What about when owners don’t leave any pets?
As you say, sometimes there’s more need to accommodate people, but if I’m not leaving pets and I won’t impose on a sitter to change plans around me, I am far more likely to change to accommodate their needs, expecting changes mid-sit, would make me feel very obligated to the sitter.
As it stands, I feel no sense of obligation to facilitate someone else’s visitors, strangers I’ve never interviewed, in my home.
There’s plenty of BnB type places where I live and none for less than €100 a night. If they want a visitor, they can stay nearby in one of those.
It cuts both ways on the free accommodation v’s free pet care front.
As first timers, I am already a little nervous about what I need to do for my sitter, I want to ensure THEY have the best time while they are here, but that doesn’t extend to an open house policy and I was genuinely shocked and very uncomfortable about the amount of requests by some sitters to have friends and children visit.
One excitedly told me they planned to have a stream of guests, both friends and different relatives over the time in my empty house.
I do think a lot of this stress could be the unknown rises around fuel costs, if we agree to one or two people for ‘x’ number of weeks or months, I don’t want to find that becomes 4 or 6 people at times, it’s very unreasonable to expect that of any owners.
All these requests, when I only showed one bedroom, sure I have more bedrooms, the sitter is having the best guest room, that doesn’t mean the rest of the house is open to their guests.
Maybe over time I could be more relaxed, but don’t want to feel it’s expected, or to have to justify myself.
I know I never want sitters young children in the house.
Despite saying the house isn’t suitable for children, I had people apply who had several.
If a visitor/friends of a sitter causes any damage, who covers that, as they surely wouldn’t be covered under the THS insurance cover, as they wouldn’t be considered sitters?
Those are really questions I don’t want to need to find out the answers to.
If a house was less desirable, either location or whatever, if lots of pets are being left behind, maybe people feel more obliged to make some concessions, some people don’t really care about their homes, have kids of their own at home etc.
I’m not saying anyone shouldn’t sit with kids, or have friends visit, just not in my house and don’t ask me to agree to it, when I’ve taken the time to spell it out on my listing.
Your last point, I couldn’t imagine imposing my change of plans on a sitter to stay longer for free, especially since travel insurance covers the costs for delays or other emergency reasons for needing to extend a trip.
None of this is really an issue, if people read the listing and raise it in advance, because I have no pets being left behind, I’d be okay with the sitter leaving early, or spending nights away from the house with their friends.
It is my house, I wouldn’t ask it of another owner and only want people to treat me, as I treat them.
