@DavidE You have had 11 replies to your post so far and I agree with everything that has been said. I will add that you may not be taking into consideration the cost, if you chose to leave the home unattended and board the pet(s). Besides what has been mentioned, I will add the increased liability for insurance purposes, and what you might need to do to assure your coverage continues.
I saw in one response a mention of someone feeling like they would be nickel and dimed, which was also my reaction. It brought to mind for me the contrast to the many gracious and appreciative homeowners who not only do not charge for the things you mentioned, but rather show their appreciation with kind gestures of gifts. These are certainly not necessary, but are often given by those who recognize and really appreciate the value of having a sitter in their home. The contrast, for me, was noticeable.
I would also suggest that you can look into adjusting your internet coverage so that it is unlimited and a relatively fast connection speed. If you would expect the sitter to pay that increased cost, if the sitter needed it, then it would be something you would need to discuss before confirming that sitter.
You may want to also review responses in the post Paying to sit - contributions to utilities, and in particular the responses from team members, Vanessa and Angela, as to the THS policies.
Sure, the person may use slightly more utilities than you would have, but what would you be paying if you kenneled your animal(s) for 3 months?? I looked up a handful of pet boarding locations in McCall and found that the average cost per night for boarding is between $25 and $50 per night per animal. So if you only have 1 animal, you’d be paying between $2200 & $4500 for 3 months of boarding.
Personally, if I was being asked to pay utilities, I would only consider that for a sit that I was desperate to do. For example, an easy sit for cats in an area where I had the freedom to explore a place I’ve always wanted to visit. And, I would prefer to have it be a number we agreed upon upfront so there are no surprises at the end.
However, if you choose to go the route of looking at the bills to consider a cost for utilities used above and beyond what’s normal, I would suggest looking at historical usage from KWH used as that would be more accurate than the total cost as all costs are rising this year more than in years past.
OOF! I would be furious and immediately decline the sit with that kind of bait and switch even if I might have considered paying utilities otherwise, depending on the rest of the sit. Any trust would be gone for me
To be fair, I don’t think he’s trying a bait and switch. It seems he had posted his sit, and then came here for advice on utilities etc. He’s had a ton of reasonable feedback supporting both sides. I have no doubt if he decides to go that route, he will inform the people who have applied, and then update his listing.
Welcome DavidE
I think as others have said the most important thing is to put your expectations clearly in your listing so that sitters know ahead of time what they are applying for.
Once you start bringing money into sits the dynamics can change. In addition you say there are lots of short term rentals in your area and applicants ‘paying’ may be more likely to have a different mind set and treat your sit as a short term rental.
I would have a very honest conversation with any potential sitters about what you usually have the thermostat etc set at and see if they are on the same page.
It would be extremely rare to not have basic unlimited internet provided in the States.
I am not sure what THS guidelines are around deposits but that seems more of a landlord type relationship and I would prefer one based on mutual trust and respect.
I would suggest you look for sitters with numerous THS references and build a relationship with a sitter through video calls to hopefully help alleviate some of your concerns.
I think you’re right. The fact that he’s posting here to ask questions seems to indicate that he’s new to this and is seeking advice from the sitters’ perspective.
Hi to all and thanks for your many replies and comments. I will use the advise to “just put it out there about costs contribution” and see how our pool of sitters change. Currently, based on my initial post, we have almost 20 applicants. I have told them I am trying to work out a mutually supportive agreement for the “sit.” I will be back in touch with all the current applicants before I redo my post.
This concept of sharing utilities come’s from an earlier post responding to utility fees (please see above). We are in a rural mountain resort area where internet is available but costly and billed by how much data is used each month and we will be gone during the winter months. Houses (not as nice as ours in my opinion) near us rent for $7000-$8000 US per month. We don’t like short-term rentals. Our two cats are couch potatoes and require about 5 minutes of care a day. Currently, our neighbor watches the house and our cat care person charges us $15 daily to attend and pet them for a few minutes. For a long sit (time away) we want a more regular human presence for them. As a final comment, as we hope to sit for others, I don’t think we will “do it for free,” we will have lodging in a welcoming-pet loving home in an area we want to explore, which has great value for us. Thanks again for all your comments!
But note the word “consider”. It means I’d think about it, depending on the other parameters of the sit. It does not mean I’d “welcome the opportunity to pay” the bills. I certainly wouldn’t pay internet or a deposit. That’s just a complete non-starter. Will you give a refund if their bills are lower than yours? I can almost guarantee that for my extended sits, my utility usage is lower than most HOs.
I think you should not really compare your sit to what short term rentals in the area go for. If I’m renting a place, I have 0 responsibilities. I can come and go as I please, stay out all night, ignore the plants/yard/animals, leave a mess when I leave, do no laundry, don’t care if things break, leak, etc. If I’m a renter I can just call the landlord and walk out the door and let them deal with it. It’s not remotely the same thing and not really what this site is about.
FWIW, I think you’ll find most people here primarily sit for the animals and the location is secondary.
I would still feel that way. It would leave a bad taste in my mouth that I would be unlikely/unwilling to get over. Especially since it’s not just the utility overage but the other things as well. At that point it’s not a trade, you’re paying to live somewhere. If I want to pay to live somewhere, I’ll di it where I don’t also have any responsibilities.
I guess it would depend on how it is worded when it’s brought up. If the home owner told me they were new to THS and only just learning the ropes. That they have been thinking about the internet cost (or whatever) issue and hadn’t realized they should have included it in their original post. That they will be amending their post and want everyone who’s already applied to be fully aware and given the opportunity to reconsider their application etc etc.
It wouldn’t leave a bad taste in my mouth. I would think about my own situation and if I still thought it was a good fit for me and then either leave my app in the pool, or I’d rescind it.
Uggh, I guess with charging HOs you should better move on to another site, because this actually is not what THS is about! Never ever would I pay a sitter here. I am very generous but this is a huge NO.
The whole concept of THS is about NOT paying the sitters and also NOT paying the HO.
I really think you should reconsider if this is the right place for you to offer and do pet sitting.
I copied this from the THS website:
How does it all work?
“We enable home and pet owners to connect with care-orientated sitters who will sit for free in exchange for the chance to spend time with some wonderful pets and for free accommodation.”
How much will sitters charge to look after my home and pets?
They don’t! Our trusted sitters will love your pets and care for your home for free.
Hi @DavidE I found your listing and know you will be making some revisions, but I wanted to make sure you explicitly include the bit about the internet being limited. You currently have “high speed internet” selected and in my mind, I would never consider that it might be “high speed” but limited usage because of your location.
This will be extremely important in setting all expectations up front so as to not have disappointed applicants who may feel bait and switched due to limited details in the listing after conversing with you.
I wish you all the best of luck in finding your perfect sitter.
Yes, we have also had HOs who slowly revealed extra requirements and expenses to us and occasionally we agreed to things that we would never have agreed to if we hadn’t already invested so much time into securing a sit. Transparency and clear communication from the start is so important.
Hi @DavidE I will again refer you back to the feedback from team members that I mentioned earlier. Both team members clearly state that the listing has to have any charged details shown BEFORE applicants apply. For whatever reason, this has not happened.
Given you now have ‘almost 20 applicants’, I would suggest you pause your listing so that you can make the required correction to your listing. You can then also address the omission with the current applicants. This would avoid possibility more applicants who are not seeing these important details BEFORE applying.
Once again, to be fair, he said he doesn’t do it “for free” because in exchange, he’s getting “lodging in a welcoming-pet loving home in an area we want to explore, which has great value for us.” I don’t think he’s suggesting he’d only do it for pay.
Hi again to all, and thanks so much for the feedback! First, as to my addressing “doing the sit for free.” I am addressing that when (should I be fortunate to be trusted with someone’s pet/s and home) I sit I don’t believe the HO is getting my service for free. I am sadden when I read such comments. I disagree that the only reason I am sitting is to take care of their pet’s. I confess I am sitting with the pets at their home because I am interested or curious about their community. I am not seeking shelter, I am fortunate to have a home. I am seeking adventure and travel. That is me. Ergo, the HO by offering her or his home, saves me the expense, often thousands of dollars, I would spend should I want to explore the world, beyond my little corner. That said, I also love animals and I am happy to be present with them, as their “owners” are away! Second, I am new to THS and, as my heading suggests, I want to get this right as I host my first “sit” experience. All my applicants are aware of my wanting to clarify my post. And all of the applicants have now been also asked to weight in on my concerns. After I hear from them, then, I will update my post. What I have gleaned primarily from the forum is to communicate, communicate and communicate some more if I want to foster quality relationships!! Thanks again for your many comments!!!
Then I have probably misunderstood the „doing it not for free“, apologies.
I am not a native English speaker and to me it sounds like you want to charge for your pet sitting services.
This is the way I look at it as well. Some people have been shocked that I will fly across the Atlantic to look after someone’s pets and home for “free” but when I explain that I’m getting plenty of other benefits out of it in terms of adventure, experience, pet hangouts, accommodation & a change of scenery, etc. they start to understand. Not every payment is monetary and I feel I have received quite a lot in return for the time and energy I have put into sitting - I am happy that my experiences have felt like an equal exchange.
That said I still wouldn’t be interested in paying utilities unless it was an absolute dream sit - and certainly wouldn’t look at paying utilities as a welcome opportunity - but I get what you’re saying about sitting for “free”
I also understand your concern about being in a touristy area overrun by short-term rentals, I also live in an area dealing with a massive housing crisis from the impact they have made. It is a slight concern of mine as well, since houses here rent for easily $2000 a week in the summer (houses nowhere near as nice as yours I might add) and the number of rentals is limited so I worry a little bit about who might want to come here and why, especially in the high season, but again it’s all about communication and making sure you click with someone who you trust will take great care of your pets and respect both your property and community.
It’s great that you came here to ask the question because although like @CreatureCuddler commented, being asked to pay utilities after applying to a listing with no mention of it could feel like a bait & switch, it’s clear that wasn’t your intention and in fact, you’ve stirred up quite a good conversation. So welcome to the forum and I hope you will rethink the utility situation a little so as not to discount a great sitter, and that you connect with the perfect sitter soon.
