That sentence alone would have sent me onto the next listing.
I’ll bet a zillion $$$ that these people are needy and entitled.
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Also, I wonder how they’d feel if that resort/cruise ship/ spa they’re going to charged them for utilities on top of the room fee.
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I’ve had sits for a month a couple of times during winter. If sitters decide to have a bath, which then draws more electricity to heat water, I would never have a problem. In general, sitters are saving you a fortune vs kennel costs, they need to be comfortable, and if turning the heating up a notch, or having a daily bath rather than a shower, me, as a home owner would just suck it up.. sitters need to be comfortable and treat your home as their own. Never would I expect a sitter to contribute.
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I don’t respond to these. Never would I agree. Maybe they need to check what they would pay for pet care—when we have been paid and these are for folks not on TH—it is $500-$750 for one and 2 pets. But, there are enough people in need and grateful on TH—II would just pass and not consider.I read carefully details about home and animals. I am picky. I tell people we have to turn down people—we give excellent service and leave homes well cared for and pets have been loved. That should be worth whatever they pay in utilities. PS: if you are working remotely and being paid—if you are needing more regarding utilities and internet, then that is up to you. We are retired and the animals and home are our priority. So that might be something to consider.
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I wouldn’t even think twice about a listing which requested I share in utilities. I saw one in the UK which requested the sitter pay council tax, TV license and utilities! Ridiculous!
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Would we be allowed to charge back any hours that the pets spent in our exclusive warm spaces, also pet charge backs for warm water electricity etc to wash their food bowls, bedding? I feel a spreadsheet developing… or maybe the pets would only have access to the outside unheated areas, eat off the ground and drink from puddles?
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Personally, there’s zero chance I’ll pay for sit utilities, just on principle alone. (Imagine trying to charge a paid sitter for utilities. You’d be laughed out the door.) It’s dead easy for me and many sitters to ignore sits we consider unreasonable, whether with utilities or otherwise.
Telecommuters tend to be in demand for sits, because we spend more time at a home than most sitters. That actually gives us great choice of sits, from what I’ve experienced. Plus, many of us have nice homes we could stay at, if sits don’t meet our priorities.
Personally, I sit only when telecommuting, because sits offer don’t enough for what I want from a vacation. (This is subjective. To me, a vacation wouldn’t include cleaning, pet and home care, limits on freedom, accountability to someone else, the possibility that pet or home emergencies would disrupt your free time, etc. Plus, when I pay for hotels, the locations are better than those of sits. And if any emergencies or breakdowns happen at a hotel, that’s their problem to fix and I go about my merry way. Happily, I can afford great vacations.)
Sitting simply gives me a change in scenery while telecommuting, so it’s entirely optional. Like this year, I’ve scaled way back on sitting, prioritizing other ways to spend time.
If it came down to paying for utilities or putting up with otherwise unreasonable, ungracious or inhospitable hosts, I’d rather not sit at all. Happily, it’s not hard for me to find good hosts.
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Asking for council tax / property tax could be reported to THS for violating terms. THS allows only asking for utilities, and that has to be done upfront.
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If THS allows home owners to charge for utilities etc it defeats the whole premise of THS. The one reason I joined this site is because it was a beacon of light in another wise gloomy grey world with no trust. One of the founders still uses this site for her own dog (or did a year ago) does she agree with this?
I, personally am very respectful of the owners homes and energy and often leave the home cleaner than than it was left. If pet owners can charge then we shld have a chargeable option too. Charge for extra services over and above a set criteria…
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I see a lot of listings with third parties present, the sitter only allowed to leave for 2 hours a day and listings with no bedroom, bathroom, kitchen pics. It is so frustrating to have to wade through these to find a proper listing. A report button would be great. And if they get three pushes on the button their listing gets frozen.
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@Worldsitter1 We hope you send links of these listings to support@trustedhousesitters.com
We don’t mind reporting listings to support at THS, as we’ve seen good results from doing so.
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@Smiley I agree that when encountering such sits that ask for payment, of any kind, to just move on. It’s very tacky to ask someone who is caring for your home, pets, and plants for money, when the alternative would be to utilize a paid sitter on Rover or board your pets, which can be expensive and not always ideal for many pets.
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