Hi. I have just started a month long housesit. The daughter placed the ad for her parents’ two dogs, which means that they probably have not reviewed my experience or references (over 70 five star reviews). When I first arrived, I learned that they would be staying for a few days, during which time they watched over me like a hawk to make sure that I was following the rigid schedule set up for the dogs. (To be honest, it was set out in the responsibility section that they had a pretty set routine but I had no idea it was so rigid regarding to the minute times, etc.) Once when I was told to take one of the dogs for a walk, I discovered that the man was actually following me at a distance. I understand that their pets are precious to them but I am an experienced pet lover and their safety and comfort are always of prime concern to me. I could go on but here is my real question. After arriving I learned that the pet parents plan to “pop in for a few days” now and again during the sit. I am a private person and enjoy my solitude and independence. As their daughter placed the posting I’m not sure that they are aware that they are supposed to vacate for the entire time of the posting. English is not their first language. I am in the their country and appreciative of their attempts to speak in English, as I know none of their language, but at times communication is quite difficult and I think that there have been misunderstandings in both directions. So the question: if they are at home for a few days, am I still responsible for the pet care or can I go off on my own, perhaps even leaving town to see more of the country? The pet care is not difficult but it takes up the better part of the day to cover their schedule so I’ve had little time to explore.
This goes against 5.2.13 of the T&Cs: Terms & Conditions | TrustedHousesitters.com
So no need for you to tolerate this. And of course, there is no reason whatsoever for you to take care of the pets on such days.
@Ghpowers - Having the owners or anyone else stay while the sitter is there is against THS rules .
“ to ensure the security and privacy of all members, pets and homes, ….Once a sitter has begun their sit, we require that the pet parent(s) have vacated the property for the entirety of the stay and no other individuals (apart from the confirmed sitters) are present during the sit. “
You can speak to THS on the Urgent Support Phone Line ( an 24/7 phone number ) and ask for their advice and help.
The phone number is on your dashboard.
This sounds miserable. Based on other “professional” experience I’ve had, I don’t think I would’ve taken a sit arranged by an intermediarry like the daughter. You also shouldn’t be sitting for them at all when they are popping in as that is against the rules. But obviously it’s awkward.
My question to you is what do you want? It feels like staying there when they are there and not sitting is more than awkward, so you could ask the daughter if she’ll pay for you to be at a hotel while they are home. She coud also cancel the sit and then restart it again. You could also let her know this is so far away from a normal sit that you want to cancel altogether. You can go to THS if she won’t do it. Of course this way the sit gets reviewed but you can explain exactly what happened and why you left.
I can understand if you came to a foreign country to do the sit and this upsets all your plans, but in your shoes, there is no way I would be staying.
I would perhaps chat with their daughter and make them aware they are breaching the THS rules, and make @support aware too and ask them for their advise. They are treating you like a paid employee, that’s not the THS way at all.
You’ve done 70 sits, so you’ll know it’s just not right. But they just simply won’t be aware of how it all works, and how they need to trust the system and the kindness of those that give their time for free in exchange for accommodation.
Thanks for the responses. I took this housesit because it is in a country that I have longed to visit. I know with dogs that you shouldn’t leave them for more than about four hours and it looked like I would have two daily opportunities to get out and about for three or four hours. The sit is scheduled to last a month and I thought that short trips out to sightsee would be okay. It was well into the process of obtaining a visa and other planning that I learned that the dogs lived with the parents of the person who posted the listing. I fully expected that she would be the one to greet me when I arrived but learned the day before that she was in another city just now. As a committed pet lover and sitter, I take the role seriously and do not want to leave them in a lurch, as they told me that they will be attending a relative’s wedding later in the month. Arranging for a new sitter at this point is likely impossible so I don’t mind staying for that but I want my privacy and independence. Fortunately I can afford an inexpensive hotel and relish the idea of exploring further so I don’t mind leaving when they return. I just wondered about the etiquette of doing so. I know that they have shown little regard for etiquette, which may be a cultural difference between us, but I don’t want to do the same.
In my opinion the sit effectively ends when the hosts return home so you are free to do what you wish -
Have you contacted THS via the Urgent Support Phone line or live chat for advice ?
If it wasn’t told to you up front about them coming back mid-sit and you only found out about it once you’d arrived I’d be talking with THS support right away and documenting all of my conversations with the daughter and HO.
As someone above mentioned, once the HOs returned (even if for a few nights) I’d consider the sit completed and advise THS and the HO that I was leaving.
I would terminate the sit. There really isn’t any guarantee that you will get a review or a good review anyway, as it seems they do not know the terms and ethos of THS.
When host is back you have no obligation to care for the pets and/ or walk them, and no obligation to stay there.
If you for some reason want to stay anyway, I think you are in your right to vacate the home while the owners are home themselves, for instance going to a hotel. Or the owners could find other accommodation, going to their daughers or other.
Thank you everyone for the feedback. I know that this wouldn’t work for everyone and is not the idea of THS exchanging services for exclusive use of a home, but I think that I will take the time that they are here as an opportunity to explore more and leave when they are here. My question had been on the ethics of doing this as I had committed to caring for the pets for an agreed upon time period and the THS community has answered that.
I did not contact the THS support line. I was hoping to resolve the matter on my own so I spoke with the daughter, as she was my initial contact and because her command of our common language is better than her parents. She has spoken with her parents. They have given me a schedule for when they will be here. I hope that this solves the issue.
@Ghpowers this is a matching service and if you are comfortable with this arrangement and can make it work for you that’s great .
However it’s important that the daughter understands that this is outside of THS rules. Have you explained this to the daughter ?
Without understanding this, they likely will expect other THS sitters to be comfortable with this arrangement on future sits.
Also they may write a negative review of you if they don’t understand that what they have expected of you is not how THS works .
Have you clearly explained that your responsibilities for the pets ends when the parents are home?
The reason I suggested to contact THS Support is that they will have a record of what’s happened in case these hosts make any complaints about you . THS will not contact the hosts whilst you are on the sit (unless you want them to ) but they can make a record and ( if you want it ) give you advice .
If I was in your situation , I would be notifying THS to cover myself against any complaints from the hosts .
It seems like a good solution for you.
For a longer solo sit it could offer options to rewind and to explore things not so accessible taking care of pets.
I guess if they had instead posted several sits, equivalent to when the parents are home, maybe you would still have considered applying. I know I consider such options when a host post multiple sits at a time. I’m sure the parents are just trying to navigate something really unknown to them and not wanting someone to be uncomfortable - unsure of concept, roles and language. Must be stressful for all of you - happy it seems to work out.
Best of luck going forward.
The HO did not keep their part of the deal. So again: no ethics whatsoever obliges you to care for the pets on the days that they are also there.
That is incredibly insane. You should tell them to walk the dog themselves!
I’m always surprised why people do let that happen to them. I would have been gone in a second.
Well done you for being so kind! I would have left by now. Please be sure to state all the issues you have encountered in your review after the sit, to ensure that we are all aware of the situation if they decide to reapply later.
@Ghpowers, kudos on 70+ 5* reviews. Your Pet Parents are fortunate to have someone of your veteran experience volunteer to look after “their” pets.
Sounds like you have evolved a mutually agreeable solution. Hope that it works out positively.
Regardless, please mention related facts in the review. Honest, objective, specific reviews are important and may be highly valuable to a future prospective housesitter.
It sounds awful, I am so sorry. I think that the first thing I would try is to translate in the politest manner possible that you are a very experienced and responsible Pet Sitter and that you understand their concern with their pets but this is not allowed. I would translate that if they are coming for a few days you will be going out and they will take care of their own animals, otherwise you will cut the sit short. and that is even if it’s at all acceptable for them to be staying there while you were there which sounds horrible. I would definitely get support involved because you don’t want an awful review at the end of this miserable sit.
I know that some people would say it’s against the rules and to leave but that is simply some thing that My husband and I would never be able to do because of the animals but it would just be unacceptable for them to come to stay with you for a few days during the sit.
In my opinion you are not «leaving the sit» if the hosts have returned and are present.