Please don’t do the 'don’t leave a review ’
This doesn’t help sitters determine the reason for the lack of review, it could be for many reasons and isn’t helpful at all
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I wasn’t aware of this option for HO’s?
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How does that happen? Honestly I’m really getting so picky now about the sits I apply for due to all this - seems like us sitters are really having the wool pulled over our eyes.
I think a MASS GENERIC email needs to go out to HO’s by THS (especially some of the older members) that state; “please update your pictures to reflect what your home now looks like! I think they need to know that if the home is NOT what was reflected in the post - the sitter may leave a negative review for this reason - or leave the sit altogether!”
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I think a few anonymous questions would be very helpful for sitters. I’m currently struggling with writing a review of my last sit. The HOs were great but the pet was difficult. I don’t want to insult nice people but I don’t want to mislead future sitters either.
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I guess the homeowner didn’t want to leave below 5 stars in case of retaliation. I don’t normally look at the individual ratings, so wouldn’t usually notice this!
Oh sorry I just realised you were talking about a sitter - my response was based on this was a review of a HO! - but yeah same applies - lots of people NOT being honest at the end of the day.
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My point exactly, it’s very hard to write an honest review about a dirty, untidy house when you’ve met the people and they seem really nice. THS should be asking sitters ‘do the photos accurately represent the property’ ‘ was the property clean when you arrived’ etc.
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One of my pet peeves (pardon the pun as nothing to do with the pet) is a fridge full of rotting food… it literally starts my gag reflex and it’s the first thing I have to clean, especially if I have any chance of putting the food I usually bring with me in it.
Then there’s just the greasy film of oil coated on everything in the kitchen - that pet hair will then stick to. Already smelly cat litter trays are particularly gross, or gardens that you find littered with dog feces on day 1!
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I’m an Airbnb owner, and you’ve got that turned around a bit… it’s a Yes or No (would you host them again) and then it won’t let any guest who was given a “No” do an instant booking, they have to request a booking and the homeowner can decline. We can’t see the Yes/No designation anywhere. So if you don’t use instant book that rating is no good to you.
As a sitter I would never ever expect this level of cleanliness 
Experienced at 2 different housits: very dirty toilet brush (poop all over it), half eaten food (that was there for a long time), floors and rugs with pee and pet’s poop, sticky greasy kitchen (was spoiled having that case twice) with wine spash, greasy handprints, and so on…
At these 2 sittings it was obvious that the homes hadn’t been cleaned prior my arrival, and it was very unpleasant to have to clean for several hours from the beginning. I can be understanding if there are extraordinary circumstances although it’s always possible to plan a maid when someone is unable to clean himself.
That was very thoughtful!
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Close, but not quite… I still can’t smell a photo!
Plenty of things that are “not clean” aren’t showing up in a photo.
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@DMcat , leave a glowing review of the HO and home, but tactfully mention something about the pet that will give a prospective sitter some indication of what to expect or what you, personally, found challenging. I have really appreciated seeing this type of review.
If you want some more specific feedback but want to keep it off the public forum, you could DM one of us or @Angela_L.
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That’s what I’m trying to do! It isn’t easy to put a positive spin on a pet who attempted to bite me more than once. To be fair I was warned by the HO that it could happen.
Why would I leave a glowing review of the home if it’s really dirty……
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@MissisE , I was responding to the post from @DMcat. If you look in the upper right corner of the message, you will see who the message poster is replying to.
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Hi @DMcat would you please connect with me via Direct Message regarding the dog biting situation.
Any sitter finding themselves in a potential or actual situation with a biting dog should contact with the Membership Services team.
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Well, I feel a bit better now about the state of my home 
I always clean out the fridge ! And I do clean everything else as well. In an older house though some things may look unclean when they’re really just old and worn out. Case in point: my kitchen cabinets are metal from 1949 and prior homeowners painted them with wall paint. When you scrub them the paint comes off, revealing the metal underneath or the original beige coating. They really need to be sandblasted and painted with automotive enamel. But that’s a big job. The cabinet pulls are also a bit tired looking and chrome has faded, but they’re an odd size that isn’t made anymore so can’t be replaced. I’d love to remodel the kitchen but it’s not in the budget right now. Hopefully sitters can understand. My worry is that in this Instagram era, some sitters, especially those who have not owned their own homes, may have unrealistic expectations. Kind of like how so many people on FB and other social media appear to have picture-perfect, happy lives, whereas the reality is often messier. This discussion thread is actually reassuring though, since what sitters are describing as unclean does seem pretty egregious. So my worry is probably unfounded
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@pdxgal I would Instagram the crap out of your kitchen! It actually sounds like it would be a cool backdrop for my cooking lessons! Your name being PDX, leads me to believe that you’re not nearby (I’m in TN), but maybe one day…?
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Ha! Yes, #vintage! A neighbor who worked at a historical preservation non-profit here (here in PDX – Portland, OR) told me to contact her when I’m ready to remodel, as the cabinets are sought after by some folks.
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