We currently have a sit on and have learned that the sitter had guests come and stay overnight.
We are fairly relaxed if someone asks upfront we are genuinely ok with it — we just don’t like finding out after the fact.
Is there somewhere we are supposed to include this on the listing?
I am a sitter and when looking at host profiles it says guests and pet policies. As a host you should see it when filling out your profile. Contact THS if you can’t locate it. As a sitter if I click on it, the host could have checked off one of the boxes that say, no guest, guests on approval only but no overnight guests, etc, etc. Same with pets.
To me me this is taking liberties (and I’m a sitter) and if I were a host I’d be irked. No sitter should have guests, especially overnight, without clearing it with the owner. It’s inconsiderate at best and rude at worst. Not our home, not our rules.
As SeniorSitter says, there is a specific place on your listing where you say yes or no to guests being welcome.
I would mention it to the sitter privately if otherwise the sit went well and in the review if there were other issues as well.
Hi @kbyportmelb 
It sounds like the profile settings are the right place to record your preference, but we’d still encourage homeowners to raise it during the video chat before confirming a sit. Even if it’s covered in the listing, House Rules or Welcome Guide, it’s worth making sure everyone leaves the conversation with the same understanding.
We’re sitters, and although our reviews often mean homeowners are happy to confirm us without a call, we always ask for a video chat. We treat every sit as if it’s our first. It’s the best opportunity to discuss expectations on both sides, including overnight guests, visitors, pets, security and anything else that’s important. A short conversation upfront can prevent the kind of misunderstanding you’ve experienced.
I agree with the others that it isn’t acceptable that the sitter had an overnight guest without discussing with you. Now I have to ask, how did you learn about this on a current sit?
Nope nope nope. There are a lot of details on a THS profile and it is neither reasonable nor particularly welcoming to verify that a sitter interested in our dates understands every detail point by point.
Host acceptance of sitter guests is prominently indicated on a THS profile. There is no option that does not require prior host approval. It is a serious violation of a host’s trust for a sitter to invite a stranger into a home unannounced. Hosts take on plenty enough risk having sitters in their home without adding the risks of an unknown additional stranger. Sheesh.
It’s hard to believe common sense and courtesy doesn’t have a better foothold in the world today.