I have an approved application for 10 weeks out. Recently the person adked to have a guest who will be attending an event in the area. I have no information on the guest and they are not here to care for my pet or home, am i offside being uncomfortable with this concept?
You can be trusting or you can say no. You could also ask the sitter for information.
If you say no there is a risk that you would need to look for a new sitter.
Completely understand being apprehensive. The other side of this is, they asked. Some people would just invite a friend to stay and not tell the HO’s. You can certainly vet the other person via a call, ask for their Linkedin/Facebook links etc.
1 Like
Thanks. I will give it more thought
Your house your rules. If you are uncomfortable just say no but thanks for asking.
@wasagadave I would ask to see something about the event and its duration…like, “Oh interesting… may I please see some info about the event and the dates and how long your guest may need to stay?”
Because really… when did interest come up for a guest…
OR
If this is a thsitter with less than 5 THS reviews…I would be inclined to say no…
And I would for sure ask if that had any impact on the confirmed sit. (I’d rather have the conversation than the surprise of a cancel…)
OR
I may go back and re-read the reviews and see if anything catches my attention… before I decide.
If it were a very seasoned thsitter, I may agree…
5 Likes
Sitter shoud have brought this up before the sit was confirmed. I would (1) check previous reviews to see if the person was on previous sits, (2) check the listing to see if person is listed as accompanying or mentioned somewhere as sometimes accompanies. You also might consider previous reviews to just see how good or not so great the sitter is and judge weather you judge the sitter so trustworthy that that would extend to a second person.
Since the other person isn’t vetted, you would be justified in asking for a linkedin and/or airbnb or some other weblink/social media something to verrify the person’s identity.
It’s fine to say to no. In your shoes, if I decided to say no, I’d want to make it clear that no means no and I’d give the sitter the chance to back out of the sit rather than try to sneak someone in, cancel at the last minute etc. Technically, if you cancelled and went for another sitter, the sitter could report you, but I doubt they would, and if they did, you could explain that the request after confirmation felt dodgy and you just couldn’t move forward with it.
Go with your gut not with what is easier.
Ten weeks would be a lot of time to find someone else.
2 Likes
As a sitter, I’ve had some homeowners extend the offer of having a guest(s) over and it’s such a relief especially when we’ve done local house sits and it’s been during a time of celebration like Thanksgiving or Christmas. I’ve never actually asked as I dread asking the question. We have a sit coming up a few hours drive from us in another city where long time friends of ours live. It would be nice to just be able to invite them over for dinner so I think I will ask this time around. Sounds like an innocent request to me but as others have said, it depends on your comfort level.
2 Likes
It is my impression that the sitter did that. The HO says that he accepted the application. Then the sitter asked if they could have a guest visit there. And that it then might depend on that whether the sitter would confirm.
Anyway, it is fine to ask later. Of course it is. It is just that a sitter would not be free to cancel if the answer was a no.
1 Like
It would have been better had they asked during the application process. Asking you now puts you in an uncomfortable spot.
2 Likes
If you are not comfortable with the sitter bringing guests into your home tell them no. It’s your home you do not need to justify your rationale. They are there to pet sit not entertain guests. If they cancel because you said no to them having a guest over report them to membership services as this is not a legitimate reason for cancellation. I’m a sitter and would never ask a pet parent to have a guest over. Fortunately my friends and family can afford to book a hotel and I don’t have to use the pet parents home as such.
1 Like
We’re sitters, just say no because you feel uncomfortable about it, there are no rights nor wrongs, but they should have asked you before now, and they can easily meet up with them in a cafe if they want to.
Valid point. Thanks for the other POV
Its in the code of conduct that sitters are not to have unauthorised guests during the sit.
Be thankful they asked as the sitter may just sneak someone in, or risk them canceling the sit if they are not allowed visitors, does not leave a good feeling for any homeowner in this equal exchange.
Having a sitter request a guest AFTER confirming is not OK.
2 Likes
There is nothing wrong in a sitter asking and nothing wrong in you saying no . These arrangements should ideally be made before the sit has been confirmed by both parties . It wouldn’t be a valid reason for a sitter to cancel a confirmed sit if you say no.
Sitter third party policy
“A sitter must not allow any third parties to attend the sit or enter a pet parent’s property without their consent prior to arranging the sit. If they are happy for a sitter to arrange for a friend or family to visit them for any part of their sit, then that is absolutely fine provided the pet parent gives their consent for the sitter to make those arrangements. “
All of the house-sits we have done in homes with extra bedrooms the homeowners have ( without any prompting from us ) offered that we could have guests to stay . We haven’t (to date) taken them up on the offer . However, where it has been offered we have had friends over for a meal or a coffee . This meant we spent more time at home with the pets rather than going out to a restaurant to meet up.
If, after agreeing a sit , we found out a friend was going to be in the area we likely would also ask the homeowner if we could invite them to visit the home for a meal . We would emphasise that it wasn’t a deal breaker and that if they weren’t comfortable with the idea that we would arrange to meet up elsewhere.
For homeowners whose pets become anxious when left alone or for long sits ; it can sometimes be a practical solution to suggest that friends are permitted if agreed with them beforehand.
4 Likes
Hi @wasagadave
Is it possible that you feel uncomfortable with the concept simply because it is different from the one that was originally presented? Perfectly understandable, but before ruling it out, rewind the clock and consider whether you would have accepted these two people for your sit had they originally applied together. If one is not a member of THS, you could always ask for a video chat with both of them together, and would be well within your rights to ask to see photo I.D. as well, and links to Air BnB / Linked In profiles as others have suggested. You could also ask for a professional reference, (and follow up on it) given that the second person is not a member of THS and therefore has no reviews. In the sitter’s position, I would actively be making these suggestions in order to give you as much information as possible before making your decision.
There could be advantages to having two people present for at least part of the sit, depending on the number of pets and other responsibilities involved, and almost certainly in the case of any sort of emergency, especially if you are in a remote / rural location. What can the second person offer in terms of experience? Will they be an asset to the sit, or distract your original sitter from their role? What is their relationship to your original sitter, and how long have they known each other?
You’re ultimately having to decide whether or not you trust not just one, but two strangers with your home and pets, so choose wisely, and go with your gut.
You have a lot of good and varied advice here. Of course, you should decide what you are comfortable with, and if having more information about the guest/event, would build that comfort, then ask. You can accept or decline the request as you wish.
For me, a lot would depend on the manner of the request. Was the sitter polite and understanding that you may wish to decline? Did they describe who their guest is, how long they would be staying, etc.?
I am struck by the number of commenters who think it is bad that this sitter made the request after agreeing to the sit. We are all humans with evolving lives. The sitter is making a request. That’s it. That’s honest. Why is that so off putting?
I once requested to have my 68 year old sister, a retired math teacher, and experienced cat rescuer, join me on a cat sit in London. I let the hosts know that they could say no, of course, or that I could provide more information about my sister if they wanted it. They readily accepted my request and welcomed my sister into their home. Fluffy had love from 2 cat ladies instead of 1.
5 Likes
Thanks for all the opinions. I would have no issue with a guest, except in this case it was so the guest could attend a sports event in a nearby town. I am not an airb&b.
7 Likes
Nonsens. Yes, I use a strong word because you are shouting.
1 Like
Mic drop post!
2 Likes