Would love to have a perspective on why people have a preference of single sitters vs a couple I have 20 + reviews and I got denied three times this week because they decided to pick a single sitter. What’s the difference ? Would love to hear some feedback
As a sitter, I think there may be a few reasons why homeowners may be looking for a single applicant. A single homeowner may feel more comfortable having a single person as a sitter. I’ve also seen some listings where the homeowner is looking for a single sitter due to their pet being nervous around males. Also, the home may be just suited to a single person. I’m sure other sitters will possibly provide some other feedback on this.
To be honest: I also prefer single sitters and women. I just don’t want any men standing and urinating over the toilet. Not that every man does this, but of course you can’t control it or ask for it. I really would hate this.
I just have a better feeling with women.
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Size of space.
Usage of utilities / water cost doubles.
2 people sleeping in the primary bed.
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It is also the case that if you have two sitters the costs are twice as high for example for hot water. The risk that something could happen is also twice as high with two persons.
Then I think that single women would prefer a single woman than a couple or a single man.
If the pet is only used to one person, it is probably better to have only one person so that the pet has the same situation.
You also always will keep in mind as a HO that if a sit turns really bad, you don’t want to deal with two persons.
Everyone has different reasons for the types of sitters they’d prefer. Some reasons I’ve been picked as a solo sitter:
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Some hosts have small spaces or prefer for a sitter to occupy only part of their home.
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Some people give greater benefit of doubt that a solo or female sitter will take better care of a home and / or create less mess.
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Some animals respond better to quiet and low-key sits and a solo sitter can seem more likely to work out that way.
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Some animals prefer women / are afraid of men and kids.
Personally, I also reply quickly. I don’t need to consult another person about plans or preferences when I sit.
Ultimately, we don’t actually know why hosts choose whom they do, because they might say X, but that might just be a convenient explanation, not necessarily a truthful one. Some people find it awkward to be honest or direct, so they’ll go with an easy answer.
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My experience is also that couples are much more adventurous and enjoy going on excursions for hours.
My favorite sitter is a calm, responsable, pet-loving woman who works remotely and has no vacation during the sit.
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@rcoh please check this related topic
We sit as a couple so as long as the HO clearly states their preference in their listing we are happy. Saves everybody’s time.
This actually made me sit back and think and looking back at our sits, this will be the second couple we have confirmed (although the other couple on the previous sit cancelled as they felt ours wasn’t the right shape after reading our welcome
Guide…totally fine!) out of over 10 sits. I think in our case it’s just coincidence.
Single woman have always been cleaner for us. Gender didn’t determine how much our dog loved them and felt cared for (but he also loves people).
One thing I will say that I strongly dislike is when it’s clear that one person in a couple (usually the woman in a hetero couple) is clearly the one who wrote the profile and they are the only one with substantial info there. Immediate turnoff for me.
I do find that couples often take longer to give responses back.
That aside, we really don’t mind if it’s one person or two so long as they meet the needs of our sit and we feel they will get along well with our dog (most important part). Our place is suitable for four people and we typically say max of two so that we can comfortably do overlaps at start and end of our sits. Our dog can be left for a decent amount of time and we actually encourage people to leave and explore, as we believe it’s good for our dog to practice being ok alone. Upside to two people is that there’s one extra person present to be able to advocate and help create space for and give attention to our dog and he LOVES attention😂.
Re: our two most regretted sits, one was a female and another a male. So it’s whatever.
I agree with others though that it may just come down to preference of the HO/animal(s) or factors regarding the space or potentially just unconscious bias/mirroring or ???.
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I get passed over plenty for couples so it goes both ways and the rationale is something like the garden is too big for one person, or you need two people to walk the dogs and sometimes it’s just HOs looking for someone who reminds them of themselves.
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When you say denied did they respond to say they are only considering single sitters or that they do not want couples? Or did they just mention that they went with another person, rather than saying we went with another couple?
If the former I’m assuming they hadn’t stated preferences in their listing?
I’ve seen a lot of listings stating a preference for single sitters. Some clarify that they only have a single bed in the spare room or give some weak reasoning but most just simply put it out there.
I’ve always just avoided these since they seem either to be red flags or if not certainly red flag adjacent. The one that pops up occasionally wanting a single female sitter in an isolated location with no neighbours is just red flags everywhere.
There’s a very obvious difference, we sit as a couple, and there are huge benefits to that, twice as many cuddles, twice as much attention, if one is sick it doesn’t matter because there’s two of them etc.
However, if someone prefers someone single it will typically be because that is what their pet is used to, maybe their owner is a single female and so that is what they would prefer.
It is totally natural that some owners prefer what their pet is used to, as it is about keeping things the same, that’s why they want a house sitter in the first place.
Also a lot of owners have rescue pets with not-so-nice backgrounds, and they may know their pet is scared of a male/female.
I’ve done 74 housesits so far (not all with THS) and have never been told why I’ve been chosen as a single sitter. I’m pretty certain most of the home owners wouldn’t have minded a single person or couple. I do know that single males sometimes find it hard to get sits though as many single females owners prefer a single female sitter or, as someone here has mentioned, the dog may not like men.
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@Smiley hope you have enjoyed the AO 
Most definitely, only had 3 days off!! I’m at one of the men’s semis tomorrow & men’s final on Sunday!! Thanks for asking 
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@Smiley Probably get into trouble for off topic but oh you are soooo lucky getting to see the men’s finals AND all the other games. JEALOUS!!! 
But enjoy 
One of my recent sits specifically requested a quiet, solo woman in the listing, because her cat was skittish. Though ostensibly anyone could say something like that if they wanted an excuse. But if there were a nefarious reason, seems like it would be common sense to not advertise that at all — they could just let everyone apply and just pick a solo woman and get the same result, less conspicuously, couldn’t they?
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Worth noting that when landlords or roommates rent places out, they often prefer to rent to women, on the presumption that they’ll be cleaner and / or quieter or less rowdy. Choosing sitters doesn’t exist in isolation from societal behaviors.
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Hi @rcoh, I had to read your comment twice as I assumed you were a single sitter where you say “I have 20+ reviews” with no mention of you being part of a couple.
You have been given a variety of reasons by fellow sitters as to why home owners may make their choice. If owners have had previous sitters, sometimes you can see they prefer either a single sitter or a couple by the sitters they have chosen which can give you an idea on how you might fare.
Did the 3 owners who declined you give any reason?
It’s a numbers game so keep applying but perhaps look more closely at the information in the total listing provided for any hints as to the type of sitter they may favour.
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Not saying anyone has a nefarious reason (well maybe just that one 
). Just that the reason for asking for a single sitter seems to correlate with issues or potential issues so I just avoid:
Want a single sitter as you don’t have space for a couple - This indicates you won’t make you main bedroom available but don’t actually have a comfortable amount of space for a guest without it. I’ve had great sits where the spare room was spacious and none where it was tiny and that was all that was offered.
My cat/dog only like men/women - Don’t need pets with behavioural problems.
Single women are cleaner - I’m tidy and I clean well when I leave a sit but I don’t need any heightened cleaning expectations.
My pet is used to only single people - You pet doesn’t really care, you do. They have issues with strangers not the number of strangers.
Definitely picked up a few new reasons for single sitters being preferred ones since joining this forum but none of them have changed my mind to reverse my policy. If anything they have reinforced it.
So not nefarious just wary of motivations like that straight out the gate. If the owner finds one thing better than the other that’s their choice and I’ll never advocate for THS to not allow those preferences to be state i n the listing. Just isn’t something I would apply for.
I can still end up with a sit where there’s a dog with behavioural problems, no space provided for me or my stuff and unrealistic cleaning expectations - and I have.
Now to avoid everyone going nuts - these are my slightly flippant reasonings but mostly it’s just a gut thing and the reasoning came later. So yes Not All Owners are like this. But I get to make my choices just as do they.
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