How common is it to be given personal errands to do for the HO? Is there anything in the HO’s information that says that sitters are not expected to do personal errands for them? This includes dropping off the HO for their journey away at the beginning of a sit. I’m trying to figure out what the stated boundaries are so i can reply to a HO.
Use your own personal boundaries, everyone is different, do what works for you
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That may be reasonable if the sitter gets use of the car.
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THS doesn’t offer any official guidelines as to what hosts can expect and not expect sitters to do for them . We recently booked a sit where the hosts asked if we could drive them to the airport --in their own vehicle–and we were happy to do that. It is only 20 minutes from their house. But that is not something a sitter would be expected to do as part of their duties, and we would have been free to say no.
We had a sit a couple of years ago where they asked us to drive them to JFK airport in NYC. Coming from where we were coming from in NJ, at the time of day they would have needed us to drive them, the trip back and forth would probably have been 3 or 4 hours, maybe more. We told them we wouldn’t be able to do that.
On our last sit, the host checked with us about whether we would be okay taking her dogs to their grooming appointments, and said it was okay if we didn’t want to. We didn’t have a problem with that so we said yes. Perhaps some sitters would have said no.
Ultimately it is about what you feel comfortable doing, and if they ask you to do something that you feel is beyond the scope of your responsibilities, or would really inconvenience you, you are free to say you can’t.
And if you feel uncomfortable saying no for some reason, and agree to do something you really don’t want to do–which is a situation sitters can often find themselves in–just be sure to own your choice. Then you won’t feel as annoyed about it.
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There are no rights nor wrongs, if the sit hasn’t been confirmed then that is between you and the home owner.
We personally don’t mind helping out owners with the odd thing, just use your initiative with what’s right for you. We’re naturally helpful people so we totally ignore what others say is right and wrong in their eyes, and just do ‘us’ instead. So, you just do you, and be helpful if it feels right, or not if YOU feel they are asking too much. Just be yourself.
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Current sit I was asked to drive homeowner to the airport an hour away and take the dog to the groomer another day. It’s a four week sit and I have use of the car so I am more than happy to do anything to help. It’s no big deal really, as long as the requests are within boundaries that are realistic. At the end of the day it’s up to you to decide what those boundaries are and what you are and aren’t happy to accommodate. It’s about choices.
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How about a sit I have seen where the HO says that due to the sit being long, they’d “be grateful for a contribution to the electricity and heating”. I thought that soliciting money was a “no, no” in conditions for becoming a House/owner Pet sitter. Would love clarity for future reference if somebody can enlighten me!
@KiwiSwede Asking for utilities is OK if done upfront, before mutual acceptance of a sit. If done after, the sitter has every right to refuse. And if the host insists, it would be grounds for the sitter to cancel.
Of course, many sitters would skip a sit that asked for utilities. I would.
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Homeowners are allowed to request a contribution towards utilities but sitters are not permitted to ask for money. That’s about the crux of the situation.
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That was our feeling also. We pay the highest electricity prices in Europe here in Sweden and wouldn’t contemplate paying for somebody else’s utilities as well - right or wrong as it may be. Thanks for your input.
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Hi @Minnecatt
Welcome to the Forum!
When you state “personal errands”, I would ask specifically what personal errands the HO would like done. When I think of personal errands, I am thinking of tasks that are done outside of the home. Examples could be dropping off and picking up dry-cleaning or picking up household items. I cannot imagine a HO requesting this.
Would these personal errands be expected during your sit? One could argue that conducting personal errands during a sit, is NOT expected of a sitter.
If HOs are being asked to be dropped off and picked up at the airport while offering their car, it is OK for them to ask. However, it is also OK for sitters to say “NO” if they do not feel comfortable doing so.
If HOs expect sitters to drive them to the airport and pick them up, (but not offer their car), I would find that an unreasonable expectation.
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That is not true:
https://www.sieps.se/publikationer/2021/hoga-elpriser-kan-hota-den-grona-omstallningen/
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Do what you feel is reasonable.
If someone asked me to do unrelated stuff, nope. Like some sitter mentioned on a thread that some crazy host asked them to deal with host parking tickets that happened before the sit.
I do what I think is reasonable. Like a pair of hosts picked me up at the airport and left me a nice car to drive. I offered to drive them to the airport, because they were flying out at a reasonable hour. It was about 30 mins one way.
By contrast, another pair of hosts picked me up at the train station and left me two nice cars to drive. I didn’t offer, because they were flying out early and I wasn’t comfortable driving on the other side of the road abroad. They didn’t ask, either.
Another pair voluntarily offered to pay for my airport shuttle ($80 USD) and left me a car, golf cart and bicycle to use. They also picked me up and later dropped me off at a shuttle stop about 15 mins away and assumed I’d do likewise. I had no problem with that.
On another sit, the year-old rescue dog unexpectedly needed some pills, so I walked her over to get them from the vet. It was an easy, pleasant walk. No problem.
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Yep, this was the very beginning of one of my all-time favourite sits, and the sort of thing that’s part of the joy of housesitting! But to each their own, many sitters are uncomfortable with that sort of thing, so just state plainly/make alternate arrangements if that’s what you’ve realised is entailed
As others have said, it’s allowed but up to you if you’re willing. Personally I would only be willing if it’s a multi-month sit AND I’d only agree to pay any usage that is above what they paid for the same period the year before. I had this discussion with the HOs for my upcoming sit. Less because they wanted me to pay and more because this is their first sit, it’s 6 months, and they just didn’t know how it worked. I told them that their utilities would almost certainly be lower with me there than the two of them because I’ll use less water and electricity as a single person. But I offered to pay for any overage if it did happen to be higher usage. Once I pointed out that the bills would likely go down they said that made total sense. I can get their concern given that it’s a winter sit and utility prices are currently brutal. I have friends who run airbnbs and have been hit with utility bills in the hundreds/even thousands because guests aren’t paying so they go all out. But given I like it cooler than warmer and am very conscious about my usage it would take a miracle for me to use more than they do.
I also think it’s the way in which the home owner asks. If they ask politely and leave room for you to decline their request, it already much better than asking in a demanding way.
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The boundaries are what you and the homeowner agree upon.
There are all sorts of errands/favours which may be asked of sitters; and, as long as they are clear, ethical and legal, they’re fair game. The same can be said from the opposite side - sitters’ requests, etc. of the homeowner.
“Expectation” is the critical term here. If the HO expects something and you’re unable to deliver, it is completely acceptable for you to decline as long as you do so clearly and within a reasonable time frame - as doing so at the last minute is both disrespectful and potentially harmful (e.g. deciding that a ride to the airport doesn’t work for you after you have accepted the conditions could mean that the HO misses their flight).
HO’s can request and you can decline - with or without reason(s).
Saying they would be grateful for a contribution to utilities is very vague. I would ask for clarity regarding what amount/ percentage this would be, and a discussion about their usual expenditure on utilities to get a more solid understanding of what is expected and to be able to reach an agreement.
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Agree completely. If such requests are asked with respect and the option to decline, I’d definitely be more inclined to say yes than if the HO was demanding. You catch more bees with honey than vinegar, after all!
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@KiwiSwede Here is the official answer from THS