So many questions and keen to get things right going forward -
Are there any ‘rules’ on having visitors whilst you are on a sit?
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Don’t do it without asking.
We’ve had day visitors and my mum and neice and nephew stay overnight, but only when permission has been given.
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@TheFicks @JackieX yes THS advise against it but where a HO has clearly indicated that they dont mind perhaps there is room for negotiation; though not sure if they would be covered within THS insurance so you might want to check this out with @Vanessa_A
@carpediem I don’t know the answer to that but I’ll check this with MS next week. Thanks for raising.
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I wouldn’t mind sitters to invite another couple or (older) kids for a coffee or dinner but not for overnight stays.
It would be nice if we were asked beforehand, because or house isn’t suited especially for small children and our cats don’t like intruders in form of other pets. We would find out if these rules were breached anyway, because our neighbors notice things like this and would tell us.
Some time ago we found out this way, that the sitter didn’t stay here for the last couple of days (she “forgot” the exact dates 
) and sent her son and daughter in law to feed the cats until we came back. I had at least seen these people once before but my husband didn’t know them at all and he was understandably furious. The sitter wouldn’t have told us and clearly thought to get away with it…but she didn’t think about the neighbors 
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@anon39388349 yes that is totally wrong to do that to you…i would not be happy either and of course a sitter should ask if its OK for somebody to visit afterall its not a hotel or pub etc!
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As a solo sitter, when I apply I understand it is only for me. If its a longer sit or a nice place, I will ask if my adult daughter can come for the weekend,(overnight) and I describe her, where she works, etc, and I’ve never been denied. As a Homeowner on that listing I clearly state NO visitors without discussing with me first. I may or may not approve depending who/how many, etc. My community is gated and one needs a guest pass; makes it hard to sneak in a guest.
If a sitter brought in a guest without my permission, they would get a lousy review. So best to ask first. I would venture to say its probably 70% say no way.
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I took the bull by the horns and asked HO if they would mind if we invited a couple for lunch. They were delighted we’d asked and assured us not only was it ok but to think of their home as ours. Perfect HO. Great result.
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I have always asked the homeowners. On our very first sit the homeowners were very clear that no one other than us were to enter the home. For long sits, it’s nice to be able to invite someone over especially if you’re in a city where you have friends/family.
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I’ve only had one HO say (without prompting) that they’d be totally OK with my having a friend or friends stay. Turned out to be a sit with difficult-to-handle dogs so I much appreciated when my friend came to stay and helped me walk them.
Otherwise, it hasn’t come up. The only time I asked a prospective HO, it was in another country and the sit covered Christmas and the NY. I figured I’d be lonely and it’d be nice to have a friend visit for a few days. The HO said “absolutely not and you’d better not try it” so I said, “thank you for your time.”
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@Katie thats abit mean that they did not have abit of flexibility seeing it was Christmas! Not much Christmas spirit in that!
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@trekker954 thats fair enough and yes always polite to ask first
@carpediem @JackieX @TheFicks For your info.
These are the T&C of the home contents protection
‘‘Sit’’ means a completed stay by a Sitter(s) at a Home for an agreed period of time organised, confirmed and accepted through Our Platform.
‘‘Sitter(s)’’ means eligible individuals or families who have agreed to our terms and conditions who have organised to stay in a Home including individuals invited to be present at a Home by the Sitter(s) during a Sit.
‘‘Sitter damage’’ means damage to Buildings and / or Contents which you have had to repair or replace attributable to the actions or inactions of a Sitter(s), caused by Accidental damage, Malicious damage or Theft.
So hence it is only the Sitter that is covered if they cause damage and not the guests.
Hope this helps. Therese
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@Therese thanks for that information Therese
Thank you so much. Great advice once again. Need to be discerning about your guests then - once approved with the HO!!
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Some HO specifically say no visitors in their guide. One HO who didn’t provide a guide, said she didn’t mind visitors. However, I think it’s a risk not worth taking.
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@KathyG always best and right to ask…i have had over-night visitors (my mum and sister) but it was a third stay for me and I had built up some trust with the HO but I asked first and they were fine with that. I have had friends just arrive at a place I have been looking after and were quite put out when I said under the THS T&C I could not let them in and we went for lunch in the town…put me on the spot and very awkward. Some people just don’t get the problem with being let into somebody else’s home and the HO having never met them! I think as sitters we do need to respect a HO around this issue. Always ask and be prepared for a ‘No’ which I think is reasonable.
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4 posts were merged into an existing topic: Insurance for sitter
As a homeowner, I don’t allow for anyone other than the sitters to be in the home, I make that clear upfront, though when I was once asked if one couple could invite their daughter and son in law over for dinner , I agreed. The sitters I have have been ‘vetted’, but their guests haven’t. I guess it all depends on what each home owner is comfortable with,
but from back when I had a housesitting business, I would never dream of inviting someone else into someone else’s home. That’s just me.
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As a HO with a very shy, previously traumatized dog, I have always asked the sitter not to bring other people into the house when I’m gone as that would be very stressful for her. However, of the three sitters I have had, only one honored this. One told me she’d invited a friend over but had to ask her to leave when my dog got very distressed. Another, at the very last minute before the sit, asked to have a friend I’d never met come and stay with her during the sit. When I said no, she said, “Well I asked you. Most people would have just had a friend stay and you’d never know”. I cancelled the sit.
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