We’re about to leave a sit that turned out to be a nightmare. Both the owners chain smoked even in their car after asking us if we smoked. They just laughed it off. We didn’t want to offend them so didn’t complain.
When we arrived they took us straight out to a quiz then they left very early the next morning.
It turns out the house is beyond filthy (i am
not exaggerating!) If the kitchen was commercial it would be shut down. The fridge was full with the bottom drawer half full of very rotten food. The whole place id horrendous
We have now almost completed the sit with them due back tomorrow
My question is - how honest am i about how awful the house is for future sitters v any retaliation from the home owner?
I am sorry to hear you had such a bad experience. If by ‘retaliation’ you mean them leaving a bad review for you because you left one for them, the host cannot see your feedback until they post a review for you, or until the two weeks after the sit has ended, after which they would not be able to leave one any longer.
They could post a response to your review of them, which would only show on their profile.
Hi Jane 5, I’m really sorry to hear about your experience—it sounds quite frustrating. Please feel free to be honest in your review; it’s unfortunate this wasn’t mentioned in previous reviews, as that might have helped you avoid the whole mess.
If there were any good points, like the owner picking you up from the train or airport, the location, pets, or anything else positive, start with those. I’d recommend skipping mentions of the HOA laughing or the reference to the commercial kitchen. Those details are more suitable for the forum, but for your review, it’s best to stick to the facts.
Why is this question so common? It should not be. Be entirely honest in your review unless you’re dead certain the hosts will quit smoking and scrub down their hovel between tomorrow and the next sit. Otherwise, you’re throwing the next sitter under the bus.
Reviews are blind. They won’t see your review of them until they’ve posted their review of you or 2 weeks have past, whichever is earlier. After the reviews are submitted, both parties have until forever (more or less) to respond to the review they’ve received. Don’t be in a rush to respond to their review of you which may be preemptively bad in anticipation of a bad review by you. Any review and response you post will reflect well on you if it is factual and without emotion.
@Jane5
I just completed a sit that was okay - main issue was the cleanliness of the kitchen and the expectations of animal care - very different from what is described in the listing - to my mind a more stringent and limiting schedule than was described.
I left what I think is an honest review - still gave the sit 4 stars but pointed out things I wish I’d known before - I probably would not have taken the sit but when I accepted it was a first-time HO.
The HO did respond to my review and that’s that.
I think sitters owe it to each other to be honest about conditions - maybe phrasing nicely but getting the information in.
We’ve done a lot of sits, all with 10/10 reviews as well as on other sites back in NZ but only been back on TH since retiring to Spain this year. Spent 2019 on TH but returned because of covid. Full scores (& lovely reviews) since.
This place is genuinely awful with years of compounded build up of grease and grime
I would leave an accurate review. Second smoke is dangerous and future sitters deserve to know. Also review the house condition, it isn’t acceptable.
I would also send a note to THS, they should warn these HO about 1) disclosing their smoking status in their listing and 2) following the THS protocol of cleaning ahead of sitters arrival, even if they have to pay a service to do so
Last year I was reading reviews for a sit I was interested in. One of the reviews began with the reviewer saying she needed to take some time to reflect before composing her review. She eloquently described the positives and challenges of the home’s cleanliness. The HOs response took responsibility, acknowledged her rushed state when departing and thanked the sitter for the honest review. She then described what she would do to prepare better next time. The dates didn’t line up for me, but after reading the HO’s reply, I would not have been put off by the negative review. The sitter provided information that would inform other sitters and also allowed the HO to view the situation from the sitter’s perspective.
They may be hostile and defensive in their reply to your review. However, they only get one chance to reply and if they are hostile, it will reflect worse on them than on you. You probably won’t ever meet or deal with these people again, so it shouldn’t really matter what they say or think of you. It IS very important to warn future sitters, so they don’t have the same miserable experience.
If you are afraid of backlash via text or other communication, just block them.
@Jane5, welcome to THS Forum. Sorry to hear about your bad experience.
Others have already provided advice on the topic of review.
Though make you aware of THS Member Dispute process - quite separate to reviews then this is THS protocol under which either pet parent or housesitter may provide information/evidence to THS in regards alleged breach of THS terms.
Extract of THS terms
“5.2.7. ensure that the details of your Home Listing are accurate and up to date;
5.2.8. ensure that the details in your Welcome Guide are accurate and up to date in advance of the start of the Sit;”
Should you consider that the listing or Welcome Guide misrepresented the condition of the property then the information and process for THS Member Dispute is noted below. Following a submission, THS staff would collate & review information; assess allegations and determine warnings or other actions as appropriate.
I took on a sit with a similar situation–H/O had a lot of good reviews from several years ago, but the more recent ones were very critical of the home’s cleanliness. The H/O addressed the issues in his listing, said he got all new area rugs and has a professional cleaner come twice a month. I took the sit, wanting to give him another chance. It wasn’t completely horrible, but still, definitely ranks as my dirtiest housesits, and I have almost 20 now. The ice maker was caked with mold on the inside, the dog smelled so bad, had oozing, irritated skin due to him being so overweight his belly dragged, and when he went #2 a lot of poop would be left sticking out of his butt because he was always somewhat constipated (would only poop once a day, or every other day). When I tried to wipe him, I”d go through 3 or 4 wipes until he would growl and snarl at me. So the area rugs, though “new”, had little brown skid marks from the dog. ;
So, I have to say I definitely understand. But, was the HO on the elderly side (or mobility impaired?). I ask because I know my elderly parents (well just Mom now, and they don’t travel anymore) had a hard time with deep cleaning their place.
Cleaners came through, but only do the regular cleaning. So not dirty if you walk through but trying to live there, cook on the stoves/ovens, put things in cupboards, etc… (and we had to do this when my Dad got sick, and we were there for a month at a time, for several trips) definitely different perspective.
We are going to discuss with Mom having a deep cleaning crew go through their home once a year, but not everyone has someone to tell them that. Or the resources to pay for it (fortunately Mom is fine there).
And many that hire professional cleaners still don’t, or can’t see, that more has to be be done than regular cleaning.
With that said, definitely review honestly. For the HO (assuming you’ve met them and can better gauge the situation) - maybe politely tell them the regular cleaning was fine but there were other items needing cleaning more infrequently that need attention.
Especially if they have hired cleaners, they may be older and or impaired just enough so they can’t see all the books and crannies.
Just a perspective, and again certainly still leave an honest review. Sorry you had to deal with that.
It’s likely that they became impaired or disabled or something else happened that’s made their sit disgusting now. But whatever the cause, THS sitters shouldn’t be expected to sit in filthy places — there are THS terms about habitability.
It might be that this host is no longer fit to have volunteer sitters at all.
The homeowner is a divorced, single gentleman in his early to mid 70’s. He was not mobility impaired at all, but I do understand being a single, older man. I actually gave him a VERY generous review, because he was such a nice person. I gave 5 stars overall, and took off one star each for cleanliness and for animal behavior. But I made sure to emphasize all of the good things. He wound up not leaving me a review at all, which was the first time that has happened to me.
There was actually an issue with his housecleaner which I had posted about on this forum when it happened (this past summer). The cleaner was supposed to come the 2nd day of the sit, I waited and waited, first I was told 11 am, then 2pm, than 5 pm, than after 7 pm, until I finally said DO NOT COME AT ALL! So yeah, his cleaner hadn’t been there, but honestly, besides the smell of the dog, the mold in the ice maker (also mold all along the fridge door–I wound up cleaning both for him) the house was just very cluttered. He had a big coffee table just loaded with scattered mail and lotions and vitamins–everything. And I don’t think the cleaners would have touched that.
