum name is Petlover . Being a petlover is a great start to being a great house and pet sitter .
When I joined it only took a day to get set up from what I can remember . That is if you join during a weekday - I imagine theres a delay in getting approved if you sign up over the weekend.
First you need to pay to join. Then have everything ready for the ID check which all sitters have. ( for example, a passport, driving licence or National Identity Card) and your camera phone . US sitters also need to have a background check.
Also set a few hours aside to create an appealing profile , including a photos of you with pets that youāve cared for and have your contacts ready to promptly provide a reference when they get sent a link .
Iāve checked and there are listings in Malta for Oct, Nov, Dec and Jan but these have already received 5 applications so they are paused while the host reviews the applications . Itās impossible to predict when a new listing will pop up. If you can be flexible on dates you have more chance of securing a sit in the destination of your choice .
For popular sits the host is most likely to choose someone who already has reviews from previous sits . So if you can look for a short last minute sit close to home first , that gives you an opportunity to get your first review .
Itās not as difficult as it sounds , worldwide there are 120 sits listed that need a sitter this weekend coming (19-21 Sep) .
So if you join up , apply for a sit this weekend thatās the closest to you and then you are in a good place to apply for sits in Malta that come up. ( albeit as others have said unlikely to be for the precise dates you are looking for ) .
If you join now and it doesnāt work for 2-3 weeks time in Malta you will be ready to apply to listings for other dates . Popular sits can get 5 applications in a few minutes and then the listing is paused and no one else can apply . So you need to be a paid member , completed the ID and background checks have a published profile and be ready to apply when the sit is listed .
You may also see lots of other destinations that appeal to you . We have had a great experience with THS . We have stayed in places we wanted to visit and also places that we would never have thought of going to and didnāt know existed until we saw them pop up on THS.
All the best @Petlover2025
Please report back to the forum on how it goes .
I second Silversitters.
I have seen sits for Malta, so there are certainly sits there. I have favorited some, and got notifications for sit-dates, but it hasnāt aligned with my travelling so far.
What I do sometimes when Iām going somewhere for a holiday, is that I book my hotels or accommodation as I would normally do, and then put up a THS-search for the dates Iām there. That way Iām notified of sits and can choose to apply for one during the days Iām there. The chance of getting a sit on the exact days is ofc not high, and not what I look for, either.
But if Iām planning a 2-3 week vacation in for instance Malta, then maybe a sit will occur for some of the days, making it possible for me to explore another part of the island, perhaps, living like a local and such. That means that I donāt rely on that accommodation, but should it pop up a sit I like, then Iām happy to do it as part of my vacation.
Yes, sits in popular locations might be harder to get. But Iāve also seen that hosts in popular locations can seem more likely - probably because the location is popular - to post sits last minute, only for a few days etc. That would make the sit less appealing for someone travelling long distance and give an advantage to someone that is close by anyway. Being on site also gives the opportunity to offer to meet in person as a part of the matching process, or before start-date of sit, which is a great advantage for a sitter without reviews.
So it all depends - if the membership was solely to get free accommodation for a stay in the near future maybe not, but if it is a start of a THS-journey, there are members (aslo here on forum) that successfully travel sitting with their pet.
Oh, on 2nd read you may be right. Itās usually written, traveling with our dog. Still confused what they mean.
It says that ācan include a petā so it might be a pet rat rather than a dog or perhaps itās a donkey?
Hello all,
I am blown away by the extent of replies, thank you so much. I will read carefully all that has been said and take it into account on this journey of house and pet sitting.
We have had pets over the years (from childhood onwards) and have looked after other peopleās pets also. This could be an interesting new chapter.
I welcome any further comments and help. What a great community.
If you look at it long term, rather than as an immediate possibilty, it should work much better for you. The fact that you are well established Airbnb hosts should work very much in your favour.
I wish you every success.