£20 a night?

This is really odd!!

Why do they need 24 hour access? Why not just give him £10 a day to pop in and feed your cat twice?

If I was 15 and I was offered 24 hour access to an empty house for 10 days to do that ever I like in, I’d feed the cat for free never mind expect payment 😂😂

£20 sounds perfect. My three at that age would have been absolutely fine .

By all means have them pop in and out to check the cat etc.

But they are 15. I really wouldn't want to be having a discussion with insurance company if they were to accidentally damage something. Cause a fire leaving gas on or anything.

I pay £18 a day for two visits a day from the professional pet sitter. I think she used to charge £30 to stay over in houses with dogs but she doesn’t offer that anymore. I think £15-20 is fine to pay them.

Exactly 😂

I do wonder how half of MN get through each day tbh

love the way everyone misses the point and gets obsessed with the age of the teen etc. why don’t people realise that OP is obviously perfectly capable of assessing this herself?

Bizarre everyone saying 15 is too young. They could be days away from 16 and legally able to live on their own. Why does MN infantilise teens?

When I was 15 I looked after a house full of several dogs, cats and horses for a week. No problem. And yes I had a 'party' with permission of the householder.

£15-20 is not enough for that time though. I'd be looking more like £70+

£20 sounds about right.

Typical Mumsnet replies, hardly any to the question asked. Off they scatter to all possible points, like bewildered sheep stuck in a gate: why do they have to stay; would they have a party; I wouldn’t leave my 15-year old. Just wanting for ‘what’s a cat?’ God bloody help us. Who are there people?

Does your home insurance cover this scenario? 😂

I'm.not sure why you prefer someone there. Is it to deter burglars? If so I don't think it's ok to ask a 15 year old to do this. What if a burglar did break in? I really don't understand why you can't pay her £20 a day to feed the cat twice a day and maybe open and close curtains, put lights on and off etc.

I'd be asking them to pop in twice a day and paying less than £20 per day.

They can care for pets, water plants, pick up post, but bins out etc in two half hour visits.

But if you've got plenty of money and are basically doing it as charity for a friend's kid, then £20 to stay overnight is probably about right but I'd feel obliged to buy food too, and prepare for a pricey energy bill if they have several long showers like mine!

The parents of the teen want them to stay over.
Interesting.....

If they want to earn the money just pay them 20 a day to come in twice a day but not stay over.

Assuming the benefit is that these are sociable cats? My cats like having people around, and they are popular when DS has had friends over. Ten days is a long time for some cats with someone only visiting to feed them.

I have a 15 year old DD and there is no way I would leave her home alone as she would definitely invite friends over, flood the bathroom when she showered, leave wet towels all over the place and eat all the food in the house but wouldn’t think of tidying up / washing up. I know not all teenagers are like my DD but even so it’s a big responsibility for 10 days staying in someone else’s house. It’s absolutely fine to pop over a couple of times a day, feed the cats, watch a bit of tv etc but I think staying over at that age is too much. 15 year olds are still very much children, even if they are sensible.

My main concern would be insurance - would you be covered if something happened and they found out you'd let a 15yo stay in your home unattended while you went out of the country?

At least a professional would be insured and have liability insurance in case of an emergency.

What benefit is it to you though to have a 15 year old living in your house instead of just popping in to feed the cats? Sounds like they think you are a bit of an easy touch. I wouldnt trust my animals or my house with a young teen and when we go on holiday we factor in the cost of appropriate care for them.

OP - £20 a day for what sounds like minimal work is perfect. My daughter earns that mucking out stables (so much harder job).

Vet

Far too much responsibility for a 15 year old. Pay for a professional or use a relative/kennels.

Never mind the money!there is no way I would leave a fifteen year old alone in my home.
Not old enough for responsibility.
Open to other teens coming round doing all sorts
non driver in case cat needs get
Not old enough to deal with any house hold emergencies
other teens will turn up,even one o r two,will be making your home theirs.
whether it not you'll drop feed that parents are next door and all long term friends,at 15 they are a child.
Pay for an experienced and insured professional.

OP are you going to answer why they have stay in your house rather than just feed the cats?