To ask this about housesitting etiquette

[libertybonds]

We are looking after a variety of plants and animals for friends of friends while staying in their (very nice) property.

They have asked us to contribute to the cleaner, which is £100/week

They would probably have the cleaner come anyway as they want to maintain the relationship. But it's true that the cleaner will be tidying up the house while we are there creating a normal level of dirtiness from showering, kitchen use, etc.

Would you contribute? How much?

No I wouldn’t contribute. Think it’s outrageous they have asked tbh as you are doing them a favour!

That’s crazy we’re paying our house sitter!! Not expecting them to contribute toward our cleaner!!! Plus put food in the fridge for them!! They are cf’s!!

Fuck that , no way would I give them
a penny . The cheek of it ! Go home and tell them to pay for a pet sitter .

You are helping them by house sitting and looking after animals? I’d contribute zero towards the cleaner unless they pay you for your services. Cheeky, tight fuckers.

I wouldn't be contributing a penny.

Pet/plant care is bloody expensive. Tell them that a professional would be charging them a lot of money to do what you're doing!

I have realised I didn't provide a key to the AIBU

YABU: pay the whole fee or at least something
YANBU: fuck that, they should be paying you

Well tbh I think they have a cheek asking you to contribute to the cleaner.
Surely you are doing them a favour by looking after the plants and animals. And surely you will be doing the normal clearing up after yourselves when using the kitchen, bathroom etc?
Why should you have to pay the cleaner when they would be coming routinely anyway?

Well presumably you had this conversation before agreeing to the housesitting??

Is it a holiday for you or do you live next door??

Pay the cleaner and invoice the cheeky fuckers for the pet and plant care at the going rate....

Just how big is this house that it costs £400pm for cleaning? 😮

No way. I wouldn’t contribute anything, I’d rather hoover the rooms I was using myself. Are they paying you to house sit?

This would be perfect, except I guarantee OP would never get paid

More likely there'd be a faux-tearful "but I thought you were doing it as a friend"

I’d be clear that house sitting is usually something that’s paid for, it’s expensive too, they can absolutely FTFO with you subbing them for their cleaner,

if they didn’t get that, I’d decline to do the house sitting

cheeky fuckers

This!!!!!! What the actual fuck!

YANBU. They should be paying you. Live in house sitters who also care for plants and animals cost an awful lot more than £100. You should respond to ask how much they will be paying you so it can be deducted from that. They are CF.

Find out how much a professional house sitter, animal carer charges and bill them for that.

Cheeky fuckers.

Tell them you will pay for the cleaner if they pay you the same rate (or double) for your house sitting service.

Cheeky fuckers!

Bloody hell no I wouldn't contribute to the cleaner. What a cheek!!

To be fair, if I were getting £200 a day for your services, then I’d contribute £100 a week for cleaning. But I expect you’re not getting anything like that. So it would be a big fat No from me.

They mentioned it once in person as a sort of surprise question and as pushovers, we said maybe we wouldn't mind but nothing was really agreed.

We don't live nearby.

Absolutely not - you're saving them the cost of putting dog/cat/whatever other animals they've got in kennels!

In fact if it was me I'd check kennel prices locally and let them know how much I'm saving them!

We are being paid nothing, just get the pleasure of living in their nice house for a few weeks. (We actually have a nice house of our own, but it's a change of scenery so we don't mind)

I had to read that twice to make sure I read it right!

Absolute cheeky fuckers! Unbelievable.

I pay a cat sitter £10 a visit, twice a day, to come for 20mins each time and feed/cuddle/play with my cat. For a 7 day holiday that’s £140. And she’s only there 40mins a day. My DREAM would be to have someone stay there full time and give her lots more attention and fussing, but I dread to think what the rates for that would be. These people are so lucky to have you there the whole time looking after their house, and they now want you to pay? THEY should be paying YOU if anything. I’m horrified. Please do not pay this!

How exactly do they think they’re doing you a favour and therefore that you should contribute?! YANBU, don’t pay a penny.