Thank you for posting this list. As I read number 4, it confirmed precisely why I never included my LinkedIn in my profile and another reason why I won’t share the information requested.
I was an executive by the end of my career. I had considered the possibility that some random homeowner might contact one of my colleagues to ask about me. I was not willing to damage my reputation in this manner.
A homeowner who makes a request like this does not understand boundaries. They are precisely the type of person who would contact colleagues (or friends) without permission.
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And the HO is free to require what they want. The sitter complies, or they move on.
No problem.
which is wholly irrelevant to pet/housesitting. I’ve never known a cat to repeat anything I said. Ok, maybe if the sit is for a parrot, it would be relevant, but otherwise…
They could also be checking for religion or political leanings. Who knows? There’s nothing in a person’s social media that is relevant.
Regarding the “confirm that the sitter is a real person”, they mean that the person they are representing themselves to be is really who they are. Of course, unless they are accepting the homeowner as a friend on their social media, there’s absolutely no guarantee of that. Many people don’t have their photos on platforms like Facebook or Twitter/X anymore. If a sitter were truly dishonest, they could choose a random profile on Facebook and say that was them. Supplying a social media account accomplishes nothing positive.
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Having a requirement and divulging information voluntarily are two very different things…period.
Homeowners were once allowed to have cameras in their homes and sitters could comply “or they move on”. Yet, that’s no longer the case. We, and TH, recognized, that subjecting oneself to being watched was an unreasonable requirement.
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Asking for the name of a house guest is not completely unreasonable. It is even often a requirement in paid accommodation.
We are discussing access to a social media account. Stop trying to red herring this discussion to what I shared about my personal situation. It was not part of my original post. However, I have NEVER been required to apply and be interviewed for a room reservation. This HO is asking for private information (and not just a name) prior to accepting the sitter to come to their home.
I will also note that aside from international accommodations, I have never been required to supply my name to hosts on platforms such as AirBnB or BookingDotCom. In fact, I COULD NOT require such information as a host. For international reservations, one needs to have a copy of the passport on file in many countries, so that was obviously permitted.
Meanwhile, back to the actual subject…
While the sitter may be allowed to “move on” if they don’t want to apply for a sit, their family and friends who are part of their social media, and very much run the risk of being impacted by an unknown HO becoming part of the sitter’s friends list, are not given that option.
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I have read of employers rejecting job applicants because of something they read about the potential applicant on their social media. And I have read of people that have been either disciplined or fired from jobs because of something they said on their social media. The homeowner could be following these lines of thoughts for which he/she perceives as relevant.
What if people do not have social media accounts? Or what if people do not want to share their social media information? In the latter, the homeowner could lose out on a wonderful and caring sitter.
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I think it’s personal choice. If I were a HO it would be reassuring to see a FB profile to check and see what kind of house they have and lifestyle. If they have pictures in a filthy house or smoking etc there are a few things I would be aware of. On the other hand it’s through THS so it shouldn’t be mandatory by any means and up to the person. I don’t have anything to hide if someone wants to see mine and not too worried about it for other issues.
I have IG account just for my petsitting and i have mentioned this account in my THS profile as i think it’s a good extension to showcase me as a great petsitter!