Hello, I am new to the forum so thank you for being here I have read through a lot of the topics and have gleaned some great info!
As a homeowner I have been asked a few questions from possible sitters and I am wondering if this is normal.
One being if we would pay for flights and car rental to get to our home. Another being if they can eat our food and it was mentioned that some HO stock the fridge with items that the HS likes as well as offer wine etc for the HS.
Since we have only had a couple of sits and not seasoned I am not sure if we should be doing more?
Hi @RavenR ! Welcome to THS and the forum! It’s great that you have been reading the discussions. There is so much useful info here.
And since you ask, that is highly irregular. Perhaps these are new sitters? Home/pet owners do not pay for any of the sitter’s transportation costs, nor are they expected to provide food for the sitters.
If you like, you can provide some food items to get your sitters started but it’s strictly up to you and not at all necessary. It is a lovely surprise when owners leave food, wine, treats but that is at their discretion. I’ve had a few owners leave these things but most do not.
It is not uncommon for owners to have a meal with the sitters prior to the start of the sit but again, up to you.
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I don’t think it’s common to be asked for those kinds of things! I think it would be very rare for a homeowner to contribute to a sitter’s travel expenses. I’ve had some homeowners leave wine and other treats for me and it’s very sweet, but honestly I’d prefer they didn’t feel obligated to do it and I would never expect it. In specific circumstances where it would be difficult for a sitter to get groceries when they first arrive - flying in, grocery store far away, etc. - it would be a nice gesture to make sure they have some supplies until they can get their own. But otherwise a sitter expecting that would rub me the wrong way.
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Thank you @mars for that bit of information. I did find it odd for the flights and rental car ask and chose not to pick the couple(it would have been for two people across the country).
As for the food ask, that makes sense.
Much appreciated!
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Thank @DeeKay, your comments ring true to what I had been thinking and solidifies what my initial expectations were. Agreed, on the treats and basic provisions.
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Hi @RavenR - as sitters we’re not allowed to ask for travel contributions, that’s a complete THS no-no and they should know that so be careful. Some HOs leave food, some don’t but it’s not a given or expectation. It’s normal (usually on arrival at the sit not at chat stage) to say “what is your rule of thumb on what you’d like us to use or not use food wise?”) Otherwise the “help yourself” can get misconstrued. These sitters sound like they’re taking the proverbial to be honest.
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As others have stated, it’s not only not ok to ask for help paying for flights and car rental, it’s specifically not allowed. Absolutely stay clear of those people and even consider reporting them as they give the rest of us sitters a bad name.
Food wise, nothing is expected or required. There is a bit of an understanding that some of the basics-spices, oil, etc. would be acceptable to use but otherwise we don’t expect any food. Many homeowners do tell us that we can eat certain things. Some say “anything in the refrigerator and shelves”, others have said “eat anything and everything you want”. Another expectation is that perishable items can be used up. No point in letting fruit and veggies go to waste. We will replenish the basics that we use if we consume a lot of them. Milk, butter, toilet paper, paper towels.
Any offers of wine or any food is certainly appreciated but not ever expected. We’ve had wine, candy, flowers, and even gift cards to the local grocery store left as gifts but we don’t expect them at all.
Dan and Nan
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Hi @RavenR. Agree with others in that asking for travel or car rental contributions is naughty and not something I’d expect.
As to groceries. This is totally up to you. I’ve had a full fridge for a remote sit to a lady that put post it notes on all items including salt and pepper not to use! I think the best thing you can do is give clear instructions about any sitter using things in your food cupboard. I generally only use salt, pepper, spices and oil. Anything non perishable I’d replace if used.
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Welcome to the forum, RavenR. I think it is a very odd request, for the sitter to want you to pay for their travel costs. If you are doing that, you may as well get a paid sitter through Rover or another site, and have them be local. That way you don’t run the risk of someone’s plans changing. I would think, for two persons, the costs would be the same.
The food question is slightly less odd, but still not something we would ever ask. As others have said, if the sitter is flying in, it might be nice to leave some bread, eggs, milk in the fridge for them until they can get to the supermarket. But having a sitter ask, especially in the early stages of the application, strikes me as odd. Just trust your instincts, pass on this pair and trust that you’ll find the perfect sitter.
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Hi @RavenR welcome to our community forum and to TrustedHousesitters you’ve had some great “welcomes” and feedback from members already and just to confirm we encourage copious amounts of communication between members when making sit arrangements but if any member is being asked anything they feel is out of the ordinary or not part of our TrustedHousesitters community ethos, Membership Services should be informed, they will look into the matter and if necessary remind the member concerned just “How Ii Works”
There are some great articles on the website blog which can help also … here is just one.
Welcome again and enjoy connecting with the community and if you have other questions, any other questions, you have come to the right place.
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@Angela_L , thank you for the welcome and the info with links!
When talking with the potential sitters and the request came up, it didn’t feel right so I just kindly declined their application request not knowing if it was something that was a normal ask. I am glad to be reminded of the guidelines and now know if it comes up again I can share those guidelines with the HS and feel better about saying that isn’t something we, as owners, do.
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@Danandnan , thank you! Yes, this all makes sense and it is good info to have. We are new to THS and have had local house sitters for years. I am appreciative of all the perspectives I am reading here so I can be thoughtful of how a HS may perceive something different than we intended for example an empty fridge- I was thinking that it was a nice jester to clean out the fridge to make space but now I realize I should be communicating to find out what could be helpful to the sitter. Just a good mindset reminder!
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with food most folks say “help yourself.” I do so with condiments and such. But any food I eat a lot of, I am careful to replace – half a box of cereal, all of their olive oil, all of their milk. To me, that is just good manners! I just bought bottle of Worcester sauce even though there was only about 3 T left. That is just the way I was brought up. Very good topic, thanks.
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@RavenR we really do appreciate HO that do make sure there is room in the refrigerator and freezer for us, some room in a cupboard so we can put our groceries, and even an empty dresser drawer so I don’t have to live out of my suitcase. A little space in a coat closet to hang our coats is nice, too.
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Hi, RavenR:
My husband & I started out being home owners who needed sitters before we became sitters ourselves and I’m quite confident in telling you that every sit is unique: every HO has their own set of expectations and sitters come in all types as well.
As HO we had some “interesting” requests from sitters, including the requests you note.
My take on it? This system is a great win-win when both sides feel they are happy with the arrangements agreed to.
I had “red flags” on sitters and now have “red flags” on possible sits.
Demands that seem over-the-top are a big red flag both ways,.
As a HO we did leave the frig stocked with a couple meals worth of food (we would travel for 21-25 days at a time). And we would leave “emergency $$$” as well as encourage the sitters to use anything they found in our pantry.
HOWEVER - I’m not one of those who has a packed pantry full of smoked oysters and Dom Perignon.
Transportation costs? Uh, no. We have left our vehicle to be used & had vehicles provided: in both cases NOT a new expensive car.
That said: are you in a remote, hard-to-reach place that is cause for concern?
IMHO “reasonable” is a good guide.
Flip side: as sitters we have arrived to a delicious meal and discover the owners have left us wine, treats, flowers and a sweet note.
We have also arrived to a home with dishes in the sink a frig full of things that needed to be tossed, and linens that had to be washed. THANKFULLY that has happened exactly once. BTW red flags were flying on that one so we learned.
MOST of the time the rule-of-thumb is obvious: perishables are to be consumed. Anything else? Noted in the instructions. If the distance to a good market is pretty far? That should be conveyed in the info so the sitter is prepared.
Beyond that - my thought is this: if you’re asking for a lot (i.e. many animals, lots of plants to be tended, a long stay) then that deserves some acknowledgement - perhaps in the form of something special left for the sitters.
Also keep in mind: if you like to travel a lot, you may want someone who is willing to come back because the experience sitting for you was so good!
But ultimately this is supposed to be a trade: you get peace of mind, they have a comfy place & pets on loan for a while.
Good luck finding a perfect sitter.
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Being asked to cover a sitters flights or rental car is definitely not acceptable! In my opinion, they should not be on this site if that’s how they’re going about trying to get sits/travel.
I personally prefer homeowners not leave me any food - or atleast not stock up on anything specifically for me. I’m quite picky and would prefer to just go buy everything I’ll need (plus I love perusing grocery stores in new places lol), with the exception of spices perhaps! It does make it easier if a homeowner atleast tells you you can use whatever you want incase you just need a pinch of salt or 1 pickle or something lol
I’d also feel bad if wine was left for me because I don’t drink it and would have to pass it on! I think the most practical thing I was ever left was a $10 giftcard to starbucks, it was the perfect amount/splurge for my travels home from the sit!
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ASASG,
Thank you for that thoughtful message, it all makes good sense and I couldn’t agree more with all that you have said.
It gives me good ideas for our future sits when we are gone for awhile and for when we sit.
It certainly sounds like you have had plenty of experience, I just can’t imagine arriving to a messy house with sheets and dishes to clean.
I like the gift card idea and I have heard it many times now, it offers the sitters to check out a local business and pick out something they would like or dinner etc.
Thanks again!
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As homeowners here in Spain ourselves, we offer to pick sitters up from the airport and we let them use our car to get groceries and take the dogs for walks. Otherwise no, we would not pay for flights or car rental. That’s out of line. We do stock basic food for our sitters and often have a meal with them. We also offer them to stay before and after our sit in the apartment under our house so they can explore after or before our sits because our sit is quite demanding in that you can’t leave the dogs alone. I would report those sitters for asking as we are also sitters who wouldn’t dream of asking others to compensate us. We recently flew to Italy for a sit. Didn’t ask the HOs for flights and train fare. good luck Deb x
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I agree with the others, that is an odd request. Having said that, when I was flying somewhere specifically to do a sit, the people told me after I had agreed to do it that they would be giving me money for my airfare, which was certainly a wonderful gesture. And they could afford it, which they pointed out.
When I have had people come to sit at my house, I have done similar and told them, after they have agreed to the sit, that I would like to pay for their ferry as they were bringing their car back and forth on the ferry which can get quite expensive.
I also specify to please use the oil, salad dressings, etc as well as any eggs, fruit, vegetables, juice etc that is here. Also, as other people have said,. If a sitter is arriving late in the day I may ask them if there’s anything for food that I can have stocked for them so that they don’t have to immediately find a store the next day. I’ve never had a sitter ask me to provide food though.
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