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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 
… 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.