Hi Sitters,
I absolutely love dogs and cats and HouseSitting has been largely a great experience for me.
Welp, enter my current dog housesit. I had some concerns about the HOs controlling and belittling behavior in the video interview and at the pre visit, but decided the sit was still worth it. I have all 5 star reviews and give twice a day vids and pic updates of pets to HO.
I noticed yesterday cameras at the front and service door. These were NOT disclosed at all, but I thought ok, as long as theyâre not in the home.
I got a WhatsApp text this morning saying âwe noticed you left the dog yesterday on two occasions. 1). First time for over 3 hours, second time for over 4 hours. In the interview we stated the dog cannot be left alone for over 3 hours. You should have disclosed this.â Honestly, some of this is my miss. I let the time get away from me while running an errand. I can own that. But I didnât know i couldnât leave the dog multiple times if I came back and took care of the dogs needs in that âbetweenâ time. Feels like a simple miscommunication. IMO easily rectified.
But the GLARINGLY OBVIOUS QUESTION is âHow do you know Iâve been gone for those very specific intervals of time?!â It must be the ring camera. Iâm currently on this housesit but am unclear on HOW I want to respond to these pet parents. I honestly feel like Iâm being treated like âthe Helpâ and not a copartner in caring for your pet and home during your vacay.
Also, now I am concerned and feeling like âare there other cameras in the home?â And unsure of how to request they turn off the ring cameras they did not disclose. To be frank, I want to leave this housesit, but Iâm more concerned about the dog being ok.
Any input is appreciated!
-a HouseSitter being âWatchedâ
I would also feel very uncomfortable about the possibility of internal cameras, but itâs very likely that the HOs are simply getting their info from the ring.
If this were Day 1 of the sit, you could have (I believe) disconnected the ring somewhat simply. (Iâve never done this but have read of others doing it.) At that point, it could have been done without necessarily asking permission first (as long as youâre sure to reconnect at the end of the sit) â and if they said something about it, you could have politely pointed out that the cameras had not been disclosed and that youâre uncomfortable doing sits with cameras. or you could play dumb and say âoh, I didnât realize I did something to disconnect itâŚâ
However, since the HO has already used the camera to check up on you, that makes the situation a little more tricky. Itâs 100% your call, but I would feel like if I asked to have the cams turned off at this point, the owner would feel more mistrusting toward me and would give a more negative review. Even though youâd be in the right to ask them to turn them off, Iâd still be uncomfortable doing so if I were you.
Perhaps a middle-road option is to leave them plugged in for a couple days, let the HOs see you doing all as they asked, and then unplug one. But all of this is a personal call.
I personally would focus first on their expressed concerns by doing the followingâŚ
apologize for not adhering to my commitment: âIâm so sorry for spending too much time out of the house. I was running some errands to get settled and let the time slip away. Iâll be sure not to make the same mistake again!â
clarify expectations: âI also just want to clarify: [Ask your question about âbetween timeâ]â
give reassurance: âI certainly donât want the dogs to be neglected at all. Weâre settling into a routine here and looking forward to a fun [week] ahead!â
There are other steps you could potentially take toward reporting the HO to THS. But others are better-versed in those options, so Iâll let them speak to it.
Thank you for this reminder. After lots of stellar sits, itâs easy to assume the next one will be just as great as the last. Youâve reminded me to remain vigilant and listen to my gut if I ever have concerns about an HO!
Itâs a tricky one @kands713 & probably depends how long you have left on this sit. If itâs a while then totally fair to say something along the lines of âThanks for the messages, apologies as I had no idea it was only once a day to leave the pup as long as they were walked regularly. What was your understanding of our agreement? The slight overrun was errands so noted and 3 hours all good with me. Please clarify so weâre all on the same page. Pups are having a lovely time and are very happy. Hope youâre having great travels.â It might not be quite right but it levels the playing field between you & the HO, shows transparency and flexibility in how you are caring for their pets but also that itâs all about agreed comms not them dictating terms. #holdyourown
You have received some great advice. I would not make a huge deal about it.
In your review, I would mention that the exterior cameras were not disclosed in the listing (nor verbally nor Welcome Guide), and at times you felt that you were being monitored. That is good information for future sitters to understand.
After the reviews have been published, if you want, you can also implore the owners to disclose the cameras in their listing, which is a THS rule.
Again, I would not blow the situation out of proportion. You have both made a mistake.
Run the Fing app on your phone. If you are connected to their Wi-Fi, any cameras connected to said wifi will show up. You should be able to see their outdoor cameras (typically listed at Ring) and then any interior ones.
Exterior cameras are widely common and not really a cause for action in this case. If pet parents specifically say âYou cannot leave the dog for more than 3 hoursâ, then yesâŚthey will probably raise an issue with youâŚespecially if they have outdoor cameras. Remember, a lot of people get notifications for any motion or movement, so they have a very âeasyâ way to track your comings and goings. Definitely wouldnât unplug them because if something were to happen outside the homeâŚand YOU unplugged the camerasâŚYOU are at fault.
It seems that you didnât stick to what you had told them and stayed out longer. This becomes a case of mistrust on their part (which they are equally justified). They told you a time frame, and you broke it. Our only advice would be just to stay at home more and donât go over the 3 hour time frame. Still respond to them, send updates, etcâŚbut donât make it seem like you are being watched. LOTS of people have outdoor cameras.
I find this confusing. Is the rule that you canât leave more than 3 hours at a time or that you only leave up to 3 hours in a day? It sounds like you were less than an hour late the first time, and over an hour late the second?
The homeowner shouldnât be using the ring camera to surveil you, but if they noticed something amiss and contacted you they could have been more tactful. I donât think telling them your comings and going and reporting every lateness is required. And I would not have appreciated the scoldy tone.
You could consider leaving. I would. You might consider contacting THS to dispute the sit if the directions werenât clear AND if the outside cameras werenât disclosed and you suspect there are inside cameras as well. You could see what THS advises. You could leave the sit no matter what the advice is by letting the homeowner know that you arenât comfortable and based on the text, you feel communication has already broken down, so they should find another sitter, and you can stay for up to the next 48 hours but are prepared to leave sooner if someone else can watch the dogs.
There may be reviews on both sides. They might not be good on both sides. You could hold off writing your honest review if they donât write theirs.
I realize Iâm an outlier and other sitters are taking a stronger tack regarding the sitterâs breaking the rule, but I really find the homeowner response out of line.
Iâm an outlier too - I wouldnât appreciated being monitored or hauled over the coals when Iâm not even a paid employee. In the OPâs shoes I would probably tough it out given that there are just five more days of the sit to go but I would want to alert future sitters as to what the homeowners are like.
Just to mention that reviews are now blind so there is nothing to be gained by not submitting a factual and honest review.
Reviews are blind but sometimes when things clearly go wrong and there is a kind of mutally assured destruction, both sides could agree in advance not to go public with the disagreement. Frankly, as a sitter if I saw a review quoting the message, there is no way I would do this sit. I donât know the details from the homeownerâs point of view regarding the sitter other then what they admit here. Both sides could agree it was a bad match and move on. Sitters might notice the missing review and could ask about it.
To me the issue isnât not being âa paid employee.â As a paid employee, I wouldnât appreciate the message either. The issue is simply mutual respect on both sides which has nothing to do with being paid or with a mutual exchange.
Outdoor facing Ring cameras are allowed on THS. Disclosed or not, I would disagree with the advice to disconnect them. If a sitter has a problem with them, discuss it and agree together about turning them off, tolerating them, or leaving the sit. Being sneaky about such a thing feels like two wrongs not making a right.
I would also be significantly put off by the ownerâs tone and being surveilled. But, in this case the owner is raising a breach in the agreement, so the problem here feels mutual.
@kands713
We have often housesit at properties that include external cameras, either doorbell or security.
Such devices are permitted under THS Camera & Recording Device Policy.
â We do allow devices fitted to the exterior of the property or doorbells 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 Guideâ.
But Id truly hope, and frankly expect, that Pet Parents have better things to occupy their time during vacation/trip than watching home security videos. And near-immediate contact from Pet Parent seems very odd indeed.
The cameras were not previously disclosed and the surveillance is making you uncomfortable. If you wish to leave you can give the host 24 hours notice for them to make alternative arrangements. They should have a back up plan in place .