A week ago I finished a 2 day sit & there are a few not-so-great things I’d like to mention in my review but this being the main…
Nosy neighbour!
We only received sit instructions upon arrival, despite asking for them well in advance. Within the instructions, it mentioned a neighbour may come to walk the dog…this was obviously the first time I’d been made aware of this.
A few hours after I arrived with my partner, said neighbour knocked on the door. Neighbour introduced themself and suggested that we walk the dog together at some point which I thought was odd (thanks but no thanks!) Neighbour also knew how previous sitters had walked the dog & where, which to me me sounded like they were involved with the 3 previous sitters.
The next day, neighbour knocked on out of the blue, all kitted out to walk the dog (without prior arrangement or agreement with me as the sitter). Whilst I was chatting to the neighbour at the doorstep in a bit of a fluster because they had turned up unannounced, they actually proceeded to walk into the property. I was uncomfortable for various reasons:
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I felt as though we were being “monitored” or checked up on. I felt my privacy was being invaded & my partner was quite furious!
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I did not know this person or what they looked like (prior to the first introduction). They could have been anyone. For security purposes and for being responsible for the dog, I was left in a difficult position because I had not been introduced to the neighbour by the HO, but at the same time, this was a normal arrangement it would seem between neighbour and HO.
How would you view this? Would you say this is a breach of 3rd party policy?
I am a very easygoing person but this situation did make me uncomfortable.
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P.s The neighbour actually thought that we were paid housesitters so would not be aware of the mutual exchange agreement that this platform offers.
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If I didn’t want them in the home and the host hadn’t introduced us or mentioned them (and I hadn’t agreed to do anything with them), I’d be polite and say that the host hadn’t mentioned them and it would be irresponsible of me to let them in. And if I didn’t want to walk with them, I’d say I’m good walking the dogs on my own. I’d say I was happy to meet them and would be in touch if I needed them. Then I’d wish them a good day. But if I wanted to walk with them, I might do that.
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The ho should have introduced you to the neighbour in any event. I would certainly bring up your concerns with the ho. Very disrespectful of the neighbour to just walk in like that & quite bizarre. Stand your ground. I ageee with @Maggie8K
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It seems from the original post that this sit has already finished and you are wondering about the review. It’s difficult because the HO is not really responsible for a neighbour who oversteps. It might just be worth mentioning that there is a neighbour who is keen to help with dog walking which would give other sitters a heads up so they could discuss with the HO. It doesn’t seem to me like a breach of the 3rd party policy.
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Well the ho should have introduced the neighbour to the sitters
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Thank you, that’s a good way to put it.
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I do feel we should have been made aware prior to arrival at the very least
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In your shoes, I would’ve contacted the homeowners by phone and tried to straighten things out. I would tell what happened so that sitters are warned. I’d also take responsibility for NOT talking to the homeowners about it. They can’t talk to the neighbor if they don’t know there is a problem. Be tactful. Leave the space for them to respond and apologize.
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Maybe something like:
The two-day sit was straightforward overall, and the dog was lovely to care for. There were a few challenges that we’d like to mention to have good matches for future sits.
We only received the sit instructions upon arrival, although asking for them in advance. The instructions mentioned a neighbor who might come to walk the dog, this arrangement wasn’t discussed with us prior to the sit and left us unprepared.
The neighbor introduced themselves upon arrival and mentioned they’d like to walk the dog with us—something we didn’t expect and walked in later on ready for a walk. While this may be a regular arrangement between the homeowner and the neighbor, it is something to have a clearer briefing on from the homeowner regarding the neighbor’s involvement. As sitters, we are responsible for the pets and the home, and it’s important to know who has access to the home. We hope this can be helpful to care for :pet:
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would have been on the phone in 5 sec flat with HO
cannot allows neighbour in w/o HO consent and prearrangement
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Neighbours can be oddly proprietorial, as well as nosy.
A few years ago, I agreed to look after my brother’s animals for a couple of weeks (so not a THS sit). Before I got there, a neighbour was dropping in to feed them. He was told when I’d be arriving and that while I was there, there was no need for him to be involved. The neighbour and I even met, briefly, while I was arriving, so he definitely knew I was there.
But swipe me sideways with an old banana if I wasn’t woken - early - on my first morning, by the sound of someone trying to open the front door! It was Zealous Neighbour, who, for some bizarre reason, had decided that although he knew I was there and that he wasn’t needed… He’d still drop round, let himself in, and Feed The Pets…
Mercifully, I’d put the deadlock on the front door when I went to bed, so his … er… dedication was thwarted. But I really think he felt that while my brother was away, the house became officially his.
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When I sit, I strive to keep good relations with neighbors, because: 1. I don’t want to create problems for the hosts — they’ll have those neighbors well after I’m gone. 2. Maybe I’ll need the neighbors’ help during the sit — who knows?
I had random experiences with a couple of neighbors during sits, but I gave them benefit of doubt that they had good intent and all turned out well and they ended up helping me unexpectedly.
Of course, if they cross boundaries in a significant way, I’d push back on them, but even then I’d try to do it in a friendly or polite way, because of Nos. 1 and 2, as I mentioned above.
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Interesting expression. Any thoughts about the origin. Yes, I am off topic but come on, I cannot be the only curious one
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No you’re not the only one. It made me laugh & I must use it.
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Given that @alibombali wrote:
This is surely the crux of the matter; the HO did not clarify this with sitters prior to arrival, yet clearly expected them to accommodate.
As @GentleSitter says:
The pet parent third person policy states:
'If they have arrangements in place for people such as cleaners, gardeners and maybe even maintenance people to come in periodically to complete tasks or help maintain the home, then this is allowed. If there are any arrangements in place, this must be shared with a sitter (for example, “gardener comes in once a week for 2 hours”) before confirming the sit. The pet parent should stipulate the potential for any third parties to be present during a sit by putting that information in their listing. ’
(see here: https://support.trustedhousesitters.com/hc/en-gb/articles/360001881117-Third-party-policy)
The arrangement with the neighbour should have been specified in the listing. Please do mention this in your review as it’s most definitely something which would compel us not to apply for this sit. You were very patient in allowing this to happen during the time you were there!
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It’s happened to us, but I said straight away “sorry I can’t let you inside the house, we’re not allowed to let any third parties in for insurance reasons”, and we then naturally chatted about things outside of the house instead. No-one questions anything once third parties & insurance is mentioned, and then you turn it then into a friendlier conversation afterwards.
We also asked them when they were planning on walking the dog, and we said it was just so that we knew in advance, and that set the parameters in stone for the rest of our stay.
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I am grateful for your input as this is how I’ve taken it. I’d have appreciated it had we been made aware.
We were also miffed that the outdoor recording devices hadn’t been disclosed either. We only found out about these when we arrived too.
Such things wouldn’t usually bother me had I known about them prior to sit confirmation so I could make an informed decision, it’s just the lack of communication and disregard for THS polices that got my back up. Especially as we did feel that the neighbour was “keeping an eye” on things.
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I’m laughing but this sounds like the premise of a horror film!