To ask this about housesitting etiquette

Absolutely not, tell them to deduct it from your house/pet sitting fee! What utter CFs!

This is easy to fix, send them an invoice for pet sitting fees for the same amount as the cleaner's fees.

When/if they respond just say it's easier not to exchange money as both invoices cancel each other out.

Good luck and don't pet sit or do any favour for them ever again. They're cheeky fucker users.

Maybe just say “nice idea but we’d prefer to just clean ourselves since we’re doing this to help you we haven’t budgeted for a cleaner”

Because they've stayed there as a mutual favour
You feed the animals/plants and you get a free holiday. These people employ cleaners so quite possibly think most people don't wanna get their hands dirty. This is where assertiveness comes in ah thank you but honestly cancel the cleaner we've got everything under control we've pooped some fresh milk in the fridge for your arrival thank you card on the counter adios.

I think it’s fine if basically you are getting an almost free holiday and they are getting per care. Depends if it’s something that is giving you benefit really? But I wouldn’t ask for anything in their shoes. But I would pay in yours.

@BowlOfNoodles - why should OP be paying for any form of clean?

Why would you want to keep the peace? Presumably the friend who introduced you knows that you don’t live in a midden and won’t have left this house in a state? It she wouldn’t also be horrified at her friends’ cheek, then shame on her.

Obviously these house owners think it’s a big honour for you to be allowed to step away from your own lives and stay in their house. I think it’s time they were disabused of this notion.🤣

Oh you should of said no we've got it under control! And then just payed for a final leaving clean.

You'll be there with a bad taste in your mouth. And if it doesn't all go perfectly it will only get more awkward.
I'd quit while I was ahead if i was you.

I'm just trying to understand clearly, did they have you turn up to house-sit and only then ask you to pay for the cleaner? If so, I would just say that was not the arrangement, so as a goodwill gesture you will pay the cleaner on their next arrival and immediately vacate the house. They can arrange replacement house-sitters but you would advise them to make any charges clear in advance as usually it is the other way round where house-sitters are paid for their services.

Just tell them to deduct from your house and pet sitting fee. Pretty sure they’ll quickly drop it.

Sorry. Clicked on YABU by mistake as I thought YWBU to even consider contributing!

Just get in touch and say
"you've had second thoughts. You were put on the spot with the cleaning payment question and agreed out of politeness. But on refection you feel that requesting that contribution for a service that would be happening anyway shows that they feel they are giving you a holiday and that shows they don't appreciate you are taking on the level of work and responsibility involved.
Fitting all of your time round the needs of their pets and leaving your own home empty for an extended period isn't a small thing and it means you've had a rethink and suggest they find someone else."

Apart from anything else they are showing they don't appreciate it and are penny pinching... This attitude they have will bite you on the arse if anything goes wrong.
Pet health problem or property breakage on your watch.... = Problems with entitled owner and their views on that.

Well, yes you are being taken advantage of. But that could have been avoided in the first instance by being more assertive about the terms of the 'deal'. You allowed yourself to be ambushed and being assertive at this late stage is going to cause the awkwardness you were so keen to avoid. Now you've got yourself in a corner and it's too late.

Your choices are (1) to swallow your pride about being taken advantage of, suck it all up for a quiet life and the sake of your relationship with your intermediate friends and never do this again or (2) take a stand on the final cleaning visit which (depending on the timing of it in relation to previous cleans and your departure) makes you look like the unreasonable one.

You’re working x hours per day, but rather than being paid for it, which is clearly the norm, you’re doing it for free and paying for their staff because you’re there.

Are you already there?

To keep the peace I'd just pay, enjoy the break and never do it again. Especially if it's in a gorgeous holiday location it means you've had a very cheap holiday for the sake of watering a few plants, maybe a few dog walks and £100. The only reason I'd pay is for the peace of the 3rd party. Incase they get some huge load of crap about that Susan wow I had to pay a cleaner after she left!

Well, you absolutely are being. Don’t stand for it!

What is the cleaner's usual schedule and when are the owners coming back? Is the day after you leave her 'usual' day? Is it also the day the owners return? If so then she'll be cleaning up a house you've been using for a week. If you're sucking up the cost of the cleaner because you are a pushover don't want the confrontation I don't see how you can differentiate the final visit. Being assertive about this isn't logical given the whole 'agreement' and will just cause the awkwardness you have been so keen to avoid.