Currently on a sit that for the most part has been great!! Wonderful dog, lovely house and the owners let me use their car and got me groceries which I appreciate.
The conflict I ran into was other people visiting during the sit. When we agreed to the sit the only person who they mentioned would be coming over weekly was there organizer/cleaner. When I arrived to the sit they told me their daughter would be popping over once to pick something up, construction would be working for a few days outside and their cleaner would actually be coming over twice a week. They also mentioned their hunter friends would be coming by at some point for deer hunting on the property. They are new to THS and they didnāt realize the 3rd party rules so I gave them grace and said Iām okay with everything as long as people arenāt here excessively and that absolutely no hunters come by (gunshots scare me!)
Unfortunately the cleaner is really more their organizer so for the most part sheās just in the owners room rearranging their closet and bathroom. While she does give me somewhat of an advance notice when sheās coming her schedule is different than what was agreed upon with the owners. She also told me point blank sheād help clean up after the dog but I would be on my own for everything else which is different from what the owners told me both verbally and in writing. I absolutely understand where sheās coming from though, Iām not the one paying her so why should she clean up after me!
My biggest issue is that today Iām sick and texted her that I donāt feel well and need my space because I also have a telehealth appointment that I need privacy for. This request was denied and now sheās here and wonāt even agree to leave by the time of my appointment. Sheās also gonna be here tomorrow to help prepare for the homeowners arrival friday. I truly donāt know what to do at this point since my issue isnāt really with the HO but with their organizer. I know THS takes privacy very seriously (at least with HOās) but it sucks that I feel my privacy has been kinda violated during this sit. Iām debating calling the HO and asking them to tell her to leave by my appointment time but I really donāt want to escalate the situation especially when the sit is almost over.
Iām sorry youāre being made to feel uncomfortable, if I were you I would absolutely be contacting the HOās to make them aware of the situation and asking she gives you the privacy you need for your appointment.
You may not be the one paying her, but you are staying in the home of the people who are, itās not really for her to decide she wonāt clean your spaces, especially if thatās what has been agreed between you and the HO.
Hello
Iām sorry to hear all that, especially since you arenāt feeling well. I have never had a sit where the cleaner did not clean the entire house, and I was responsible for my own areas. That is strange they wouldnāt be cleaning the areas that most need it because people are using those spaces. If the HOs specifically said otherwise, I would maybe mention that to them after the sit was finished. Wouldnāt want to get anyone in trouble, but I think they would probably want to know if the person wasnāt doing her job properly.
As for the other dilemma, if I were you, I honestly probably would just leave it alone since the sit is only for a couple of more days. You have every right to say something, but you want to decide if it is worth it to create any tension between you and the HOs or you and the cleaning person. If you are already experiencing a lot of emotional discomfort, you may end up with even more depending on how the situation goes.
I am always looking at things through the lens of keeping my ego in check and picking my ābattlesā wisely because I like to make my life as easy as possible. And if it were me, because the sit is so close to being finished, whatever issues could potentially arise by bringing that all up, and doing what my ego mind perceives to be the ārightā thing, would not be worth it to me. Everyone is different though and that is just my opinion.
This experience is a good learning one and can help you in accepting future sits because you will know to ask certain questions and let HOs know certain things that would not be okay, like work being done on the home while you are there,etc.
Sorry to hear this. I was recently in similar situations and I know how upsetting it is.
I donāt think there is much you can do, but you could try to report it. Try to have written proof of whatās happening, if you have text messages from the cleaner or the owner. Itās against THS policies (and the rules of common human decency as well), and I hope someone will do something, even if itās just to warn them. You could wait until your sit is over.
I was in a similar situation but with a nosy, intrusive neighbor. I donāt know if she assigned herself as a spy, or if the HOs had given her some indication to do so. Regardless, when she stepped over a high boundary, I let the HOs know and that I would not tolerate such treatment. They agreed and I didnāt hear from her again.
It doesnāt sound like the HO is aware of how their cleaner/organiser is affecting your stay, and I donāt think they would want that. you need to make the HO aware of whatās going on, and how it differs from what you had discussed with them, but tell them youāve tried to be accommodating with their cleaner but you feel like you can not relax in their home with their dog, which is ultimately the reason you are there. you need to mention something to them, im sure they donāt want their dog with someone who is always on-edge.
I verbally talked to her and told her that her leaving by my appointment time was non negotiable. She pushed back and said it was really strange that I want her to leave since sheās in the basement and Iāll be upstairs but even if sheās not intentionally listening in the house is echoy and I feel within my right to have certain boundaries when it comes to my medical privacy. I even offered to buy her lunch and that she could come back after my appointment if she really needed too. Sheās preparing to leave now and I can tell sheās a bit upset with me.
I know that sheās not aware of the THS policies so I might briefly explain it tomorrow when she comes back. Iām someone whoās does her best to avoid conflict and now I feel guilty asking her to go. I might leave her a gift card or something tomorrow as a thanks for sorta helping me clean up! Iām also still debating whether to mention any of this to the HO
I would definitely mention it, the reason being is that the HO is closest to the her, not you, and the HO is bound to ask her if you seemed to get on okay with the dog, and other things could come out, that make you look difficult to get along with, rather than you just wanting to dog-sit in your own space. You donāt have to put anything in a bad way, you just need to mention it to prevent yourself from getting hit with a bad review for no real reason.
TBH she probably just seeās you like any other paid personā¦ but you arenāt a paid person, you are a guest in their home, not an employee. She probably doesnāt realise that either.
She does know Iām doing this for free because her daughter was interested in doing it too. She definitely isnāt fully aware of all the policies though so Iāll try to better explain tomorrowā¦maybe offer to buy her coffee or something when I go out to appease her.
I agree that I need to say something to the HO! Iām just trying to find the balance of not getting her in trouble but also protecting myself. Iām probably just gonna thank them again for everything and briefly remind them of the 3rd party policy for future sitters and how at the end of the sit there were minor issues regarding it. At the end of the day she watched me play with the dog in the yard, take him to the dog park weekly and overall shower with affection so at the very least she canāt say I was a bad petsitterā¦even if Iām not a people person
I would simply move on. It has happened to me before and probably to many others. Not every sit is wine and roses unfortunately.
You must look at this as unknowing ignorance on the part of the cleaner. I do find that when cleaners have been looking after someoneās home for a long time, they become protective of their āterritoryā, like cats and dogs do, and sometimes act like they are āwatching outā for the HOās, even when they donāt need protecting. This is normal human behaviour. A sit that I had was exactly the same and it became quite edgy between us at times but I knew what she was doing, protecting her territory so to speak. Though I hated it, I understood it, gritted my teeth and kept out of her way. She was only there a short time so there was no point escalating the issue. I simply let her do her thing which I knew she was there to do, and she left. Donāt allow a few hours a day shift your focus from the big picture of a great sit. I guarantee you, the HO will side with the cleaner and if you take the discussion with her back and forth, it really could end up affecting your review. Is it worth that? I DO understand and empathise that the cleaner is a right royal pain in the butt but human nature being what it is?
Overall it has been a great sit for you, wonderful dog, great house, use of a car, sounds pretty good! You need to take the good with the bad, accept this is quite a minor issue with the sit in the overall picture, nothing to do with the HOās obvious kindness, and move on.
I recommend that you get your feelings off your chest with the owner before you leave the sit. Maybe the night before you leave or in the morning. I did that before I left my last bad pet sit, and it helped me so much. It felt like I was leaving the negativity behind instead of taking it with me.
No way would I just let it go if I were in your position. The cleanerās behaviour is not OK and you canāt be expected to silently swallow it when people donāt treat you right. If you speak up, it might make the owner aware and be kinder/more respectful towards future sitters.
I did that halfway through a sit (offering to be replaced and to leave), and it got me three stars and a review that does not reflect reality.
In the case of this thread, it seems clear that the cleaner could tell the HO all kinds of things and that the sitter is not likely to be treated fairly. A horrible situation.
