£20 a night?

Im absolutely not worried about parties etc it’s not that kind of family/teen. They are very mature, responsible and I trust them.

Kid has probably had to grow up too fast with lackadaisical parents happy for it to be off house-sitting someone else's pets on their own at 15.

To be fair even a very responsible teenager isn’t going to leave the house spotless. I wouldn’t want to come home from holiday to have to clean bathroom / kitchen etc because they’ve been in constant use (you might have a cleaner though so wouldn’t have that problem).

You want a house sitter aswell or why else would they be staying?

I think you’re on dodgy ground paying a 15 year old to stay, they can’t even work without restrictions at that age. Needs to be over 16. £15 a night would be fine plus provide nice food. It’s only around £15 a night for a professional cattery. I think you’d be better just telling them to call in a couple of times a day

It costs me less than that for a really nice cattery (including food) with experienced adults in charge.

You are taking the piss. €10 a day to sleep on the couch with no food? Surprised their parents let them. Guest wifi made me laugh though. Doesn’t every house have wifi? Quiet to study as an incentive also made me laugh.

But if you're away on holiday, what (realistically) can you do about it?

Why do they need to stay in your house?

I would trust a 15yo relative to feed the cat and water the plants, but I just don't see the need for them to stay in your home alone for such a long time and I suspect the novelty will wear off pretty quickly when they realise they have no company and nothing to do.

Can't imagine paying a 15yo £250 to live in my house, eat my food, use my hot water and watch my TV ha ha

£25 a day.

@xoomer yes I did read the thread and responded to the OP's question.
She didn't ask if it was a good idea. She was asking about the £
Can you can bear to see an opinion that is different from your own?

You would have to pay me to let a teen stay unsupervised in my house for 20 days.

PS Plus we have outside cameras We'd know immediately if there were 'others'

Yes, but that's your son at his home, not a random 15yo living in a different house alone..

About £10 a day, cattery price. What we pay our neighbour's teen to do same, and we know the house will be fine because it is literally a neighbour's teen. Teen can choose to stay, couches are comfortable and we leave bedding, or just pop in to look in on cats. Teen gets some space from parents (who are lovely), and plenty of entertainment on hand (netflix, disney+, prime, alexa music, guest wifi, etc) and quiet to study in if they're studying.

Yes, check your insurance OP as it's not a professional person so it may be different to if you employed someone who was a house sitter

Nope.

No way would I have a 15 year old in charge of my house for ten days.

We left DS when we went on holiday in the UK when he was 16 and he didn't trash the house

I dont see anything wrong with it, every situation is relative to the people involved, seems like a responsible youngster getting a chance to earn money and trust from family and friends. If their family is close I'm sure they would be there for any emergency needed. Just make sure there aren't any insurance issues.

It they're only 5 minutes away, why can't they come on twice a day to feed and fuss over the cat?

I'd pay £20 per day for that, and ask them to water my plants while I'm at it.

I would not let a 15yo stay for that long in my house. I don't care how mature and sensible and boring they are.

I wouldn't have left my dd overnight alone at 15!

The whole "teen will invite all their mates and trash the house" I have only seen in movies

You must live an incredibly sheltered life.

I have been to many many parties when younger where things got out of hand, in different ways, usually involving drugs/alcohol, when parents were away.

Only this week my DH work colleague arrived home from holiday to absolute mayhem as word had got out on social media that his 17 year old daughter was having a party. A lot of uninvited guests turned up, fighting broke out, the police were called and his house was a mess.

I'm not saying that will definitely happen here but there is no way I'd chance it.

I also think it's weird that it seems like his parents are the driving force into him staying overnight in the house when the logical solution is for him to just go in a couple of times a day and feed the cats

If it’s 5 mins away they can call in and check on the cat a few times a day if necessary. Pay for that.
15 too young to be in their own in the house for 10/days, I wouldn’t want my 15 yr old to do that.
Is it that they want them to earn some cash, if so, 10 days responsibility to call in 3 times a day ( or whatever you think) check on cat, play with them and ensure house is secure, £15 per day.

Op you only know one side of this teen. The responsibile side his parents see. Not what he's like with his mates.

Or more importantly what friends of friends might hear he's Home Alone and decide to have a party.

If he's only 5mins away then I think I'd ask him to check in on the cat twice a day at £10 a time. So £20 a day without the need for him to stay.

Put post on table*