I’ve just come across a house sit which advised that for sits longer than 1 month, a $300 contribution would be required.
I read some of the sitter feedback posts for the same sit and one remarked that whether the sit was even a few days they were expected to replace even the toilet paper they’d used.
I read the wording of the sit again and sure enough, replacing everything used was expected.
$300 per month is surely excessive. And what if the sitter was using household cleaning supplies to simply maintain the cleanliness of the home? Itssurely not the sitter’s responsibility to replace these?
3 Likes
First of all it is not forbidden to ask for it. On the other hand it is a red flag for us. I am not doing holidays during that time. Caring for the pets, pick up poo, pulling weeds, watering the plants, caring for the pool, pick up or sent post and parcels a.s.o. And on top we have travel costs as well and sometimes need a hotel because we need to deal with delays and the HO cannot wait for us because they have a schedule as well. So we are as well responsible to be on time.
The things we use like washing powder etc. we simply buy new when it is empty and leave the rest there. But there will not be a 1:1 exchange. It is a question of good manners not to empty everything and the HO comes home and has no toilet paper anymore. Mostly we ask if we shall do a shopping before they come back, so that they have food in the fridge.
In exchange we get free accommodation and the honor and fun to “spoil” the pets, that is the deal.
I’m really wondering about that topic because I see really only a few HO who ask for that. It is not common.
Mostly we got offered extras during the stay like the use of the car, bicycles and sometimes we have as well HO who told us to feel free to use the whine cellar. We got picked up at the airport or where offered a free sports membership in a gated community.
So mostly HO are really generous and the few who ask for replacement of gas/electricity/water (except fuel for the car we used, I guess that should be clear that you fill it up after usage and clean it properly) will simply not get us as a sitter.
We have no problems to get a nice sit. We are already booked up to October next year with only 2 month gap in January/February and so… no. There is no need to take such sits.
But… it is not forbidden to ask for it.
Sorry for the long post
Kerstin and Frank
8 Likes
There is no way I would agree to pay utilities or any other money to a HO to care for their home and pets. They are already getting as pretty good deal a pet care is very expensive. Also since I own my own home I still have to pay my own energy bills/utilities while I am taking care of the HO place and their animals. Big red flag for me! Also if they sprung that on me at the last minute and it wasn’t upfront in the profile I would say no way and walk away. This is not supposed to be the arrangement for THS and sets a bad precedent.
12 Likes
As the saying goes, “ I think you dodged a bullet”!
1 Like
Well said as usual!
I hear you! I was born in Brisbane so was makin a joke! Those Queenslander houses can get chilly!
1 Like
More & more of this is happening. I was sitting in NYC for the summer this year. Many home owners ( well, apartments) told me locals are using THS to develop their own pet sitting businesses. They show up to meet the HO & announce their fees for pet sitting. One HO said I was “the only sitter either not asking for money or without any pet experience at all”. This is why rules are important here.
3 Likes
Homeowners, please let us know if a TrustedHousesitters sitter asks you for payment for their pet sitting services. Whether it be in the initial back-and-forth, or when they arrive. At TrustedHousesitters we believe in a mutual exchange where what is exchanged is love, care and a place to stay for your sitter while you’re away. If you come across anyone who’s trying to work under a pay-for-service model on our platform, we would appreciate knowing about it/them. Thanks.
5 Likes
Hi @Karen_E , your response would be more beneficial to HO if it was posted on Owner Questions, Advice and Help, or the thread was moved to Sitter & Owner Exchange.
1 Like
Thanks @temba. We actually do have an active discussion going on in the Owner channel on this topic, too. Thanks for nudging me to include the link to that discussion here.
1 Like
Agree with you completely. I am not opposed to HOs asking for contributions to bills, especially for longer sits. The red flag for me is the implication that sitters are there for ‘free accommodation’ and therefore should replace items or contribute towards bills, while overlooking the often demanding nature of looking after someone else’s pets and property. THS is based on mutual appreciation and asking to replace items doesn’t seem very appreciative of the sitter.
2 Likes
I agree with you that thoughtfulness goes both ways and sorry to hear about the negative experience you’ve had with sitters using your supplies. I try to limit my use of the HO’s supplies and consumables and am very mindful about what they will return to. Unfortunately, there will be people who think they can use whatever they please and, in reference to the topic of this thread, this may include utilities: leaving lights and heating on in a manner they perhaps wouldn’t in their own homes. Hopefully the majority of sitters don’t have this mindset.
My previous comment was specifically in reference to HOs who think sitters are there for a free holiday, which house and pet sitting is not.
1 Like
There are sitters who really do @Pawtastic how do I know this? I am one and I know many other sitter members who are an exception to that theory.
I’ve been fortunate enough to have traveled the world since my early twenties, I’ve seen most of the places I ever wanted to and made enough memories to last a lifetime, however I will never have met or spent time with too many pets or their human families, they are far more important to me.
I’ve traveled from Scotland to CA my 9th time with this family and their furry members it’s certainly not the location that’s my motivation as I would surely have chosen to go to different places … I do sit for the sake of pets.
We should try never to generalize, it closes the mind to all opportunities.
9 Likes
I’m also prompted to comment on your post, as I too had a reaction to some of your content. What I show in the quote here works both ways - for owners and sitters. Yes, a sitter gets to use your ‘most precious belongings’, but that sitter also stands guard over them too. Your comment, to me, exemplifies the true ethos of TrustedHousesitters; there is no ‘free’ anything. In exchange for you inviting a sitter into your home and the company of your pets, the sitters give their time and experience to safeguard both, so that you can travel worry-free. Surely that’s priceless?
I do understand and respect that the responsibilities on sits varies tremendously, but that core responsibility - of caring for someone’s home & pets - carries the same duty of responsibility for a sitter - whether it’s a mansion or a modest home, and whether it’s one cat or a mini-farm. As a sitter, I am fully aware of that responsibility, from the moment I confirm a sit to the time an owner returns. That’s not a free ride at all, and there’s never a moment when I forget that responsibility and commitment.
17 Likes
@Pawtastic , I’m just linking in with @Snowbird here: if you (or anyone for that matter) has ever been a housesitter, you will understand that we tread VERY carefully in other people’s homes. Of course we make ourselves comfortable, but only to a point. Most of the good housesitters always have, in the back of their minds, this voice that says: careful! That is why most of our friends and family can’t do housesitting and can’t understand how we can do it. They can’t live with that permanent feeling of ‘be careful, we are in someone else’s home and we are the keepers of someone else’s most intimate earthly things’. Good housesitters are a very special type of person, always thinking: how can we leave more than we received.
13 Likes
It will definitely lessen the amount of folks who apply.
1 Like
So well put. Such great technical details. Thank you!
There’s a lot of really great HO’s on THS! Please don’t judge them all by this post. I agree with you & never deal with ones asking for money. But just move on & sift through. You can build great experiences & even good friends through this platform. I have! You just need to learn how to navigate it. It’s tougher these days as there’s so many more posts for one night stays with 6 dogs, 3 cats etc but keep looking the gems are there! Good luck.
2 Likes
Just saw this ad, it was for three months and at the end of the description it said, they will ask the sitter to pay for the electricity they use. Never seen that before so wondering if is this normal. I thought the services from both sides were supposed to be for free.
1 Like