We are on our second house sit. The first was incredible, but this second one has left us a little deflated. The house is absolutely filthy although the listing makes it sound, and look like a walk in the park.
The yard is terribly overgrown and unsafe, the hot tub is green and slimy, about an inch of pet hair chunks fell off the the stove vents that had been stuck to grease, the garage is full of pet fecies, the pots were left on the stove and had old food in them, and the list could go on and on.
My question, when I read through this HO’s past reviews she receives five stars throughout. Being a new sitter I don’t want a bad rating following me around, but I honestly don’t feel I can give her that for cleanliness because I wouldn’t want other sitters to walk into what we’ve experienced. I would feel horrible. How do I handle this?
Welcome to the forum @OurSeniorAdventures123 sorry that it’s a bad sit experience that has brought you here .
If the home is so dirty it’s unliveable you can inform member services and give the host 24 hours notice that you are leaving . There is an Urgent Support phone number which is available 24/7 . Take photos of all the problem areas .
If you decide to stay please do an accurate and honest review - Reviews are blind . This means that the host won’t see your review until after they have written theirs
Deduct stars for cleanliness - and maybe accuracy of listing if appropriate. List all the positives as well as the negatives then future sitters can decide for themselves . Make it factual not emotional- for example
We weren’t able to use the hot tub as the water was green and slimy . ( That is a Fact)
Hosts are required to provide sitters with a clean welcoming home . You can raise a member dispute take photos of all the problem areas (hot tub , stove , garage etc … ) and send an e-mail with the title Member dispute to Support@trustedhousesitters.com
@OurSeniorAdventures123 what a disgrace, so sorry you had to go through that. Did you recently arrive? Did you do a handover? Is it still possible to tell the HO that it’s unacceptable, and could they perhaps arrange for a cleaner to come in asap?
There really is no excuse for leaving a house filthy, but perhaps the owner was sick or something. Still…
I would give 24 hours notice in writing to THS and the host and leave. And the notice would be a courtesy only because pets are involved and the host can arrange alternative care.
The host is a disgusting creep to leave her home in such a state for anyone, much less a sitter expected to care for her pets. Such a foul and disrespectful person doesn’t serve voluntary sitters of any kind, IMO.
Whether you decide to leave early or not, please write an honest review and spare other sitters.
As @Maggie8K says I would give notice and leave - and raise a member dispute.
Should you for some reason need to/ want to stay, I would suggest that you document now as suggested by @Silversitters , but wait to raise a member dispute until after the reviews are given, to avoid the dispute being retaliated in a review.
If you stay, clean for your own comfort and then you probably don’t need to do a thing leaving as it would anyway be better than when you arrived.
Please leave an honest and factual review. It can be done transparent and still nice. And remember that people leaving homes like this are not «nice people»,.
You have received excellent advice @OurSeniorAdventures123, especially from @Silversitters. As well as deducting stars for Cleanliness, I would also from Hospitality as this owner has not made any effort to make you feel welcome in their home.
I hope the sit is not for long!
I support what everyone else is saying and call TH and report and tell them you want to give 24 hours and leave. They will ask for pictures.
Your description of “absolutely filthy” is pretty strong words. Very different than saying, the home is not as clean as we would have liked. Absolutely filthy to me sounds unsanitary and unlivable. My health is above everything else. As a senior as well, I am very healthy and want to stay this way. Living in filth does not sound healthy. Sorry this is only your 2nd sit. You may want to get help from the forum how to word your review. You don’t say how long you have been on the sit and how much longer is the sit. How long have you been there an how long is the sit for? Was the PP there when you arrived and took you through the walk through or just left you a key? I hope your sits in the future are all positive.
I really do empathise with you and you’re right to come here for advice. @Silversitters always gives great advice so do follow that as I can’t really add anything. I recently came on the forum for advice as to how to write a review for a home that didn’t meet my standards, however it wasn’t as bad as you’ve described. I have written the review starting off with the positives and then the negatives. It may buck the owner up into getting the place cleaned and broken things replaced but, if not, future sitters can see what they’re walking into.
Let us know whether you decide to leave. I think I would in your situation.
I don’t have much to add but want to emphasize this point. By all means, highlight the positives: that the animals are easy to love, and if the host did anything well, you can highlight that. But as others have noted, we sitters rely on each other for accurate reviews that reflect our experience in each place, so please state the facts about the negative as well.
I’m almost OCD with cleanliness. Sometimes I see listings in which the house seems quite filthy, disorganized, unmade beds, dirty bathroom, etc. However, several reviews from sitters say otherwise, which is quite confusing. I prefer to go with my gut and only choose places in which there Is consistency between the pictures and the reviews of the sitters.
It’s a basic sign of courtesy and respect to receive pet sitters in a clean environment, as well as to leave the house impeccable when we finish the sit.