What are your dealbreakers and how do you share them in your profile?

I’d love to hear from other HS about what your deal breakers are and how you proactively express them in your profiles.

In truth though, would also like to hear and see examples from HOs. :heart:

Thanks!

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I dont apply to sits with dealbreakers. I dont see the need to include them into my profile. Writing negative things sometimes puts people off.

Dealbreakers also fluctuate. No dogs… apart form when it is a huge farm where they run free, even four dogs was no problem. …apart from when it was literally a stone throw away from the Eiffel Tower. …apart from when it is a pocket dog with a pee pad.

Too many variables to make clean cut demands. When I sit, I sit for couple of months back to back. Sometimes the one night gab I need to fill is only possible with something I would never otherwise consider. Better than hostel, I´m in.

Best I could write is “depending on my level of desperation, these things could be an issue…” Not really attractive :smiley:

I am however interested on how sitters address cameras in their profile, and if it has brought anything.

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That would naturally follow.

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@bakindoki

As sitters, dealbreakers include inside cameras, a smoker’s home, pets that can’t be left alone for more than few hours, third parties present, pets that have “accidents” in the home, or other entitled expectations by the HO.

As homeowners, our dealbreakers compel us to decline sitters who want to bring other people along (who aren’t on their THS profile), are evasive about their full names and identities, or want to bring their own pets, are smokers, have no real experience with our type of pets, or who have other entitled expectations.

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:sob: Aren’t you a handful.

What I mean is “instead of writing my dealbreakers to my profile, I read the information about sits carefully, and make pre-choise”.

And guess what. When we are getting to the bottom of every words choice. There are ton of reasons for why one would apply to sits they dont want. To clog up 5 applicants for a host they dont like. To feel wanted when they can reject being chosen to sit. To test their profile. To find out if their presumptions about the host are true or not. Not good or healthy reasons, but existing reasons. So no, it does not naturally follow. It can follow.

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Such a helpful comment!

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Here are excerpts from my actual HouseSit which you can also see in my forum profile link. I have clearly set my expectations, If these things cannot be met then the sitter will not be a good fit for my house. I immediately decline sitters who apply that have kids or pets. The rest I have to try to discover during the interview process and go with my gut for overall good fit.

Under “About You”: (at the end i have this) We prefer single or couples for sitters, no families, no pets, and non-smokers.

Under “Meet The Pets” there are Subsections:

Responsibilities section: Our goal is that our property is occupied year round and my pets are cared for in the same manner we would with their established schedules & routine. We have a property with a main house and a separate one bedroom fully furnished Casita in the large fenced back yard. You will live in the main house and care for my cat & dog for most house sits. My kitty Bella has an automatic feeder and water fountain. Fill and maintain as needed. Scoop litter daily. Fill and wash nectar bird feeder as needed, it’s entertainment for Bella and supports birds & bats. Lucy gets 2 feedings & short walks after her meal daily. She is never allowed off leash outside of my fenced yard. We have a third-party alarm system with a local company on our property, set the alarm anytime you leave the property even if for a few minutes. We are seeking sitters who are independent problem solvers, timely, with good communication, and being handy is very helpful. Absolutely no parties, no visitors inside our home, no smoking or drugs. We are non smokers, do not smoke on our property.

Home Tasks: Pool maintenance if your sit is over one week long, it is small & does not take much time to manage. Pay the gardener on Wednesdays, he comes on Saturdays also only in the summer (only pay on Wed, will leave you pesos). Manage cleaning people as needed every 2 weeks on Wednesday mornings (will leave pesos). Use water with mindfulness as we live in a desert and water is not of abundance here. We have two water storage tanks on site and have never run out. If you have not stayed in Mexico for any length of time, please be aware that things can be a little quirky & different. You’ll need basic Spanish or use a translator to deal with our hired help or any challenges that may arise during your sit.

Well my own dealbreakers are mostly around cleanliness and tidiness, so in our profile I include 2 pictures of our homes (one was 400 years old the other is ultra modern) and how we’ve lived- and yes I use the word fastidious and say that I don’t expect yukky kitchens/bathrooms. Also we won’t sit in a smokers’ home.

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:expressionless_face: Whoa!! that is crazy! I had never considered that as a reason. Always something new to learn over here. thanks for sharing.

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You’re saying a person would intentionally try to fill a host’s applicant que by applying for a sit they don’t want because they don’t like the host? How are they supposed to fill the other 4 spots?

You then suggest a sitter will apply for a host to “feel wanted” if they are offered a sit. A sit they intended to confirm in the first place. That would be a big waste of time and accomplish nothing whatsoever.

To “test their profile”. So if they get offered sits they know the profile is good, and if they don’t get offered sits, then what? They assume something is wrong with their profile and then what are they supposed to?

I can’t follow this reasoning.

As a HO, my deal-breakers are all in my listing:

No families

No pets

No overnight guests, daytime guests ok with prior agreement

No smoking/drugs indoors or the yard

Must be able to manage a 70 lb dog for an hour walk a day

Must be willing and able to drive our pets into the vet if they get sick

Must be ok with some amount of pet hair. I have a hairy golden and shedding happens so no one who’s going to flip out about some hair on the sofa.

Must be ok with early morning pet duties (my dog wakes up at 6-6:30 am)

Clean up after yourselves (do your dishes, empty your trash)

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I have cameras listed under amenities (subcat Security) for my HouseSit. I one inside of each home on my property too but unplug them when sitter arrives and show them that I unplug them.

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Same. I haven’t had one sitter complain about our external cameras, and I haven’t seen anything in their profiles about it either.

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Haha I’m definitely not a sitter match for you :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: I don’t do very early mornings these days. But the point is there’s ‘dealbreakers’ then there’s things that can be discussed if HO/sitters are well matched in many ways and want to make it work.

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Totally get it. That’s why it’s in my listing :slight_smile: Your mornings are safe just not in our house :slight_smile:

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This info is her actual thoughts/opinions as a sitter, giving us homeowners possible reasons. It doesnt mean SHE does this, and it doesnt mean you have to understand them and make a useless comment to question each and every point she suggested COULD occur. I will note that you tend to be argumentative on just about every topic you part take in. While I am sure you have useful personal experiences to share as a seasoned user, you sure do concentrate on comments that are of no actual help to the original topic at hand. Signing out from communications with you.

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Thanks for pointing this out, I need to add it to my housesit right now! My old gal is happy and healthy but is on a schedule. While I mention in my profile I want my pets to keep their existing schedule, people do not know what that is until we talk about it. So I will add this early riser thing so as to not waste the time of sitters who do not like that or choose not to do a sit like that. :sun_with_face:

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Thank God I did not use the “you”-passive of English language, I can only imagine how mixed things would get from that… “I´m not even sitter, I dont apply for sits”.

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This has been discussed before:

Thanks everyone! Happy to move to the other thread..I think my question was more so how and when do you communicate your dealbreakers and which ones, as an HS would you list in your profile vs. Sleuthing or then discussing on a chat or video?