I arrived yesterday to Iceland, to housesit in the north of island. I just spend one night in Reykjavik, because I landed in the evening, and in the morning I start my journey up to the north. Well, it takes more than 5 hours. I had to be there until 3 pm as it was our agreement.
When I arrived and they should me the house, they said: we let you here some spices. I did not react, but soon I realised that this house is completely empty. So I asked them and yes, they confirmed they are living at other house. This house (with three units) they rent for tourists at air bānāb, but now (April) is low season, so they go for vacation. And they left to the airport.
I was scrolling our conversation, even their announce of housesit, but not even one world about that this house is for air bānāb and that actually I will be not at their cozy home, but In empty house.
Do not take me wrong, I know it is not obligatory offer something more then house, as a food or q-tips in the bathroom, but to be honest: I arrived after five hours of driving to the north of Iceland and it wasnāt even bread or can of beans here. NOTHING. Moreover the closest shop is hour of driving (half of hour one way).
I mean: if you are living somewhere for month, you wanna feel cozy a comfy. outside is storm, so you wanna bake cake and be under blanket. ok, so you buy 1 kilo of flour because you need one cup of it? baking soda, oilā¦ all those thing what everybody has at their kitchen.
But here is nothing, not even blanket.
I do not know how to take it. I feel this is not fair. I know I have accommodation for free, but also: I am taking care of their dog 24/7. My program is according to his daily routine. And itās not paid, so I thin I deserve something more then bed and salt and pepper.
Or am I wrong?
Welcome @KarJam
Is the house you are in , the same as the photos in the listing ?
If itās not the same house then the listing was not accurate and that would be a valid reason to leave the sit . You would need to give the host sufficient notice ( 24 hours ) so that they can return and you should inform THS .
If the photos and list of amenities are accurate then this is acceptable as a sit.
Host arenāt expected to provide any food . Did you discuss where the nearest shops are before you arrived?
As @Silversitters has said, can you clarify, were their images of the property you are actually staying in or a different property? If itās of this property, then there are plenty of THS that are for sits in caravans in the owners holiday homes, or second homes too. There isnāt anything wrong if that was the property that was shown.
I am so sorry, but youāre in the wrong about all these things - Q-tips, flour, baking soda, oil, bread, beans. All we āexpectā is loo rolls to last a few days at least, salt and pepper, & anything else is a bonus.
Sitters get marked on self-sufficiently, and that includes buying all of your own food & supplies (if need be).
Also, sorry but owners arenāt to be held responsible for how long a sitter travels, itās totally the choice of the sitter. Otherwise all HOās would just choose the most local sitter to them and no sitters would get to travel to far away places.
With hindsight, if you already knew how far away the shop was, you could have just asked the owners to get you in some shopping and you could have reimbursed them the cost.
I know this isnāt what you want to hear. I feel for you, youāve had a long day.
I think it is totally understandable, and I do not agree that that should be expected.
I find it very little hospitable after 5 hours drive to come to an empty AirBnB-house and an additonal drive to a store.
I expect to sit the pet at the home of the pet. That is literally what the THS advertise:
Ā«pets get to stay happy and loved in their own homes.Ā» Pets donāt get to stay happy in a low season AirBnB or a caravan (or a cabin where you are asked to pee in the bushes. True THS-story). For me that is part of an important side of travelling - to stay as a local where the locals live. But as you mention - it has also to do with the actual facilities in the home. For instance having a blanket. On Iceland. In March. Which one could very much expect - in a home.
So yeah, if the sit is misrepresented you can give 24 h notice and leave. If you decide to stay, I would for sure mention and dock a star for hospitality. And the spices? Probably left by previous AirBnB. 
I think I could have found the listing you are at? In that case they do not mention in their listing that it is a rental - they say several times Ā«our houseĀ». However, in one of the reviews of a sitter, there is a mention of the sitter staying in an AirBnB. Still - the hosts havenāt been transparent. Should you wish to give notice, be sure to screenshot listing so they donāt alter it.
@KarJam - A rough situation for you. Is this your first TH sit?
I think I found the sit listing - and the pictures posted would have me wondering about how lived in the house is - pretty stark and bare - and almost too clean, sort of āairbnbā pictures.
The amenities list bedding and pillows, cooking basics, heat, and bathroom essentials - if those are all there, then the HOs met their responsibilities.
Yes, it would have been great if theyād told you to get some groceries on your drive to the sit, or even better had some basics at least for dinner the first night and breakfast in the morning. When you review the sit, mention those kind of things that would make the sit better!
I always have voice communication with HOs before accepting a sit - always more to discuss.
If this is the sit I found, it looks pretty good - just take the hour rt drive, stock up on groceries and and make the best of it and try to enjoy the dog and the environment!
thank you for comment.
yes, I can see in one review is written āair bānābā, otherwise itās written āour homeā as you saw. thatās why I was surprised.
i gonna stay here, of course, they already left for vacation and itās my responsibility to take care of Lava (dog).
I just donāt feel comfortable and I wish to know it before. after this I already put note in my profile to avoid situations as this in future, moreover If more people thinks this behaving is ok.
I know it is not obligatory (kitchen or bathroom basics), but it is more about hospitality. just wanted to hear more stories from other sitters, if they have similar experiences, to know I am not only one who feel as āthis was not our dealā.
anyway, as I said I gonna stay here bcz of dog, but just wondering If I should text them about or just wait for them? perhaps better to wait, and talk with them personally, I guessā¦
I found the listing and it seems like the listing pictures correspond exactly to what you have arrived to. But nowhere do they call it āour homeā. They say they work from home but that they ācan offer a beautiful houseā. So they were not deceptive but not upfront about it being an airbnb. Only the first review gives a clue, which is why itās so important to pay attention to details in sitter reviews. I would not complain to them about the lack of a blanket (to curl up on the couch with?) unless you are cold. If you are, ask them where they keep extra blankets. I donāt think the expectation of being able to bake a cake with the ingredients on hand is a common one.
When it comes time to write a review, donāt complain about your unmet expectations. Just warn that itās an airbnb rather than a lived in home and that sitters should do a major food shopping well before they arrive as closest grocery store is 30 minutes away.
Good advice. Word it as something that is useful to know - not a Ā«complaintĀ» as that could backfire.
There are pros and cons to most sits. I expect to get what I see in the photos - and the photos for this sit do suggest itās a neat, tidy uncluttered place with basic pots and pans etc, which I see as a pro personally. I donāt think theyāve been misleading.
Iām sorry you feel theyāve been inhospitable but people see things in different ways. Some sitters donāt want to sit down to meal etc with hosts after 5 hours driving. Itās certainly something to discuss in your correspondence/video call prior if itās important to you so that you get the right fit for future sits.
Iād also never expect owners to leave any type of food for me (unless they asked if I needed anything) and Iām totally ok with that. Eating preferences vary a lot and Iād rather just cater for myself. Personally, if the sit is in a āremoteā location for a longer period, I do a big shop prior or on my way there, especially if Iām travelling by car which means thereās no problem carrying stuff. And Iād break a long drive with a pit stop for lunch or a snack on the way.
As far as a blanket goes - Iād just snuggle under one of the duvets on the sofa.
Oh I see, everybody has different expectations and we should discuss it. And experiences also. I did not bring even rain coat, because I was thinking as OH for sure have some, they are living at Iceland! ā¦etc. My fault. I do not want complain about that, because - as I said before - nothing like that is obligatory. I just mean, that would be fair it they clarify it before: the house is using for air bānāb, so bring everything you needed or tell us what you would like to keep here.
Anyway, I will not give them bad review, it would not be fair, but I wanna mention it for other house sitters, bcz I think itās important information, does not matter what is your preferences.
Iāve had a look at the listing and 3 reviews and the clues were there:
The HOs refer to āour houseā in the listing but one review mentions āapartmentā and another states āAirBnBā.
Do the photos depict the place you are staying?
I do think the HOs should have been clear about the accommodation situation in their listing or at least during the video chat (and this is something you could mention in your review) and you could potentially deduct a star for hospitality if you did not feel welcomed, or for communication if you believe they did not properly inform you of what to expect. Then again, communication is a 2-way street, and itās pretty evident from the listing (as well as Google Earth) that the place is pretty remote, so you could - and possibly should - have asked the questions relating to food shopping. Both hosts and sitters have a responsibility to ensure best fit.
On the plus side, it does look an amazing location and the accommodation looks clean and uncluttered. Once youāve been out for supplies and recovered from your long drive, youāll possibly feel more positive about things. I do hope so!
I think they should mention that the accommodation is staying next door, but someone has already said itās an Airbnb in the reviews. You can see on the photos that it is quite empty as you would expect from a holiday home.
I think you can only mention it in a review as everything else is probably as they have stated. I am sure you were tired after your travels and it was a bit of a shock. But I always ask about food on my call, so I know if I should get shopping, normally there are some basics but this is obviously a different situation.
Also I wouldnāt expect to borrow a rain coat. I take all sorts with me and do quite a bit of research on the area, weather etc before I go. Go out today and stock up and you will feel much better I am sure.
Can I just ask, did you do a video chat before confirming this sit? Weāve done several sits where accommodation is in a holiday rental adjacent to the main dwelling, but on every occasion the hosts have made this clear during the chat (and listing photos have always shown the rental, so no surprises there).
Weāve been very lucky, and have actually preferred staying in these lovely holiday homes (no personal belongings to have to worry about and usually easier to keep clean). That said, weāve always had access to the main home too, so we can ensure things are running smoothly there and in case of any emergencies. Weāve also always been told we can use things from the main kitchen etc if we find we need anything which isnāt available in the rental.
We did not have video call actually, even they got my number on WhatsApp. They just texted me if I am able to rent a car and it was done.
I was way excited about Iceland and from my previous experiences I was always in some home, so my fault.
I got my lesson 
Anyway, it is beautiful here and I have dryer in the house for rainy days etc., everything is possible, I am not suffering of course.
Mmm, I think this mainly revolves around the lack of communication and preparation.
Always do a video chat before confirming a sit. Ask questions like how far is the nearest shop, ask, if possible, for a video tour of the house, ā¦It is up to you to inform yourself as well, not just to the owners. I assume you checked where the village was and on a map you could see the nearest shop.
If the place you stay in is the one in the pictures, then there hasnāt been any misrepresentation from the owners.
I do agree that it would have been nice to welcome you with the basics like a loaf of bread, milk, coffeeā¦ you can, should you wish, deduct a star for that in the review. But other than that, Iām afraid itās up to you to make sure you have all the info you need before you accept a sit
I hope, once you get settled in, that it turns out to be a lovely experience!
The Owners definitely should have made it very clear in your communications that you would be staying in one of their rental vacation homes, rather than their personal main home.
Also, they should have made it very clear that the grocery store is 30 minutes away, and you should stop there on your way to the Airbnb, since the Airbnb has āonly a few spices,ā and you will need to provide ALL of your food, which is doable as long as you know ahead of time.
The fact that the nearest store is an hour away and that youāll have to buy ALL the food and other things you need should have been stated in the Welcome Guide, I think. And video calls with details are always a good idea.
Thereās one mention of Airbnb in one review; that might be easy to miss. And the place does look pretty bare, but, sometimes I think some HOs use realtor photos, taken before they moved in & added their personal things. So, personally, Iām not sure Iād have found that a red flag either.
Do leave an honest review so that future sitters know what to expect.
It does sound like a rather dreary arrival. I hope you get stocked up on food and that the rest of the sit is better.
@KarJam - it was your choice to apply for and accept a sit that was a 5+ hour drive from Reykjavik so I assume that you accepted the sit for the stunning scenery and views .
A few welcome food items may be a nice welcoming touch after a long journey but are not a requirement or expected for a THS sit .
If the listing states accurately where the nearest town is ( 30 mins away ) and that you need a car to get around then itās accurate . It would be logical that you would bring your own groceries or purchase them on the way to the sit as you would for any other sit. In many rural communities all over the world ( including U.K. and US ) a 30 min drive to a grocery store is not unusual and not considered to be a very long distance to drive .
To help future sitters , in your review you could say- I recommend that sitters pick up groceries at xx store in xx town on the way as that is the closest grocery store.
(If you research how much the AirBnB is rented out for usually ( per night/ per week ) it might change your perspective on if this is a mutual exchange )
Enjoy your stay , the scenery and views . Priceless.
Think of this as a learning opportunity. Now you know what types of things you should research and ask in the future.
I totally get your point. I was invited to many dinners by pet woners and they asked if they should buy some stuff in advance. In this case they might have though you bring food in your car, especially if the shop is 1 hour away i might have bought something on the way already to avoid leaving next day again for another 1 hour drive. but i get your point. On the first day i often take some food which is already there because im tired from travelling but i aways replace everything i took and often cook for pet parents when they come back or bake a cake or whatever. You can always just reduce one stars for āhospitalityā but explain your point, cause for others it might have not been a problem