So now that sitters can leave a star rating per category, what do we rate a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5?
For reference i recently had a sit where there was a trail of ants to the cat food when i arrived (i had to vacuum them up and whipe the trail, the owner got the exterminator the next day so it was ok), the washer had mold around the rim so i couldn’t get anything out of it without getting mold stains, had to clean that thoroughly, and there was something in the trash that was rotting and i had to take it out immediately when i walked in.
what would you rate that? i gave him 4 because there was a relative sitting before (so i didn’t get the house from the owner directly) and otherwise the house was clean.
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The issue here is the hand over from a third party which always seems (based on posts) to create problems. So the ants and garbage could be down to them. Re the dishwasher, that’s most probably a long term issue but I would let it slide if it’s obvious the host did their best to have the house set up for you thoughtfully.
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Cleanliness is a huge one for me, to the point that I put it in my profile. And HO’s often comment on that, noting they also want someone who is neat and clean.
However, not sure I’d knock someone down for the items you mention if the rest of the home was clean. Ants are common in certain regions; it isn’t about cleanliness, ants are attracted to moisture. And the washing machine: I’d toss some bleach in and run it through a clean cycle. I knock HO’s down on cleanliness for negligence and items that can’t be fixed or aren’t easy fixes. I once gave 3* but should have only given 2* due to unclean bathroom, disgusting refrigerator, rotting food left, W/D barely working, dishwasher not working, etc.
i mean i consider 4 to still be a good rating, and meaning “clean” just minor issues. as well i said in my review i’d do it again.
I’ve been wondering about this as well. Thankfully we’ve had clean homes for our sits with only one minor exception. That one exception was a first-time HO and it was only our 4th sit, so we thought we might be too nitpicky to give them a lower rating for what seemed minor things - rotten food in fridge to point that it made the whole kitchen smell when we opened the fridge, very dusty guestroom to point that there were some common dust bugs (not horrible but present), guest bathroom had a layer of film, and the kitchen had grease on most of the counters and some other minor spills. None of it was a big deal and we just did a quick cleaning and vacuuming. However, I think I probably should have given them a 4 on cleanliness instead of 5. What do others think? What types of things have made you give an even lower cleanliness rating?
I arrived on a sit that wasn’t clean. Dirty kitchen bench tops, dirty floors, overflowing cat litter boxes of stinky yuck yuck. I cleaned the space thoroughly so I could enjoy my stay and I took a star off for that (before the new extra star categories).
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Does not seem minor to me!
The number of stars does not matter. Just write this as a text, and give four stars to make sure that it will be read. (Four stars makes you look fair, one star indicates rage.)
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That’s good to know. We weren’t sure because we were new, but now with more experience we would have given a 4 for cleanliness.
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Exactly! 
I agree with @pietkuip that for sure you should have taken away a star or two for that!
That is terrible. Homes should be clean on arrival. You should not have to clean anything on arrival, but that house sounds like you had to clean on arrival, in order to feel comfortable.
Also, you need to leave it clean when you depart, so those people got a free house cleaning from you! What if you left it the way you found it, and they gave you a bad mark for cleanliness? That would not be fair at all.
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holy #ell all of this and you gave five stars? what would it take?
i got a four star on cleanliness because i didn’t wash the sheets one time when i left (stripped and changed them but didn’t wash the ones i used, left them in the hamper).
UPDATE: i got a four star on cleanliness because i didn’t wash the sheets when i left. I stripped and put clean sheets on the bed, but left the used ones in the hamper. That said the home owner didn’t have a washer dryer, and you had to pay to use th washer dryer in the building, buy a card, and fill it to wash… For that the lady gave me 4 stars…
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I recently received 4 stars for Cleanliness as there was a small coffee spillage on the kitchen floor & she doesn’t drink coffee. She described it as grubby! The HO didn’t mention in the review that I offered to wash & dry the bedding she would take off before leaving so that she could come home to a clean & made-up bed at the handover. At that time, she was extremely grateful that I was prepared to do that for her! Dear me, she had to sweep up some coffee grounds before getting into her nice, clean bed - you can’t please some people
My goodness.
That is unbelievable! We always ask about the bedding and what they want, but most HOs are surprised that we even ask and most just want us to pull the sheets off the bed. To receive a 4 star for not washing the sheets when not even asked is incredibly nitpicky.
Since that was one of our first sits, we didn’t know better. Now I’d give a 4 star rating for Clealiness.
This post raises the question about whether there is a standard for star ratings, and the responses strongly imply the answer is “no”. I’ve struggled with this issue. Stars have different meanings to different people. Some would say 4 is still a positive review. Others view it as a “deducted” star (there is a lot of clinical psychology at work here, but that is too long for this forum). This results in star inflation or deflation.
For example, when I google restaurants in Europe, I don’t want to eat anywhere, because the star ratings look “low” if I’ve been in the US a while. (Americans inflate ratings, Europeans deflate ratings, at least on google. “Eww, a 4.5?” or “Wow, this place has a 4.5!” It’s about perspective.)
Separately, everyone has different expectations of “clean”. I have arrived at sits at which I literally would think it safe to eat off the floor or even the toilet seats. I also have arrived at sits (not all the same sit, this is a composite) where trash was not taken out, the microwave was caked with food, pet hair was everywhere, food was in the sink, dishes were in the sink, dirty dishes in the dishwasher, the toilets had not been cleaned, the beds had not been made, the kitchen had an oily film on everything, the kitchen had roaches, kids toys were everywhere, kids toys were in the bath I was meant to use, the bedding was stained, clothes were left in the laundry machine, clothes were left on the hallway floor…and so forth. If all of that happened on a single sit, I would give it a very low star rating. But I can overlook one or two items. It’s just that some are more severe than others. I don’t recall ever rating lower than 4 stars, although in some cases I debated whether it should have been 3.
I say in my application that I leave a house “as clean or cleaner than you left it”, and I mean that. I don’t bust my butt cleaning if the house wasn’t clean when I got there, because the homeowners standards are obviously different, and they wouldn’t appreciate it or even notice it if I did. And I don’t want to be that stereotypical passive-aggressive in-law who over cleans to make people self-conscious about the state of their home.
I guess as a sitter I just prepare myself that there is a spectrum of acceptable cleanliness, and I try to adapt. Now that we can leave honest reviews, I’ll drop a star (maybe two) to let future sitters know not to expect a professionally cleaned environment. For many sitters, that’s OK. You don’t have to clean as well on your way out.
I think 1 star is for an uninhabitable house that you had to leave for health or safety reasons, not a small transgression. 2 stars is barely above that, but would be multiple problems that are really gross. 3 stars I still think it needs to be several problems, never just one. What you describe could fairly be a 4 or maybe 3 star. I’d probably give it a 4.
And yes, it’s a fact of life (saying this as a dad of now adult kids), the least clean houses I’ve sat in all had young kids. That’s not a knock on families. But as sitters, we should keep that in mind when accepting sits. As someone mentioned, getting out the door for a holiday with kids is already a chore. Some things get overlooked.
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exactly, in fact when the HO came in she texted me telling me how nice and clean and in order everything was, latyer she noticed the dirty sheets in the hamper and texted me thanking me for cleaning the sheets, she took it for granted given the state of the house. When i mentioned they were in the hamper for a reason, she said “good thing i asked” and gave me 4 stars for cleanliness.
what i would suggest is to check a HO’s reviews of sitters, and if they go around deducing stars systematically, then pass.
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That’s very annoying @lazy.horse. Would be tempted to write in the review response something like “Really appreciated your many compliments & texts on my cleanliness & attention to detail in taking care of your home.” or similar. That says to me, you did everything, she knew that and still docked a star for no reason. #havingthelastword
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I am glad this topic came up and have enjoyed reading all the responses. I am a bit taken back at the condition of most - yes most of the houses I have house sat for. And I stuggle with how to rate them and what to say. I only wish everyone would give honest ratings. At present I am in a “5” star rated sit and the house is absolutley a 2 - at most a 3. I wish I had known or had more insight before coming. I keep wondering who the people are that rated this so high. And as mentioned in previous post so much of our ratings reflect our own background. The above mentioned house of rotten food in fridge, dust in guest room, layer of film in bathroom , grease in kithcen - I would have given a 2 or 3 . I am going to start being a little more careful with my ratings- so others have a better idea of what to expect.
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