I agree that tolerances vary greatly among us sitters. That is why the ratings are so subjective and you are right, that it is hard to give a really bad review. The worst sit I had was recently and I wanted to be harsher in my review but I felt sorry that the dog wouldn’t get a sitter and I didn’t want them to give up the dog. Then she was harsh because I was not a trainer instead of a house sitter. Even when an HO was harsh due to her own issues, leaving cleaning products out (which she did not me but I just left them there for the duration of the sit.) or criticize me for not taking the garbage bins in (watching the camera) when the garbage truck had not come. Those were my two worst reviews. But I was not as harsh. They were my worst reviews but not terrible.
I grappled with this when rating one sit because the house was not super clean. It was not disgusting either, but giving five stars for cleanliness when it was clear the bathroom hadn’t been cleaned well and there were some greasy pans left in the oven made me ponder what to do. I can’t imagine not only getting off on a trip but having to thoroughly clean the house for a sitter, so I cut people slack on utmost cleanliness. It was a hard decision though because I see plenty of complaints from other sitters in this forum about lack of cleanliness in some cases that just wouldn’t bother me. Ultimately I decided to give five stars across the board (cleanliness was the only category I was indecisive about) because I had no qualms taking a shower when clearly the shower wasn’t cleaned recently, and it wasn’t a big deal to me that some dirty pans hadn’t been cleaned when there were plenty of clean ones to use. I don’t think our standards as sitters should be unreasonable. People who are wealthy enough to pay cleaners to deep clean a house can also afford to hire an overnight sitter, but I love this exchange which makes it more affordable for all of us to travel regardless of our means.
@Treeandcathugger I think you do a disservice to other sitters if you rate 5 for cleanliness when that is not the truth. In my book 5* means super clean. I.e where I don’t feel any need to clean rooms/appliances before use.
I get that we all have different cleaning standards, and I don’t expect 5* hotel standards, but I do expect the HO to make the effort to clean the basics in their home in (esp kitchen/bathroom/fresh bedsheets etc) before the arrival of their sitter/guest.. It shows respect and a welcoming attitude.
We’ve had a few sits over the years where we felt the need to clean on arrival before being able to settle in properly. I would have prefered a heads up from previous sitters about low cleaning standards so I can avoid applying to such sits.
We aren’t fussy , we often stay in rural sits and older properties where we are not phased to see a cobweb occasionally . We have only once had a sit in a home that wasn’t entirely clean - The bathroom and kitchen were clean .
However, on this sit there were years of accumulated dust in thick velvet curtains , the carpets and lampshades throughout the rest of the home . Including the lampshade that hung above the bed and being low ceilings it dangled just above our heads .
There was much more dust than we could clean during our stay ( the hoover also became blocked in seconds so impossible. )and the curtains and carpets would need a professional cleaning service to get rid of the ingrained dust .
It was summer so we could spend most of the time outside in the garden which was beautiful and had lots of comfortable and relaxing seating areas .
In all other respects the sit , hosts and pets were great and accurately represented in the listing . It was a rural sit in England in an old 15th century property.
For the review we gave five stars for all other aspects but we could not honestly rate cleanliness as a five . It would have been a dis-service to future sitters . Anyone with a dust allergy or asthma sufferer would have had to leave the sit straight away and that situation would also cause a problem for the host. We felt that we would be partly responsible , if we had not brought it to anyone’s attention.
In our opinion there is no point having the categories to rate if people don’t use them to rate accurately and give 5 stars all round no matter what they find on arrival.
It’s not about judging someone’s house keeping standards or lifestyle . The review and rating is to give a fair and honest review for future sitters . The review should inform about anything that negatively impacted the sits ( third parties, dust , anti-social neighbours, traffic noise , dogs that run away ) . An honest review allows future sitters to make an informed choice .
I agree that it is hard to rate cleanliness when it you are dealing with people with less means, both partners could be working, older home, which doesn’t look as clean. But that is why I suggested a rating for the experience of the sit. If I am sitting in a modern, large home with a pool in FL, compared to a small, older, modest furnishings, clean enough home, it is a very different experience. I got feedback “does the listing reflect the sit”, yes. You cannot look inside ovens or fridges, where cleanliness may be lacking. And you could give it a 3. But you feel somewhat sorry for people doing the best they can. They don’t have house cleaners. Like I am on a sit now in Palos Verdes. Spacious, modern home, obviously house cleaner comes. I am walking the puppy along streets where I get a view of the ocean and Redondo Beach/Torrance. I can see the Redondo beach pier in the distance from the kitchen window. That is a whole different experience than the small, modest home that wasn’t the cleanest. Even if it had been spotless, not a great stay. More like extended stay hotel rather than Sonesta suites. Funny, now that I booked sits, there are a lot of last minute great sits in the LA region. I kind of wish I waited. Not for my current sit, but for a few later.
I don’t understand this comment. Are you saying that people with less money are dirty? In my experience of 60 sits, cleanliness does not correlate with money or size of house or age of house. I’ve done sits in all types of homes and for people of different economic statuses. Some people just choose to live in an unclean environment. That’s fine for them, but they should not invite someone to stay in their home if they are not willing to provide a clean home.
I am not saying less clean, but if I was a working mother, with pets, and I also did not have a house cleaner, it would be harder to manage the housekeeping compared to someone with a new home, house cleaner etc. It was much easier to maintain my hands, when I had a mani pedi every week, a cleaning person. Compared to when I became a non working widow and cut the cleaning person and the weekly mani pedi.
@Huronbase Lots of people (most) do not have professional cleaners and still have extremely clean homes. I’ve been a single working mom with a demanding career and still managed to keep my house clean. It really doesn’t take that long.
This is an exchange. Regardless of someone’s circumstances, if they choose to participate in this exchange they have to provide their part. For hosts, that’s accommodations and those accommodations are expected to be clean. If someone feels it’s too onerous to provide a clean home, then they should pursue another path for pet care.
I find it puzzling that it is hard to review an unclean home accordingly. A home that is not clean is a breach of the THS Members Code of Conduct, which for hosts among other means that:
«I will create a clean, comfortable and secure environment for my sitter».
That is not a service or a choice. It is a requirement. Not doing so is breach of the terms of the platform.
Not presenting a clean home is not about financial resources as others have said. If one feel sorry for the host not being able to clean - that is a nice thought and one can then choose to stay and do the sit, and not give notice and leave because of breach of terms. But it shouldn’t be hard to give a mention in review. It belongs in a review.
I’m not talking about finding a cobweb or some dust if you pull out the sofa. But if the bathroom clearly hasn’t been cleaned for the sit, that is an issue that needs a mention. Sitters need to know. The host needs to know. And it is unfair to other hosts that put in the effort if they are given the same stars as those who don’t. Then why bother? 
If you find it hard to say straight out just wrap it in. «I cleaned the bathroom on arrival and unpacked before :pet: and I went out to enjoy the beautiful surroundings».
I appreciate your response and could have given four stars for cleanliness and explained the reasons why so that future sitters could be forewarned. I could have made it clear that it was not dirty in general but also had some areas that could have been more thoroughly cleaned. At the time I was thinking since it’s not a hotel I don’t expect perfection.
You’re right, if this happens again I will give four stars. I do want to reiterate that this home was certainly freshly cleaned for the most part. If it were a bigger issue, no question I would have given fewer stars. Out of the many sits I’ve done, I can only think of one that was immaculately clean upon my arrival. I think it’s unreasonable to expect perfection when these are lived-in homes.
I am a combined member. When you use stuff like “great stay” I’m not sure how to judge this. A lot of things can happen on a sit that are out of anyone’s control. The weather can be lousy. You can get into a fight with your traveling partner. A pet can get sick or prove “difficult” in ways neither you nor the host could have anticipated.
When looking for a sitter, I read the reviews written about them, as well as the reviews they wrote. If I see a snarkiness to their responses or reviews, I’m out. That’s much more telling to me than a minor criticism from a homeowner about the remote not being left in the most obvious place or a garbage bin having been missed. I saw a sitter give a 4 star review because they’d been allergic to a pillow or something. And I thought “nope.”
As a sitter I’ve probably given some 5 stars where maybe the home was a bit cluttered and I should have said more but it didn’t actually bother me much. I could see giving a lower star review for horrendous conditions or breaking of third party rules or inaccuracy of pet information, but not just because I didn’t have a great time, or wasn’t crazy about decorating styles, etc.
As a potentional sitter and host, I’m going to read the reviews to get an idea of how the reviewer thinks about stuff and to decide if we’re a good match.
I am a sitter only but used to be a host too. If I saw your review system in your profile, or read any of your reviews where you were miserly with stars, I would move on to another sitter.
For me holding back stars is for extreme situations, like a truly filthy house or undisclosed cameras. And the narrative should explain the reason.
I seem to be more laid back than a lot of sitters (based on what I have heard in this forum). For me this is an equal exchange. I can give helpful info to future sitters in the wording of the review, tactfully and kindly, without treating my host like the Marriott. JMO.
I have had several that were immaculately clean. But they were newer homes, no children living there. Like the one I am in now. Very clean, neat, great toiletries. Lot of storage in a large kitchen so everything is put away.
And, so far, my experience, I have not had an immaculate clean modest home. Except for a single guy in a one bedroom condo. But he also had a cleaning service.
Got it. I feel it is important that both of us would be on the same page especially about the inappropriate check ins which I emphasized in the rating system for this reason only. I have experienced several inappropriate check ins where the acquaintances of the hosts who came in the house when I was there or when I was not there.
The thread evolved the discussion to the level of cleanliness which I never experience any issues with the cleanliness. I agree it is important for the sitters to explain the details about the sitting.
The rating system is vague because there are many potential issues that could arise during the stay so I understand where you are coming from however “great stay” simply means great stay overall. I think the confusion might lay 4 stars or 3 stars however I’ve mentioned to others that my main concern is inappropriate check ins which falls under 3 stars and it is a huge “no” for the next time. I hoped the rating system would work out with setting this specific expectation, it didn’t always work unfortunately.
To me this comes with the territory of indoor/outdoor cats. But you should absolutely mention it, and probably ask sitters about their experience with roaming cats!
I rate according to whether there were any surprises in other words if I’ve taken on a sit where the HO was transparently honest about any challenges then it’s 5* so I’ll only knock off stars for a not nice surprise….that impacts my neutral 5* enjoyment of home/pets. I’ll not knock off a star for things I forgot to ask about and simply assumed, eg a sofa bed. However my review is descriptive so that future sitters have clarity about a sit if something important isn’t mentioned in the listing. They can then decide for themselves based on full information….
@Marion Great idea. Thanks!