Hi All
I’m currently on a sit and just annoyed at things that I feel I should have been pre-warned about
- There is a camera facing the pool area which I feel is in breach of my privacy, I have owned vacation homes in the US previously so am aware that this is generally seen as a no because of the guests privacy. There is also another camera on the outside facing the garage/pool screen door which of course is acceptable for security. As I spend a lot of time out by the pool I feel constantly watched. The owners have not checked in once re their dogs probably because they can see them on camera !!
- The dogs I am looking after bark a lot and make odd choking sounds at all times of the night and day especially early hours of the morning so sleep is disrupted massively, not mentioned in the welcome guide online ( they are sleeping in the bedroom with me)
- The house and outside area smell heavily of urine, no matter what I spray its ingrained and revolting.
Any advice??
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For starters, don’t sleep with the dogs.
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Hi @KD919
It sounds like you’ve run into a few tricky issues. A couple of things you could consider:
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Privacy & cameras – THS generally advises that cameras shouldn’t be placed in areas where guests expect privacy, like by the pool or inside the home. It’s reasonable to reach out to the owners and ask if the pool-facing camera is active, and if so, request it be turned off while you’re there.
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Dog behaviour & noise – If barking and choking sounds weren’t mentioned in the welcome guide, you could flag this with the owners. They may have tips or routines to reduce the disruption.
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Odour issues – Deep ingrained smells can be hard to fully eliminate, but letting the owners know about the urine smell is fair; they might have cleaning solutions or plans for treatment.
For example, a polite message to the owners could be:
“Hi [Owner’s Name], I wanted to check a few things while I’m on sit. I’ve noticed the pool-facing camera is visible — could you confirm if it’s active? Also, the dogs have been making a lot of noise during the night, and there’s a strong odour in the house and outside area. Could you advise on the best way to manage these? Thanks so much.”
A direct, polite message like this usually gets the quickest resolution.
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Are you sure the cameras by the pool are not there to hang towels and such? That’s what I’d use them for.
Pool cameras may very well be a safety measure. Your hosts may have them there to send a notice when a person enters the cameras view. Very useful for monitoring for kids, neighbors or intruders that should not be near the pool.
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Yes I agree re safety - if the pool isn’t covered it you’d want to monitor it for animals who might in be trouble etc. As you say, I’d just cover them when I was using the pool. TBH I don’t see it as much of a problem.
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Somehow cover/obstruct the pool camera (and advise PP so they do not think broken).
Reread WG sections. Ask PP re unexpected dog behaviour and urine smell. It’s possible PP did not disclose details (bad) but also possible that there is a problem.
If pet sleeping location is problem then experiment with them in different location. Seems not much downside and it might work.
Enhance you due diligence questions. If pool is stated on listing and you are concerned about privacy then ask related questions before sit confirmation.
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yep… I’ve often wondered if I should have a camera on my pool for safety/liability reasons. (I don’t give one whit about anybod’s skinny-dipping or whatever…lol)
My first read through I was like “where did you get that idea from?”
I’m getting old.
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Hi @KD919,
Welcome to the forum.
- Regarding cameras, THS T&Cs allow external cameras but they must be disclosed both on the listing and Welcome Guide. You should have been told where exactly they are placed and whether they would be turned on during your stay.
What to do now depends on the owner’s attitude. You have already received some useful advice.
- Regarding the dogs barking, again, it depends on the relationship that you have with the HO. You could experiment having them sleep somewhere else or seek the owners advice.
- It seems you don’t have much contact with the owners
If that’s the case, I would not mention the smell issue. Chances are they’re used to it and have no advice to offer, while the “complaint” even if nicely phrased as @WeRPAWsome suggest, might trigger a defensive negative review, which might include complaints regarding lack of updates.
I don’t know how long the sit is but perhaps you could try writing to the owners, sending some pictures of the dogs having a good time and say that they are doing well. You could check if it’s OK to let them sleep somewhere else. Or you could experiment letting them out of your room first and then inform the owners if everything goes nicely.
I hope you can improve your situation. Good luck.
Please write an honest, factual review.
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Hi
Thanks for the comments: The exterior camera was on the listing but not in the welcome guide, I wrongly assumed it would just be on the outside of the house for security , a good point made is that in future I will check with the Host to see if one covers the pool area. Regardless of their reason (possible safety for kids etc) I expect privacy in the pool area when Iam here and should have been clear with that from the outset, I dont believe that they would be turned off even if I ask now because I think its how they are checking their dogs are ok even though I offered to send them daily photos ( they said no), the camera is too high to cover.
I have tried several different options for sleeping, nothing changes the barking, if I were their neighbour I would be truly p****d at that noise before 6am every morning.
Re the smell issue they know all about it, the only thing they left me ( no basics not even milk or water) was urine cleaner requesting I follow the dogs and clean up behind them.
I will leave an honest review, the one before mine was 5 star which beggars belief as it was only a few months ago and these behaviours dont come on overnight, had they been honest then I would have looked elsewhere.
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I ran into this same issue with a sitter with multiple 5 star reviews. I thought the same, no way was she suddenly a 2-3 star sitter, which means prior hosts didn’t review the sitter accurately. Why would they do this? Only one reason I can think of, they don’t want to appear to be the bad guy when future potential sitters read the review they left for the sitter, and the sitter’s response which will of course try to put the blame back on the host.
@KD919 Thank you for being willing to leave an honest review. Just the facts so future sitters can make an informed decision. We hope that you enjoy much better sits in the future. 
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