We made this error- the guest bedroom was actually a playroom with large sofa bed. It looked like a guest bedroom in the listing photos. In my review I noted the playroom was converted to a ground floor guest room with a ground floor large shower room across the hall. This might’ve suited others but didn’t suit us- our older bodies need a proper bed.
1 Like
I am experiencing this exact issue right now. My ‘guest bedroom’ is actually an office/gym with a sofa bed. This is a first for me. The listing originally showed a real bedroom and a separate office with a sofa, but there was no mention that this multi-functional space was where the sitter would be staying.
The sofa bed becomes more uncomfortable with each passing night, but the most difficult detail is its unusual construction, a part of the frame sticks out from underneath, which I trip over every time I get up or go to bed. It is an accident waiting to happen, so I am seriously considering moving to the living room couch instead.
Otherwise … host and pet are great
3 Likes
Looks very uncomfortable and dangerous. Some couches are very comfortable especially the wider ones. I hope you find a good night sleep on the couch.
2 Likes
The playroom sofa bed had been jumped on by children we assumed and had lost some integrity- the result was we’d roll towards each other in the middle and suffocate. It also had a very thin mattress. Each night we’d cling onto our respective edges and woke up tense and irritable. Fortunately it was a short sit- the dog was easy and the location was great.
3 Likes
Hi. I’m staying. Suffering on until job done. 3 more nights. I could do that. NEXT TIME, be a bit more of an investigator.
4 Likes
Hi there. I’m still a relative newbie but now sitting FT and learning from both the feedback from others in this Forum. I treat these sits as a compromise always and balance good/bad. One thing I’ve already found is that everyone has very different views about housekeeping. A couple of homes have really shocked me in being frankly heinous! Im lucky Im travelling in my own car (sedan only) so I have a number of modules from cleaning gear to tech, bedding, etc.
On my current sit I have a single bed jammed against the wall and I could cope, but my “client” kitty adores me and sleeps with me each nite. I often finish on the floor with the little guy doing the cat sprawl. But I’ve been in worse when I’ve been camping, so OK.
Look-my advice is- Don’t walk out on a sit. I think that’s an awful betrayal and just hurts the cat more than anything. Don’t leave the innocent pets. Reach out and speak to the owners and be diplomatic. Explain that this bed is bad FOR YOU-gently not complaining; just flagging a problem. Talk up your care for their pet and make this non-combative. Move to the main bedroom.. Check the linen stored, and re-make the masted bed with fresh linen (even buy a cheap mattress protector if u don’t carry your own stuff) and get through. I’m not telling u anything u don’t know already and I completely get your disappointment. I nearly cried when I arrived at a sit and was truely disgusted at the filthy conditions. When I liaised with the owner I didn’t whine, but I did say that I was going to pop their bathroom toiletries and the unused “tools” in a box and shuffle the kitchen benches to keep everything segregated -hint hint. At least I could use the home in relative comfort. Just keep thinking - u could be paying to travel. This can work with compromise.
2 Likes
Such a great post.
To the OP: sorry this sit isn’t the greatest; thanks for sticking it out for the pets & the HO’s peace of mind. There WILL be better sits…GREAT ones, even. 
3 Likes
@august Please be sure to mention this fact (about the sofa bed) in your review.
5 Likes
The cat must have written that!
1 Like
I think you can be frank with the homeowners, especially about the bed. It isn’t unusual to sleep in the master bedroom, at least not with the many, many sits I’ve had, if there is only one real bed. They have an obligation to ensure that sitters are comfortable. I would never find a sofa bed acceptable. Because I have a shoulder injury that becomes aggravated if I sleep on a low-quality mattress, I always ask about the bed when I meet with homeowners/pet people prior to accepting a sit.
I’m not sure how long you’ve been on the sit, but I would have contacted the homeowners about these issues right away and asked them to propose solutions as these aren’t small things.
As for the frequent feedings, that is ludicrous. Sitters have the right to be informed of duties that go above and beyond standard pet care. If they want the cat(s) to eat every two hours, then they need to use an automatic feeder. They are asked to provide details about pet care in their actual posts–i.e. “How long can the pet be left alone.” If they were dishonest in that regard, that’s terrible.
The awful thing is that, even if you pay for a premium membership here, THS is highly unlikely to provide sitters who are deceived in the way these folks have deceived you, with any recourse, including offsetting the expense of getting to a given sit. There really is no penalty for homeowners who do this. It’s a huge problem with this site and pet sitters are most definitely under appreciated and potentially taken advantage of. We provide a crucial service at no charge, which is itself problematic to begin with, but that’s a rant for another post.
A sit I had applied for recently, the amenities mentioned a sofa bed for sitter.
the pictures had a lovely full size double bed. As well as the sofa bed.
I queries this, the owner said …Oh NO, that’s my bed, not for sitters to use!
I asked well then Why have you pictured it?
she replied I thought pictures were just to let sitters see what my house looked like!
To be fair she did apologise, and then remove the photo, but I also refused the sit as I told her I found it misleading.
I had actually visited her house last year, when in the area, with a view to sitting for her at some point. I liked her, liked her dog, but I don’t appreciate being misled.
4 Likes
I suppose an interesting question to ask of a HO is ‘Have you ever slept on your sofa bed?’ When we had a hidden wall cupboard Murphy bed fitted (deluxe king size fully sprung mattress) we made a point of sleeping on it to test it out.
6 Likes
If I had a guest room that also was mostly used as an office, I’d have a murphy bed! My aspirations are such that I can’t imagine ever having a guest room that was just a guest room and am amazed at homes I’ve stayed in that have this luxary. (Usually, it’s because the kids moved out and the parents never “downsized.”)
1 Like
We downsized to a 3 bed Penthouse apartment and we fitted both spare rooms with Murphy beds in the wall. One room is used as an office the other as a music room. We have stay over guests maybe twice a year for one night (after a dinner party) or very rarely two nights when a friend visits from afar.
1 Like
My husband and I both have our own home offices. We wouldn’t have a Murphy bed, because that would put us out of our offices when we have guests. I think that would be OK if you didn’t work from home.
I suggest that hosts try sleeping in guest beds/sofa beds, to see whether they’re comfortable.
We recently got a new daybed and I came back from a trip, after my husband had taken delivery of it. The included mattress is so thin and uncomfortable, I’d never want any guest to sleep on it. Glad I tried it out. I’ve ordered a new mattress.
7 Likes
This is great advice. We have slept in our guest room (when we first got our puppy we slept there for 3 weeks as its downstairs and easier to get a young pup out at night if needed) and again a year and a half ago when we had our pup spayed (she couldn’t go upstairs for a week after the surgery). We found it comfy - even though it’s only a full size bed, it is a premium mattress.
We do have it on the list to upgrade the whole bed to a queen at some point but we have other priorities at the moment.
But I definitely agree it’s a good idea for hosts to sleep in the room where the sitter will be, to make sure it’s a restful place for sleeping.
1 Like
That new daybed is extra sleep space, because we host a lot of family, sometimes a dozen or so at the same time. I joked with my husband that we could put the least liked guest on the new uncomfortable daybed mattress, so they’d want to leave sooner.
5 Likes
I’m envious of the bed we have in the guest room/sitter’s room. It’s relatively new and family as well as sitters have said it’s great.
So, when my husband or I get a cold and we don’t want to wake the other with our coughing, I always volunteer to sleep in the guest room. I love that mattress! LOL 
5 Likes
Yup, I prefer our guest mattress as well, it’s only a double so perfect just for me when I bunk out of the marital bed due to illness or insomnia 
1 Like