Thank you for the clarification! Reason 1 and 2 *combined ^^ have turned Trusted Housesitters into a lottery system unfortunately.
If notifications are only sent out hourly, and highly desirable locations meet their 5 applications within the hour or even minutes, then it becomes impossible to apply unless I check my phone constantly. Unfortunately I have a life 
@Ben-ProductManager is there any solution to this rigged setup? Thank you
@Ben-ProductManager hi Ben, I did ask this question a short time ago, but I can’t see a reply.
Are THS planning to review the 5 applications/pause feature following overwhelming feedback that isn’t in favour of?
Having been negatively impacted by it numerous times, I fully understand how others feel, their posts don’t make happy reading. I’d like to think that THS wouldn’t want their members feeling this way.
Many thanks.
Hi,
Did anyone get informed regarding the changes to the system in which applications are stopped after 5? As a longterm TH sitter and a potential owner I am absolutely appalled!
It gives next to no opportunity for petsitters to apply unless they are on their phone/computer 24/7- which is impossible. And it limits the owner in their choices. Here is no good reason for this change.
I was told this change was made because sitters didn’t like the fact that they weren’t updated if they didn’t get the sit but there could easily be an automatic response given to unsuccessful applicants.
Why on earth am I paying for a useless membership? I will be telling everyone NOT to join. This is a terrible system which is does not work for sitters or owners. And we were not informed which is deceitful on the part of TH.
This is not good enough and if it doesn’t change I certainly won’t be renewing my membership.
I just found out TH changed the system and after 5 applicants the system automatically pauses the application process. So unless you are on your phone/computer 24/7 you are unlikely to find a petsit. I am also a potential owner and am horrified that I would only have 5 possible applicants to choose from. TH did not inform us of this change and I am beyond angry. There is absolutely no point having a membership which doesn’t function.
I totally agree with you and note that your thread has been transferred to the Conclusion of Pausing Application Test thread - where no-one is allowed to comment any further,
I made a comment about this topic not long ago and received a Direct Message to tell me that I was being negative and that most members were happy with the change or had positively adapted to the Pausing Process.
Unless people like us and many before us continue to raise the subject, the team will assume we are all happy with it
@Itchyfeet I would really like the many to speak up then and convince me why its a good idea. I am more than happy to be proved wrong. So far I’ve counted 2 posts in support. Neither really said why they thought it was good. And I don’t think they were trying to apply in different time zones. It has had an enormous impact on my experience. And it seems others. So I really do want to hear how its been great.
I was told that those who are in favour of the change feel intimidated and do not feel able to share their views on the Forum.
You would hope so. It must be benefitting somebody but I am at a loss to see who.
@Twitcher I’m a scientist and quality manager by profession. I always side with hard evidence and facts. And im happy to be swayed by those. But vague assurances with none of that is not very convincing when my own experience is so very different.
Well, of course. This forum is well known for being highly intimidating. 
This sounds like a contender for the ‘Didn’t Happen of the Year Awards’.
The ones benefiting are new home owners and new sitters who don’t know any different and of course THS through improved revenue and reviews.
It’s important to remember only a small percentage of THS members, I believe around 10%, belong to this forum, so there will never be a majority voice.
You can add this to the giant thread about the 5 applicant limit…
My feedback about the new changes are this:
Conversation with a recent owner. “I don’t know what to do, you sound great but there was someone else who applied first!” We encouraged her to choose based on her comfort level, and she felt very relieved to hear this.
Housesitting should not a fast decision.
I agree. I find it utterly infuriating. There are various locations I’m quite keen to sit in but often, by the time I become aware of them, they seem to be rapidly closing in on 5 applications or already at the reviewing stage. I’m really not a fan of this recent change and much preferred the previous system.
I think the biggest difficulty now is to be able to apply for the sit. Because of the 5 applicant limit, the listings are disappearing very fast, a matter of minutes. But once applied, you will compete initially with only 4 applicants. You having good reviews, yes your chances will increase for sure.
Well said Chatsetchiens. You think the situation in London is bad, I’m trying to secure a sit in SE Asia and it’s pretty much impossible. I am in a different time zone, so by the time I wake up in the morning the one or two sits posted the previous evening have already been shut down by the new 5 application rule. No matter what kind of spin the admin team tries to put on this rule, there is no doubt it has ruined this THS site for most users. Make changes by all means, but the changes should improve the site, not render it practically unusable.
This “5” issue is devastating. I’m seriously thinking that I may have to give up the nomadic petsitting lifestyle I’ve been living for the past 3 years because of it, at least give up using this particular site and just hope that all the owners shift over to another site.
I’m lucky to have a few regular sits, but when I need to find a new one in London, it’s nearly impossible now. I didn’t understand what was happening at first and it was an owner who explained what was going on - they were also angry about it as they hadn’t realised about the change, had gotten 5 applications that they didn’t like and then - just nothing. The whole time it was “Reviewing applications” from the sitters side but they hadn’t been notified and were running out of time before their trip.
Several of my ‘clients’ in London have told me that they get a high proportion of applications that they simply wouldn’t consider - people obviously looking for a party place or mere hotel alternative. So by limiting it to 5 they don’t get to the chance to see as many options as they’d like, in order to be able to make a more informed choice.
If this site wasn’t so expensive I might be more inclined to stick it out, but the appeal of that other UK-only site which is much cheaper and owners don’t even have to pay to post is starting to look much more appealing. I’ve always used it in parallel with TH but this site is now sadly becoming unviable due to this terrible policy. I can’t understand who benefits from it?
TH please make a sensible business decision and repair this broken new system!
Absolutely agree this is the result of the new extreme ‘5 applicants at a time’ limitation.
The back-and-forth between HO and sitters usually takes several days. If a sitter only applies to one, they will miss out on other opportunities since other well suited sits will probably be closed.
IMHO limiting applications to a dozen or 15 would have been more useful to everyone.
Owners would feel more confident having a broader range of applicants to consider, but not overwhelmed. Sitters wouldn’t feel they need to apply immediately to several or risk being shut out.
Having been a HO looking at applicants we would get two dozen in a day and shut it down feeling overwhelmed. But going through those two dozen, quickly could eliminate a third of them as not suited. Another third would be unresponsive. So we’d end up with about 8 “real” candidates.
In the past as sitters we were often late applicants (old system), perhaps 10th or 12th yet chosen because we have a great record.
Now HO often will never know we’re available.
I appreciate this will be moved to the now closed thread, but have no way of asking this question.
@Ben-ProductManager I have twice asked if the 5 then pause feature is going to be reviewed, or if the overwhelming negative feedback is a cause for concern to the owners, sadly I have not yet received a reply.
I accept that new features have to be tried and that nothing stays the same in the business world, but not all changes are for the better, the 5 and pause being one of them. I sincerely hope that the views and dissatisfaction of the members are going to be listened to, and perhaps, the feature might be changed, not necessarily back to how it was, but tweaked in accordance with what the members are asking for.
Mods - I respect this is a long thread and that you all have put in a lot of time into managing it, but my two previous posts have not been responded to.
@Daisy999 …Response I got when I messaged the help desk. THS still stands by it being positive.
’
'I am sorry to hear about your frustration with the recent update regarding pausing applications. To be transparent with you we have seen some very positive results following this test, and as such, have made the decision to implement the five application limit across the platform - with some key improvements to be made.
To provide you with some context, previously, there were a couple of challenges: a small number of sitters taking a large majority of sits, and a small number of sits taking a large number of applications. As our community grows, it’s important that the platform works for all of our members - existing and new.
This new process ensures a greater and more even distribution of sits and applications across the platform, which is a fair and positive change for our members. Ensuring sitter and pet parent success is also key in acquiring new pet parent and sitter members, which in turn creates more sit opportunities and sitters, benefitting all of our members.’