To ask this about housesitting etiquette

I can't actually believe the brass neck of some people they are deluded

I think that's quite cheeky of them. Say you will clean up after yourselves.

We have used Trusted Housesitters and Homesitters Ltd. I'd send them a link to Homesitters when you get home, and absolutely do NOT pay for the cleaning: Homesitters are not cheap, but they have been absolutely spectacular (including saving the house from burning down when the gardener clipped the power line by mistake).

My friends just stayed in my house to look after my cat while I was on holiday. My house is in a sought after holiday destination. They viewed it as a holiday. I left them a fridge full of food because they were doing me a favour. They left us some nice chocolate because we’d done them a favour. We all knew from the outset that no money was going to change hands. Asking for money after the deal has been done is what makes this cheeky imo.

That's insane! They should be paying you not the other way round. Don't pay a penny.

Give them an invoice for house sitting based on the local market rate. Also say that they can pay the cleaners themselves.

Do you have to help pay for the cleaner and they aren't paying you to watch all their animals etc? They really did see you coming ! I never understand why people agree to stuff like this!

It’s £30 a night for the dog to go to the kennels. That’s £420 saving if you come and stay at my house!

I think they are very CF.

No you're effectively contributing to their holiday if you do that and they wouldn't be inviting you to stay if not for them needing you. What if you said We're to stay and help take care of pets / plants but we don't anticipate needing the cleaner so happy for you to give her the week off.

Please use the message that *Portfun24 suggests. *
(And let us know the cf's response.)

I have various relatives staying when we go away. No money changes hands. They get a free holiday in a lovely location, we know the cats are fed. Usually have a takeaway together which we pay for and leave the fridge stocked, they usually make sure we’ve got bread and milk when we get back.

We're away now using housesitters. It would never occur to me to ask them to pay towards our cleaner!! Absolutely bizarre. It's our decision to have a cleaner.

I have not RTFT but be careful. You are not insured as a house or pet sitter and arrangements like this can go pear shaped really quickly.

I used to house/pet sit through and agency and had a million and half of insurance behind me as so much can go wrong.

They need to at least tell their insurers that you are there and for what purpose but please proceed with caution. I've heard some horrifying tales and if they are CF enough to expect this, I would not trust them any further than I could throw them!

They are having a laugh...no way...I wonder if was one one of the persons complaining about having to pay their cleaner while away. You are doing them a favour; Don't let them walk all over you.

This is insane! The last time we went abroad we had a flat sitter (also a friend of a friend), got the cleaner in each week for her and got her in once each week (not that expensive though!!!). We also paid her pretty well.

She wanted to be around our area for a bit as a lot of her friends live around here and it's a really nice city central area. So I suppose we could have asked her for rent 🤣. I was just grateful our pets and flat were safe!

I would not expect a house sitter to contribute towards the cleaner and wouldn't be impressed to be asked.

Have you house sat for them before? TBH it would make me worried there was going to be nitpicking and a possible falling out.

thats awful.

This is horrendous. Are they very rich (like millions in the bank assets/rich)? It’s a bit of a tired trope but in my experience my very richest friends are the most penny pinching / ungenerous, to the point of ridiculousness. I’ve realised in some cases there’s a reason they’re so rich!

That is absolutely ridiculous. You should pay nothing.

Cheeky to be ask you to oay, when you’re doing them b a favour. You shouldn’t be out of pocket for looking after their house! (And £100 per week! - is it a mansion or go they have very messy kids?)

You don’t pay a penny - they pay you!
House sitting is a huge responsibility and hard work especially if you are looking after their animals etc.

What are your responsibilities? If it's a lot of work then no. But you should have said that when they suggested it.

I live in a desirable (expensive) holiday location and have live-in Housesitters when I go away.

Their part of the deal - they look after my dogs/plants

My part of the deal - they have free use of the house, garden and car, other amenities and any food and supplies in the fridge/cupboards/garden. I pay all expenses including the cleaner and would never, ever ask them to pay towards expenses. One time Housesitters tipped the cleaner, which was lovely of them but not at all expected.

What are the pets? Labour-intensive or goldfish?

I used to pay my sitter nearly 100 quid a night so if all they have to do is continue to pay the cleaners, they are getting a major bargain.

But it sounds as though there is a fundamental misunderstanding of who is doing the favour here; you each think it's you.

Blimey. Are they asking for a couple of weeks of council tax and utility bills as well?