Cameras in a review?

Sitter Questions, Advice & Chat
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I am contemplating another post where the host mentioned that they went back through the video cameras and were questioning the sitter’s choices. Hearing this does make me uncomfortable because it feels like the hosts are scrutinizing every move the sitter makes.

I am particularly uncomfortable with being watched all the time. I do not even take photographs of myself because I do not like cameras.

I am a particularly private person and I want to be able to walk around the house in clothes that I would not wear outside or while being filmed. And in sits where there are a lot of cameras, I feel less relaxed.

I would be curious to know how everyone feels on the other side of the coin. If the host mentions that they are watching them on the cameras, should sitters mention this is a review? I think I would like to know that but maybe sitters should just assume those who have cameras have them because they want to monitor every minute.

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@SunshineAndAloha

I understand your concerns and I think cameras, especially ring cameras are more common now as new technology progresses.

If you use the spyglass there have been a few conversations about cameras in the home before.

THS Terms and Conditions state that there are not allowed to be any internal recording devices or cameras.

So hopefully that is reassuring that owners will not see you in the home and I 100% agree that I would not want owners seeing me in my PJs for example!

Here is an excerpt that covers external cameras and ring cameras:

We do allow devices fitted to the exterior of the property or doorbell that monitor the security of the outside areas such as the porch, driveway and garden.

However, all devices must be disclosed to a sitter before a sit starts, and a pet parent must display this information on their listing as well as their Welcome Guide.

If monitoring equipment is not detailed on a listing, we would still encourage sitters to ask about it anyway to have an open conversation.

We have done several sits where there have been ring cameras and there have been no issues or mention of the owner ever checking them and if they did then we were unaware and all must have been okay. Maybe that’s just our experience and we would not like to feel checked up on either and would hope any issues the owner would discuss them with us to see what happened.

However, owners might be looking at cameras for any number of reasons, to see security, parcels being left etc, so it might not be checking up on you specifically or might spot something in the process of checking them for something else. I do not own one so just thinking of all of the reasons.

Our neighbours across the street asked us to pop in one evening and feed their dog and would leave the key under the door mat, well we did not realise that there were two mats on top of each other and the key was neatly sandwiched between the two.

We were there for quite a few minutes until we worked it out, but in that timeframe, our neighbours were alerted to the door camera going off for so long and we all had a good laugh the next day when they returned and could hear me and my husband going back and forth trying to find the key and me making cooing noises to the dog who was the other side of the door and obviously keen for us to get in and feed him.

I would always suggest discussing any external cameras with the owners at the application stage and maybe asking if they are monitored. One owner told us that they have not checked their cameras for years as it was such a safe area and only really had them in case something happened like a break-in, which was very unlikely.

Other members might have feedback about leaving information in the review, but it should be transparent that owners have external cameras before you agree to sit and you do not have to choose a sit with external cameras if you have any concerns.

I grew up where no one ever had external cameras unless it was a business, so I guess the world is changing in that respect and it did take me a while to adjust to being in more private spaces with them. Especially now I have heard myself doing ‘baby talk’ to a dog on a ring cam!

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Oh! I just finished a sit with two internal cameras. It really didn’t like it but they did mention them to me. The camera in the living room was turned around but not off. The camera inside the hallway was on and operating. They also had a doorbell camera and a back camera. They said they would not monitor me but as it turns out they were monitoring me pretty closely.

I really never do anything that I would be worried about but the situation made me uneasy. So you are saying that these internal cameras are against the rules? I have and numerous sit with cameras inside the house.

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@SunshineAndAloha Oh, I am so sorry that happened to you. Yes, most definitely internal cameras unless they are switched off/unplugged are not allowed during the sit.

I would not be comfortable with that either. You can let the Membership Services Team know at support@trustedhousesitters.com and they can remind the owners of the rules.

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I think I have decided that I will no longer sit for someone who has cameras all over the place. I am a true and genuine lover of animals and I provide the best care possible, but if a paranoid person is watching you, they are bound to make some unfair assumptions.

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The weird thing was that they did tell me about the internal cameras but they never did mention the exterior cameras. I just noticed them while I was there.

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@SunshineAndAloha I feel bad that you had that experience and it made you feel so uncomfortable, we won’t sit with any internal cameras and make sure we now ask it at the video call just in case the owner has not properly read the terms or forgets.

External ones should be marked in their profile and there is a section in the amenities where owners can tick they have external cameras.

You need to do what feels right for you going forward and I am sure there are lots of sits out there with no cameras at all, we have found those! Good Luck!

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Thank you. I appreciate you letting me know about the rules.

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I just looked on their listing and there are no cameras listed at all.

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That’s such a shame. Membership Services will be happy to reach out and remind them, let me know if you would like me to ask them to contact you. Feel free to DM me or just confirm on here :slight_smile:

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I’m a HO. I don’t think there should be any cameras internally! I wouldn’t personally stay any where I was being filmed - it’s called TRUSTED House Sitters for a reason. A certain amount of trust has to happen. If you have none and so feel the need for cameras, you probably shouldn’t have anyone stay in your house.

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I had two sits with internal cameras. One homeowner disabled hers right in front of me and the other told me internal cameras were disabled but I saw a red light on it and it was high up enough that I couldn’t reach it to put a cover on it. Maybe THS should have a terms and conditions that needs to have an acknowledgement from the HO when they post their listing that states internal cameras are forbidden

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I had one sit with internal and external cameras but they were very upfront about it and took down one of the three internal cameras at my request. In this case the home was normally a tourist site so the cameras actually made sense.

I still felt a little uncomfortable because I knew they were monitoring me fairly closely. Normally I avoid places with an extensive security systems because I do value my privacy. Still I’m glad I had the opportunity to stay there and I can understand why in rare instances a camera is needed. But yes overall if a host mentions that they monitor their cameras it would be a little bit of a red flag for me.

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I completely agree with you. I recently did a 3 week house sit and there were cameras evvvverywhere (outside only) but it still made me feel very on edge, that they could track my comings and goings so easily, and that I couldnt walk around in for eg: a swimsuit without feeling uncomfortable. I am a lover of animals and a responsible person, but agree that watching footage back of ANYONE who has been in your house for 3 weeks - you are bound to make false assumptions on some of their choices. Even though their pets were happy and well looked after and the house was left tidy and clean.

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Agree, I recently had a sit with external cameras at all the entry points, unfortunately one of those was directly next to the pool so I didn’t end up using that although it had been one of the selling points of the sit. New technology is not going to make this any easier either. When I started sitting cameras inside or outside were pretty rare now I think nearly every place I’ve been to this year has had something. More and more automatic pet feeders also have cameras that the owner can check while they are away via an app and the sitter wouldn’t know if or when they have had a look. The cameras on these things are pretty good and have a very wide view so it’s pretty hard to avoid them if you are using the same room. They also have mics so theoretically the person with the app could have a chat through it with you or their pet - how creepy would that be! Owners might not even realise that these are in breach of the Terms and Conditions (I assume they are) and an education campaign might be required.

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I’ve never even thought about cameras on automatic feeders. We watched 2 cats earlier this summer with a cool automatic food dispenser. I hope they didn’t have a camera because while 5 of us are in the house, we bring in alot of stuff. 5 bags of clothes, 5 laptop bags, 5 pairs of sneakers, 5 pairs of flipflops, etc.

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OMG, we talked about this before on the forum! LOL I’m with you. I shudder to think the HO watched me move my life’s possessions in from the car – bags and bags and bags of stuff! And I’m only one person! After all, one must be prepared for any occurrence. I have instructed my husband, when he comes with me, the only things that come in from the car when we arrive are our two small suitcases. After the HO leave, moving day commences!

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@mars My big fear is that the homeowner will greet us in the driveway and see my minivan stuffed to the max with humans and belongings. A colorado homeowner greeted us and I joked that it looks like a clown car because we have so much stuff in there. I bring in blender, pots, pans, comforters, sheets, towels, kettle, yoga mats, food, spices, CHOPSTICKS (eating korean food with a fork feels weird), water filtration system, ice cube trays, and probably everything else you can think of.

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Yes! I think a pop-up reminder regarding cameras would be very useful.

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I also will not do any sits with internal cameras. Amongst other things, I do not want cameras capturing passwords on my computer (and, yes, they can) nor do I want them recording potential security information on phone calls. I’m very security conscious and do not want recordings taking place when I’m in my temporary home.

Meanwhile, if the homeowner doesn’t trust sitters, then perhaps they should not be hiring sitters. No boarding establishment would allow the pet owner to setup cameras. I do not see any reason why I should allow someone to record me, especially where I’ll be stepping out of the showering, using my computer, possibly needing to make private phone calls, etc.

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