Our last two stats have both had Ring doorbells and Alexa or smart home devices in the house. Do these count as recording devices? Should I alert the home owner to make note of it in the listing?
As a previous HO turner house sitter, I was totally unaware of the recording device policy until I started looking into it during my first few sits.
Hi @catlady and thanks for your question. With so many different smart home and recording devices it can be difficult to know what they all do. Here is a copy of the Help Desk information:
It does say regarding doorbell cameras (such as Ring):
We do allow devices fitted to the exterior of the property or doorbell that monitor the security of the outside areas such as the porch, driveway and garden.
But these still have to be disclosed to the sitter before the sit and in the welcome guide as follows:
However, all devices must be disclosed to a sitter before a sit starts, and an owner must display this information on their listing as well as their Welcome Guide.
I’m just checking with MS about Alexa and will report back here once I have some clarity.
All the best
Vanessa
I’m also curious as to what “recording devices” means, exactly, for inside the home.
We have sat for homes with RING outside. Understood that this is permitted. But many homes now have smart recording devices and we have noticed that they light up at certain times, ie when we are speaking. The sit we are currently at had it tucked away in a corner behind a knife block - clearly trying to be undetected and we saw it was lighting up indicating it was in use. This makes me uncomfortable but what are we to say…during the interview asking “do you have recording devices” is awkward and seems like we are trying to hide something.
I am tempted to simply unplug it as it bothers me that it was clearly trying to be hidden. But doing so seems to imply we have something to hide.
Lose-lose scenario for sitters.
We had one sit where after we accepted the sit we were informed there was a “kitty cam” and that we could cover it if we wanted to. Again, it seems if we did that we had something to hide.
It really puts sitters in an awkward and defensive position looking guilty if they object in any way.
Wonder what others think about this as more homes have more and more technology…
Check the other thread about this:
Just this weekend I had another housesit with a doggy cam. I turned it away immediately when I noticed it. About 10 minutes later the owners messaged me to say they have a doggy cam and I am welcome to unplug it, which I promptly did! After the sit, I told them they are obligated to disclose or remove it for future sits. They weren’t aware and was grateful for the advice.
I thought it would be prudent to share the policy guidance on internal recording devices, posted earlier in August …
The technology is readily available, inexpensive and easy to install however not everyone will have these units prominently displayed, not for any underhanded reason but for esthetical preferences.
I have an Echo Dot in my bedroom, an unsolicited gift from my son. it’s black, doesn’t go with anything in the room and I’ve “hidden” it, out of sight, behind a photo frame where it will stay … I even forget it’s there.
Because the technology is becoming more and more common place it’s all the more reason to approach the subject and open a discussion which may or may not seem unusual but it will be an excellent opportunity for the sitter to be fully informed and aware and remind, or even inform, members of the company policy.
Once something becomes common place it’s not viewed by those in possession as unusual or out of place and any discussion on placements will become inconsequential.