Sitters and their 'others'

Owner Questions, Advice & Chat
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I have had three back to back applications from Sitters who have asked to bring the daughter(s), roommate, and boyfriend. I have read and reread the 3rd Party policy and have an understanding that it is between the Sitter and the HO about this, but here is my question. Who is specifically covered? In one week this has been my inbox/applications:

  1. First applicant lists two names on the THS site, ‘Mother-Daughter Duo’. The application request said “with my daughters”. When I asked for clarification on the number of daughters, ghosted.
  2. Second application was from a Sitter and her roommate. The roommate had a Rover account that was shared and all reviews were wonderful. We made it through the Zoom interview and I was all set to approve the application when I got a message in my inbox, asking if the roommate could bring their girlfriend (making it 3 in my house). This was beyond my comfort zone and I declined the application.
  3. Third application - someone flying into the US to stay with their boyfriend. They confirmed the day/time for Zoom call and when I asked if the boyfriend would also be on the call, ghosted.

If THS insurance and background checks are done on the sitter, are they also done on the ‘other’ in the add? How do others address this? I have tried to find a contact with THS to ask this specific question and have come up with only this forum and a bot, so I apologize if this is posted elsewhere. All I have seen so far is that it is between the Sitter and the HO but I am looking for clarity on who/what is covered and how common is it to have a Sitter ask to bring an ‘other’ with them.

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Welcome to forum @LisaK_95060

Others on the listing are not verified and checked - and neither are any of the hosts.

The third party as I have interpreted it is that no one should be living on the property the sitter uses and neither host nor sitter can allow others come besides the people agreed.

So a sitter with xy that is agreed with host is not a third party. It is totally up to you to say yes or no, to decline or whatever.

I see sometimes that some members freak out, so to speak, if the question is raised. One shouldn’t do anything one is not comfortable with, ofc. Personally, I sometimes mention in application that for a particular sit I would like X to join. Usually that is just a question, and should the host not be able to allow that I would still be interested in a solo sit.

Re. insurance it is important to know that the THS insurance is secondary to the ordinary insurances. That means that if there’s damage you need to claim first to your ordinary insurance company. Only if they don’t cover a claim on the THS insurance can be made (so you can’t choose which one to claim). That is probably why the THS insurance is cheap - it will rarely be the one to cover.

Some sitters always travel solo/ as a couple, others bring someone from time to time. One sitter on forum brings grandkids in summer sometimes, some bring their mum as they are visiting relatives in area etc. I’ve brought my adult kid to help out on a 3 dog sit, and this summer have a sit where both kids come along, as we are sitting in a location where we used to live when they were kids. Some travel as a couple and agree to have friends come by during a sit. All kinds of variations.

You set your boundaries.

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Welcome @LisaK_95060

You’ve handled these applications well . There’s no one size fits all . It’s fine for sitters to ask (in their application )about having others stay on the sit and it’s fine for host’s to decline or ask for more information.

Is your sit one where sitters are expected to stay at home most of the time?
Is it a long duration ?
Are there multiple pets ?

Asking because these type of sits are more likely to be a match for more than one person so that they can stay with the pets but also have human company .
Where there are multiple pets , having more than 1 person can be helpful with caring for the responsibilities.

You as a host need to know who you are giving permission to stay in your home so keep up with the same approach you have been using .

You could add to you listing that either - you only want a solo sitter or that you are happy to consider additional people staying ( 1 or 2 - you decide ) but you want to know about them in the application and include them in the video call.

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@LisaK_95060 As HOs, we choose sitters who are both represented on the THS profile and for whom previous HO’s have written reviews and mention them both.

If it’s a single sitter, we do not allow them to bring +1. These added people are not vetted by THS or by reviews written by previous homeowners.

The HO has no way of knowing if the +1 truly will be good for the pets or will respect the home.

So it’s really up to you. Don’t do something outside your comfort zone.

We know there are sitters who bring a mom or sister and if that works for some HOs, that’s fine.

But do not feel obligated to accept added people (beyond the sitter shown on the profile). Be patient and the right sitter will apply.

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When I started sitting, my partner was still working full-time, so I was always a solo sitter. Then he retired and often comes with me - he loves animals and they love him.
I’ve added a note to my profile explaining the situation - and a couple of photos of my partner. I always let the HO know in my application if he’ll will be joining me. I make it very clear that if he does come, we will be joint sitters; it won’t be a case of my boyfriend just tagging along for a free holiday.
So far, no HO has raised any objections. In fact, some have been happier to have two people on their sit.
I think, as with everything, it’s all about communication - and tact. And, dare I suggest, that old-fashioned quality: Decency.

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On joint accounts, the second person is not vetted. Currently only the main person is ID checked (and background checked in the US). And I’ll just point out that HOs are not vetted at all.

My daughter (21 years-old) travels with me when she has breaks from school - all summer and a month in winter. The rest of the time I sit solo, so it wouldn’t make sense for me to add her to my account (and before she turned 21 a few months ago, I couldn’t add her as an adult anyway). I’ve done 60 sits and she’s been with me on about 20 of those and is mentioned in those reviews. When I apply for a sit that will be both of us, I make that clear in the first sentence. I also provide info about her in the application letter similar to what would be in a profile. Our hosts always think it’s wonderful that we get to travel so much together. I’ve never had anyone indicate any concern about her sitting with me.

As someone who has done a lot of sits and values my reputation as a great sitter, I certainly would never have anyone join me that I don’t trust completely to be a fantastic co-sitter. Why would I risk my reputation and reviews?

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It sounds like you’ve had a string of applicants with subpar communication skills which is a real shame.

I think the background check is unique to US users, as I’m in the UK and we do not have this on our THS profiles. THS has a large and happy user base in the the UK, so I would say this suggests they’re not essential.

If sitters are experienced, with lots of reviews, such as myself, they have something to lose by bringing a guest who would not uphold the values of THS. I’ve brought a friend on a handful of sits and now have reviews which mention them, but it’s kind of like the chicken and the egg - How do you get a review with your friend if people only want to accept you if you have a review with your friend?

Of course, you can only do what you are comfortable with :slight_smile: … But decent sitters would not jeopardise their membership and reputation - and I think one characteristic of a decent sitter is good communication and reasonable expectations. Sadly it doesn’t sound like the applicants you’ve had so far demonstrated these.

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Thank you all for your responses. This is in-line with what I was looking to learn. My take away from all of your comments is transparency and decency, and making my decisions based on what, in the end, I am going to be comfortable with.

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I think you should contact member services and not anyone on this forum. I’m a combined member at the premium tier and it’s still a mystery to me! I know that there is no such thing as a “double” membership in which two people or a family are treated equally as partners. When a person joins as a sitter and creates a profile at the end they are asked if someone will be “accompanying” them or if they are going to solo. If they say “accompanying” they need to include the persons full name, age and work/profession. I have no idea if THS actually background checks this in the US or ID checks it anyone else as I was not asked for the person’s ID. The person is my spouse, and ultimately I decided not to include him with the ampersand, although I do mention him in my profile and he usually comes with on at least part of my sits and I always mention if that is happening in my application. I also I always supply separate bonafides for him – a linked in and another website that mentions him.

I don’t think there is much THS insurance in cases where sitters damage your home or harm your pets. Whatever THS says they’ll do won’t kick in until after your regular home insurance which probably doesn’t cover “unsupervised” guests which is ultimately what sitters are. This isn’t Airbnb where you are giving them a percentage of your profits in return for insurance. Ultimately it’s a matching site/exchange between individuals, so choose wisely, and check your homeowner policy if concerned.

Personally, I’ve had a lot of sitters come through and nothing serious has been broken or lost. My pets have done fine. I’ve had solo sitters, sitters who used the ampersand, and sitters who let me know BEFORE I confirmed that they’d be traveling with someone who also provided some kind of bonafides. Past sits with reviews is a fairly good start at gaging reliability, but so is a face to fact online chat with a lot of open ended questions, and a good gut check.

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I came on here to find these responses because you cannot get anything from the website itself, just an AI bot. Every application I have had since joining about a month ago lists a secondary person staying with the primary sitter. I just don’t know how I feel about this even after reading all of these. The reason I joined is because I was pleased with the background check on a person who would not only be staying in my home which I have worked so hard to create but also with my pets who are my kiddos. When another person (often a husband or boyfriend) is requested to come along but not required to do the same vetting process as the primary, it raises some concerns. It seems to be the only situation I am coming across and left little choices otherwise. I feel this is a simple fix for THS; to require a simple background check for any person coming along with the primary on a housesit and it be listed as complete in primary’s account along with the secondary person’s name, occupation, etc. I cannot seem to reach anyone at THS to inquire about this.

I realize it is up to my discretion but when the only applications I am receiving are couples where only one is vetted, it leaves a lot of room for hesitation.

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There’s a pilot program to background check plus ones. THS sent notice a while ago if some folks wanted to participate.

It’s standard with chatbots, regardless of whether on THS, to say / type “speak to a human.” That usually gets you to someone live or they follow up later.

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@brandieslamb
Are you aware that only sitters from USA are background checked ?

https://support.trustedhousesitters.com/hc/en-gb/articles/4402690121105-What-is-the-Background-Check

If you would only like sitters who are background checked it would be good to state in your listing that only US solo sitters ( who have been background checked ) need apply and all other applications will be declined .

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People should do what they are comfortable with, but sometimes creating a simple rule isn’t so simple. A sitter could “show” someone on the profile by adding that information before a particular sit. There is NO background check for the added person even when it shows as “John & Mary.” All John has to do is edit the profile and add Mary. THS will ask John for Mary’s last name, profession, and date of birth. The added information that homeowners will see is Mary’s age and profession. Also, there are no background checks for sitters based outside the US, so if you are accepting a sitter from another country, there is no background check.

I sit and I host. The first sitter I had brought her mom. The sitter was a very experienced sitter with great reviews who had been living in the US for many years and is married to a US citizen. Her mom was visiting her. They came over a few days before the sit to pick up the keys and meet the pets. It was fine. Generally, I don’t have a problem with another person whether they are “officially” added to the account or not. However, I do want to know about the person before I confirm, and am likely not to move forward on an application if the person isn’t mentioned in the profile and/or reviews or if the primary person can’t offer me some outside verification like a linkedin. In a couple of cases where sitters brought or were thinking of bringing partners who didn’t alway come with them to sits, I had their linkedins. In both cases both the sitters and their partners were professionals and it was fine.

I think homeowners in trying to keep things “safe” may depend too much on THS vetting people. The truth is sitters are mostly vetted by the reviews here. The background check won’t tell you that someone is a terrible sitter and a completely irresponsible person. This isn’t a job. You aren’t hiring someone who works for a company that vetted them in advance. THS “vetting” is minimal for sitters and hosts as well. That’s why reviews are important as are the chats. If there is a second person, I prefer one who is mentioned in the profile – whether they are on as a secondary sitter or not, and mentioned in the reviews.

In my case, when I sit, and my spouse is coming, I offer information about him in my application letter. I offer two websites. There is much more information on those sites than we would have about the host! From my point of view, if I’m declined I’m unlikely to know the reason, but if the reason is because I didn’t use the “&” to include him, I’m good with that. That tells me that the homeowner is looking at me more as an emplyee and trusts the information provided by THS more than they trust the more extensive information I’m willing to provide.

I will also share a little secret: As a sitter I’ve found it very easy to vet hosts. Give me a first name, a town, and a profession, and if you don’t live in a big city I can probably find a home phone, a last name, an address within five minutes. And generally I do those things before I take a sit. I do this partly out of curiousity, and because whether as a sitter or a host, I want to know what I’m getting into.

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:backhand_index_pointing_up: agreed.

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I am just one of those sitters you cite. I often come with a “Plus One” - my partner - because when I started sitting through THS, he was still working full-time and not able to come with me. When he retired, I chose not to re-write my whole profile to morph us into a couple, because I would continue to do some sits on my own (Usually because the jammy so-and-so is off travelling elsewhere). My partner adores animals and actually has a better instant report with them than I do… Grrr! I’m absolutely open about the situation on my profile. When I apply to a sit I make it very clear whether it would just be me, or if my partner would be joining. If the HO has any views or objections either way, I always respect them. I also push for the video call to include my partner, even if the HO isn’t bothered..
I - or should that be “we”? - have never had any problems. As always, openness and good communication are key.
As for bringing along a BF/GF, family member or friend without explicitly clearing it with the HO in the very early stages… Nope! No way! If you, as an HO, are being put in that situation - well, you shouldn’t be.

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In my work we vet with police certificates and such.

In my opinion, in a THS-context you are probably better served by using the reviews-system and choosing experienced sitters with lots of reviews than relying on THS background checks. This is because

THS only background check US-sitters
They could still be criminals, just not being caught yet, having a record in another country or something that is not stated for various reasons (minor offence, being a minor and such) etc.

So the background check will reveal a smaller picture if a sitter has done something negative, but it will not document whether a sitter is a nice person, trustworthy, tidy etc. Honest and factual reviews will document that. IMO those things are more important to know for a host than a background check of dubious value.

I usually sit solo, but sometimes bring adult child (-ren) if agreed with host. They are described in my listing, I always mention it specifically in an application and should the host be interested we could ofc do a videocall with them before a decision is made. I’m sure some declines could be for that reason, but I’ve also had sits with hosts that encouraged taking the kids - for an enjoyable stay but also as host would like us to be one more person to take care of the pets. It could be because of the tasks involved or for instance for a lower risk of sit should one sitter be ill.

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I think each situation has to be considered individually and decisions made AFTER doing a video chat with the applicantS. One thing I have learned is that if a couple is applying I will, from this point forward, insist on BOTH of them being on the call. I recently had a sit where the applicant (vetted, etc. by THS) seemed fine. When the couple arrived for the sit, I felt uncomfortable leaving my home with the sitter’s wife in the mix. Nothing awful happened, but she’s not be someone I’d invite over. I will make sure to have a convo with ALL of those coming into my home first.

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Yea. I am part of the program and my husband has now been ‘verified’ and now apears as such on our profile. Unfortunately there has been no other communication or progress with the trial, so I have no idea if that will remain.

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Hi @brandieslamb As others have said the vetting on THS is minimal. Don’t rely solely on that when considering sitters. When my husband and I joined in 2018 only I, as main account holder, was asked for verification which was just a passport copy, email and phone number. My husband was not required to send anything. We’d have been perfectly happy to provide his details too and we’d have liked to be joint account holders but THS still does not allow this. We have not been police, or background, checked. That is only for US citizens.
Personally I feel the sitters reviews on THS are far more important and reassuring for a potential host than any back ground check. My husband and I do every sit together and now have 120 5* reviews from 6+ years of housesitting around the world. Our reputation is now very strong. I would suggest to you to choose only very experienced sitters with lots of excellent reviews attesting to their abilities as great housesitters. This will reassure you more than any other kind of verification.

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In addition to previous statements that background checks are only in the US, there are no “insurance” checks of any kind. If you want to know whether they are covered by the damages insurance, the point may be moot as THS’s “insurance” is secondary to your homeowner’s insurance. I haven’t seen any forum threads where anyone has thanked THS for coming through and paying for damages!

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