This is an observation or curious question I have. Are only the sitters background checked and ID checked? I totally understand and have no problem with that at all. But does the HO also have a background and ID check too? Seems odd to me, I could be wrong since I am a sitter here and not a HO. Just curious what does the HO have to do to establish a profile and use this site? Thanks.
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Excellent question. Typically property owners are registered with ⌠fill in the blanks (depending on the country). Such registers are available to the public, hence, once you know the address the filed info will be available to you.
Perhaps so-called âhomeownersâ were originally assumed to own a home. Unfortunately, this is not the case as THS´s homeowners may or may not own a home, they can be renters or even squatters for all we know.
In addition, the âhomeowners´â address is not accessible to the sitters, at least not before they accept the sit (and sometimes not even after) which brings us back to your question 
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InterestingâŚit makes sense to me that both HO and Sitters should have background checks.
Also, I think the Welcome Guide should be given, as a confirmed document -full disclosure- about expectation prior to accepting the sit.
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You can always ask the owners what their address is before accepting the sit.
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It makes sense to me personally since a HO is giving his property + animals to the care of the sitter. But we also understand that sitters are also cautious and worried about their safety. During a workaway stay our host also said that her neighbors were afraid for her because she was accepting complete strangers to stay with her in her house: âWhat if they are going to murder her?â She replied to that: âI could murder them as well, so trust goes both ways.â
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Definitely. Thatâs what we always do.
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Of course, I can, @Smiley. Not too long ago some sitters were reporting on this very forum that they were denied that information.
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But then you have the right to rescind your application if you are unable to get the information before you accept a sit. Once theyâve offered you the sit, I canât imagine why they wouldnât be willing to tell you the location. If they wouldnât, then I wouldnât accept it.
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Yeah, I agree, thereâs too much private info in a Welcome Guide to share it ahead of time. If you have a proper interview before the sit, you can get all of those pertinent questions answered before you accept the sit. The specific details on where things are stored etc do not need to be shared until after someone is accepted.
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@Pawtastic, mustn´t both parties confirm before sitters get access to the request-a-Welcome-Guide-button?
p.s. in my experience (9 sits only) most pet owners do not have a Welcome Guide
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Neither can I. The sitters reporting this issue may provide some answers.
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I still think the short answer is that you shouldnât accept a sit if there is a red flag and that, to me, would be a red flag.
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sure thing, it is a given, isn´t it?
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This is an interesting subject. As a HO I would be happy if TrustedHousesitters did a background check, and if I become a sitter, the same. I think as an HO I would be able to give a parameter of where my house is, ie - show a map and circle about a 2 mile area around my location. Just like on Air bnb. In my listing I did put how far I am from the beach and a few other interesting tourist spots. As a sitter, I would definitely want to know the approximate vicinity of a home just to see if itâs fairly close to places I want to explore. Have a nice day everyone.
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HOs donât generally provide information such as wifi code, location of keys if no handover, welcome guide until theyâve confirmed the sitter(s) and, by then, a rapport should have been established.
When housesitting overseas (as a USA citizen) I always request the name and address. As USA citizens, we can enroll in The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) with the local Embassy and the USA can track where we are as citizens overseas with our passports
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Iâm curious about what vetting of home owners takes place, as Iâve only seen the sittersâ side of the process. Most of the reassurances on the Help page seem to be for home owners. Of course, home owners need to feel comfortable with people they donât know coming into their home. But equally sitters need to feel comfortable that we are going to be safe while in the house weâre sittingâŚ
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Hi @Sunshine_G - as far as I know there is no vetting of homeowners at all. Only sitters are vetted and even that differs for US citizens.
Hello @Sunshine_G This link might help explain background checks and covers the difference between USA checks and the reason why they are available there first
In regards to owners as @Twitcher mentioned there are currently no background checks for owners. However, the product team are aware and there is a mention in this article âWhy is it mandatory for sitters and not for ownersâ.
You can also add any suggestions to:
Any other questions let me know. Best wishes Carla
I agree Sunshine_G. THS very much favors HOs. I find the fact that there is no acknowledgment that the the risk goes both ways to be really disrespectful to sitters. The HOs are trusting us with their homes and pets, and we are trusting them with our own safety and health. No matter how much we communicate and see pictures, we donât know for sure what situation we are going into until we actually get there. As a solo sitter, I always have a bit of trepedation on my way to a new sit. Fortunately, my sits have all been great for the most part, but until I get there I have no way of knowing if the situation will be safe and as expected.
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