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?

Op..the owners need to pay for house sitting...I'm shocked you doing it for free! Sil and bil is paying hundred or so for someone to feed their cats for a week...you need to charge for your time..

They are taking the mick. You are saving them a fortune if they don’t need pet sitters and as you say would have had the cleaners there anyway. I’m paying a pet sitter £600 to look after my dog for 2 weeks!

The reason they were looking for house sitters now becomes clear. It’s a demanding job they want doing for free! And on top of that they want you to pay a cleaners fee!
This is how they own a naice house!
I would do the house sitting and forget about the fee (If asked I would ignore). Doesn’t sound like you’ll do it again so I wouldn’t even worry.

How much cleaning is going to happen for £100? I think you have got this the wrong way round - keep the interim clean while you are there and which will benefit you. Maybe even pay the cleaner direct yourselves (do you think it's actually going to be that much?) They can pay to come back to a shiny house if that's what they want.

I know a pet sitter. She gets PAID to stay over and look after animals. Price dependant on numbers and types. When animals have been seen to then rest of time is hers. She is expected to leave the house as she finds it. If a cleaner is employed, then that is down to the home owner; if she needs to be in the house to see the cleaner in and out then that is charged as well if it is outside the time when she would be looking after the pets. She is fully insured and has a reputation to keep so it is in her interests to leave it clean and tidy.
So, you are saving the home owners money by doing this and I certainly wouldn't pay for a cleaner except if I was treating it as a holiday. Then not having to do the work and worry about how I left the place and how the owner might react if not to their "standards" would give me peace of mind.
On another tack, you need to clarify the situation if you have any kind of accident and cause damage to the property. Or if something which was outside of your control was to occur. I don't think you would be covered by their house insurance as you are there to "do a job" which was "advertised" so could be on a bit of a sticky wicket.

Stop watering the plants and tell them you’ve took the dogs hostage and they have to pay you £200 for them back. Obviously joking but I’d threaten to just go home with the dogs and leave their house because I don’t want to feel like a customer staying at an AirBnB

I'd tell them to piss off - they are incredibly cheeky

What @floofsMum said. They are massively taking the piss. I totally understand wanting to keep the peace but I would not be too worried about the mutual friend, assuming they are a reasonable person. Pet sitting (it is not house sitting- you are caring for their pets and plants) is usually paid. FFS, I pay my daughter's 17 year old friend next door to come in and chuck cat food down when we are away! No litter trays, crates to clean etc etc (we foster cats as well, and they are moved out). Assuming you do not want to do this again no reason not to burn your bridges! Let them pay the cleaner when they get back and if they kick up a fuss, send an invoice for pet care and ask they take it off the bill. I would also link details of reputable pet sitters with their charges. They may bad mouth you for a bit but does it really matter?

My teenagers get paid to look after pets at friends’ homes. Admittedly they are paid generously, but my son looked after two dogs from Friday-Sunday and got £150. My daughter looked after those same dogs for a week and got £400. The cleaner arrived that week as scheduled and nobody was asked to contribute.
I’d tell your friend that you can’t contribute, but you’ll respect their decision and, if they’d prefer, you won’t come to stay. See what they say to that!

Just to add- 17 year old neighbour has lived between out houses since 3, the cats adore her and there is a local contact for vets/emergency who she knows well- before anyone picks apart our arrangements! They are also a band of ragged, adopted felines no one would steal and let themselves in and out. Living their best lives 😂

OP hasn't been back for a while. That python doesn't feed itself.

This

That python doesn't feed itself.

Perhaps it has.

We pay our house sitter - lovely house in the countryside, v little to do other than be there and feed the dogs (not even walking dogs) - free to eat and drink from a well stocked fridge/ freezer/ wine rack etc - these people are taking the mickey!

I think you have them pegged

And whomever said that about the alpaca 😂😂😂

Not quite so large or exotic as pythons or alpacas,but loving the idea of this wealthy family's imaginary menagerie

I'm finding the responses really interesting.

My current view is to just sweetly explain that we don't need the cleaner, thanks.

Earlier, I was feeling very resentful that these people put me in this socially awkward situation where I have to feel resentful. All of these responses have given me food for thought and calmed me down!

Then ignore it. Seriously, you're working hard, for free. Don't mention it, like I said in my last comment!! If they bring it up, remind them of what you've done for them.

There’s no way I’d pay for a cleaner! They’re getting an in house pet sitter for free, the least they can do is make sure their house is clean for you for your stay.

Some of these answers are based on being very grateful for a “free holiday” which it isn’t. It’s pet sitting which is a paid for job just like cleaning is.

Have you not come across companies like UK Housesitters? People needing a house/pet sitter for any length of time sign up and search through a list of people willing to house sit for free just for the opportunity to live in a different house for a while. Both parties pay an annual fee to the agency then you can use them as much as you wish - no requirement to pay anything to the house sitter.

Do you regularly do pet sitting, if so I’d be interested in using your services 😊

Wow. We pay our house sitter £30 per night for watching our dogs when we go away (2). All we ask is they are fed and walked through the day, nothing else needs done.

You're working by looking after their pets, keeping their pets company, and by looking after their house.
Dettering burglars, available for deliveries etc yet you're expected to pay for the privilege!!

I've house sat many times and have always been paid for it.
Usually the most of the school summer holidays, so around 6 to 9 weeks.
It is a big job as you can't be as lax with things as you would in your own house.

We were able to sort a leak at one time which would have been a nightmare to have not been detected for when they were away.

Another time, the son had left his vilux window wide open before heading off on their holiday and we arrived to find his bed drenched after some heavy rain. Took ages to get it dry and avoid it getting moldy.

Cat needed vet attention once which we sorted.

Cleaned after ourselves when we left and always left some fresh bread, milk and eggs for them.

Although a beautiful house, you can never fully relax as you're always on the watch/worrying about the animals dying on you or getting lost.

Our rate was £200 a week as a couple but they'd leave extra for emergencies and pet food., always left wine for us as well as a bit of food.

One family didn't pay and when they asked the next year (last minute as they expected us to jump at the amazing opportunity) we declined.
Couldn't get anyone else so they had to leave their dog in kennels which cost a fortune, unfortunately had their car stolen whilst away so learnt the hard way.

Your people must be rubbing their hands with glee to have found you OP.
Never sit for them again.

They're being complete and utter CFs.

We paid one of our DC's highschool friends (a 17yr old, so old enough to be responsible) $250 to house/pet-sit while we were away for 7 days and considered that a bargain!

We left the fridge fully stocked and she was allowed to have friends around (with a "no parties please" request 😀) and we left her cash on the kitchen counter in case she ran low on any essentials...

😂

An incident this morning shows why you all are right.

There are some rabbits which live in hutches outside. One of the hutches turns out to be poorly constructed and the lid can get out of place (apparently) due to normal rabbit activity. We did not know that until this morning.

Woken by my child screaming to come help, a rabbit was loose. I spent about 30 minutes chasing a rabbit around the fairly extensive, wooded grounds. FML.

I did manage to lure it back and trap it in the cage again.