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Comfort Fee (couch fee)?

Hello, I have been staying at someone's home for the last 8 days. They had asked me to sleep on the recliner couch, which I agreed to. They also did not provide me a private area to store my clothing or get ready on the daily, just a small bathroom. After 8 days of sleeping on this couch it has been a horrible experience and I've gotten really bad sleep, pains and headaches. Additionally, this family has a camera in the kitchen which allows them to see the couch I have been sleeping on. Last night as I was preparing my "bed" I noticed the camera was on and even after I switched off the lights it was still on. This made me feel very nervous and uncomfortable. I would like to charge the family a $50 "comfort fee" at the end of the stay for making me sleep on the couch and for the lack of privacy. What are your thoughts?

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Short answer: All of what you wrote constitutes a reason why you might never accept another booking from them, but It doesn’t merit a “comfort fee”. Before Booking, you need to consider everything that matters and decide if it’s the right match. It has to be the right match for all involved: The pet(s), The sitter, and the client. ....

During the meet and greet, for housesitting you really need to look around, and ask questions. I would definitely ask about where the cameras are positioned. I’ve been in homes where the cameras were filming the common areas (entryways, kitchens, living rooms, dining room), but never in a bedroom/bathroom I’d use.

Hypothetically, if I agreed to sleep on the couch and noticed a Camera was filming me, I would do either one of two options: #1 let them know I was not sleeping well on the couch and as a result was waking up with pains & aches, so I would go home to sleep and return for the first walk in the morning at their usual time. or #2 message them that I was going to cover it for the night and then gently place a something like a dish towel over it. I would be less apt to re-angle a camera because there could be a claim that something broke in doing so.

I wouldn't care about the fact that there wasn’t a storage area to put my belongings. I never unpack and put my clothing in someone else’s furniture anyway. I have more control over keeping my belongings clean how I brought them, rather than putting them in their furnishings and this is for 8 day stay (not months). If that matters to you, you need to discuss and make that arrangement to storage area preference with them prior to booking. In this situation where the cameras are on you, changing clothes in the bathroom is the only solution I’d consider. The fact that the bathroom is small doesn’t merit a comfort fee.

If you choose to ask for a “comfort fee” after the assignment is complete, be prepared for the fact that they might write a really poor review which could impact your chances of future business with other clients. A better approach would be to explain why you weren’t comfortable sleeping there and would not be available for future overnights if they require you to sleep on the couch. If you also include some things that you like about your time with their pet, they might provide you a cash tip in appreciation.

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You CAN ask them but you are risking your behavior may upset them and you lose a client. If you agreed you'd sleep on a couch and you didn't ask for an area for your clothing, you are not entitled for extra money. Is the camera making you uncomfortable to the degree you asked them to turn it off? The camera can not be pointed at you when you are asleep. Did you not move it away at night??? You can't ask people to give you money because you allowed them to watch you at night.

When you housesit, you have a meet and greet and discuss your sleeping options, bathrooms, storing area, dogs, cameras. They can NOT have a camera in the bathroom or watching you at night.