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?

My house sitter costs me a very reasonable £50 a day. This is crazy!

Charge them £200 a week for housesitting

I housesit dogs and charge £85 per day. Contribute to cleaner??? Not a chance

Tell them to deduct the cleaner's fee from the money they're paying you for house-sitting.

This is the cheekiest thing I have read on here. So, you are house/pet sitting and they want you to contribute to the cleaning at the end of it? I can only think of two words in response to this.

I suppose because it's a nice property they think you paupers should be grateful for having had the opportunity of staying in such a splendid property.

A house sitter is usually paid. And if you're live in then it's taken you perform the function of the cleaner? Unless they need some big item deep cleaned that's nothing to do with you I see no need for a cleaner during a house-sitting visit.
Can you simply explain you'll be cleaning and then leaving it as it was found. They can get the cleaner in if they like but I don't think you should be contributing unless they're cleaning your mess. Which they won't be.
You're doing them a favour and do not require the cleaners services.

They want you to pay them to inconvenience yourselves? Pay them so you have to drive back to your house and pick up your mail? Pay them so that your own house is left unattended and could be burgled? pay them to look after THEIR pets and plants, pay them to take on the responsibility of looking after THEIR stuff and making sure you don't damage THEIR house?

I don't think so.

absoloutely not a chance and even more so if they’re not even paying you! Cheeky fuckers trying to have a nice profit of not having to pay their cleaner in full whilst they’re on holiday

YANBU personally would say - - breezily ‘oh it’s fine just take whatever you think is fair from what you were going to pay us for caring for your plants & animals for the x weeks you’ve been on your holidays’ with a lovely smile!!

Tell them you'll waive your usual fee so they can put that toward the cleaner themselves. Cheeky!!

Nope! No contributions, you are looking after their property and animals. They should be paying you!

They are absolute CF's. Really not ok.

On further reflection, I think what really bothers me is they are asking us to pay for the cleaner to come the day after we leave. I mean, they really are up on themselves???

I wonder what their house insurance says. Our policy doesn't provide cover for absences of more than 30 days. So you are not only looking after their much loved pets and plants but are also very likely the means of maintaining insurance on a building no doubt worth many hundreds of thousands of pounds plus the value of all their worldly goods.

They are proper cheeky fuckers. House/pet/plant sitting for free, extension to insurance cover for free, AND they basically want YOU to pay for maintaining THEIR relationship with their cleaner.

I would feel so taken advantage of I don't think I could look upon them as friends any more.

What are you going to reply to their slightly very odd request?

omg ! they are NOT your friends

I think you need to reply that you are happy to knock off £xx from your fee, say that you were thinking of asking £xx per week but with the cleaner you will reduce that to £xx.

ah, just re read ,friends of friends.
But, nope
Cheeky wankers

On further reflection, I think what really bothers me is they are asking us to pay for the cleaner to come the day after we leave. I mean, they really are up on themselves???

How much mess are they expecting you to make ? Are they coming back on the day you leave ? if not who is going to look after the animals ?

Cheeky fuckers 🤣🤣🤣

Looking after animals is always an inconvenience, in my experience of pet-sitting. You can't just go out and do what you want and come back late at night if you're having a good time. If there are dogs they have to be walked and exercised and fed at certain times and there are places you can and can't go with them. You can't go out for the day and leave dogs in the car at this time of year so you're always compromised. It's a job and it's why people pay £50+ a day to pet-sitters or kennels.

They're being CFs, OP. What utter cheapskates these 'friends' are. I'd message back: 'Actually, we're finding the plant watering and garden work and pet care quite a bind and we've been offered a chance to go to XYZ for a week, so if you're proposing to charge us for looking after everything for you I think it will suit us to put the dog/ cat into kennels/ cattery and go home. Maybe the cleaner can water the plants and tidy up the garden and feed the fish when s/he comes.' See how they respond to that.

Or if that's too strong, how about saying 'Let's talk about the cleaner when you get back.' And then leave the house an hour before they arrive home and never speak to them again.

Housesitting round this neck of the woods is £30 a day. Charge them that.

I use neighbours now - an exchange in that I look after theirs sometimes, but I used to pay £12-£15 for a daily 15 minute visit through cat in a flat.

Fuck no! I would usually suggest they get a clean done right as they go away and before I get there, and I will be responsible for cleaning before I leave so they can usually cancel a week.

Um, I think they are taking the piss.

I recently house sat / dog sat for a very good friend for 4 days and she paid me £150.