Hi @BunnyCat it’s stated that owners need to disclose any camera/recording equipment in their listing, the Welcome Guide and disclose to sitters before the sit starts … which should not be interpreted as already confirmed … sitters should be fully aware of all equipment so they can make an educated choice on whether or not to accept the sit.
“If an owner’s home has any monitoring equipment like CCTV installed, they must make sure the sitter is aware of it before a sit starts. As our Terms and Conditions explain, an owner’s membership will be suspended if they do not tell a sitter about this equipment”
Perhaps a clarification of “start” would make this clearer, is this what you are suggesting?
I’m sorry that you found yourself in this situation, did you contact the Membership Services Team when this happened? This matter is a subject of discussion by the product team all suggestions and feedback from members will be taken on board.
@Angela-CommunityManager Based on reviewing this thread, and the ‘Is CCTV allowed’ that you’ve linked, I suggest that wording be changed in two places.
Instead of ‘before a sit starts’ I would suggest ‘before a sitter is invited to accept a sit’ (even sooner would be better, of course).
Instead of ‘We recommend owners include this information in their listing’ it should be that ‘Owners must include this information in their listing’. Recommending is not strong enough, in my opinion.
I realize that the sitter still needs to be aware to ask questions about this, but stronger language would clarify that the onus is on the homeowner to disclose this information in advance.
Hi @Snowbird I agree that “recommending is not strong enough.” Saying “recommend” is much too lenient. It’s like a store saying we recommend ‘customers to wear masks’…it is giving customers a choice which is why this COVID pandemic is never ending. That is a story for another day. Saying “must” sets a standard and holds homeowners accountable to ensure any security cameras are disclosed to potential sitters.
Maybe this is a specific question to be ticked or not, like ‘is a car included’ or’ ‘do you have hi-speed wifi’. I would not stipulate in my listing that there are no cameras, as it would not even have crossed my mind that an owner would have cameras on when a sitter was there, if that makes sense. I certainly would have no issues at all if this was asked during that first conversation as i am horrified that this is even a thing.
@Boodie As a sitter, I don’t see the owner side of the website. However, my understanding is that there isn’t a requirement to say you don’t have cameras, but rather the reverse, in that they have to be declared and addressed, if an owner does. I often quote the saying that ‘the only thing constant in life is change’, and it’s reflected in the more prevalent use of cameras these days. I’m confident that THS is monitoring this (excuse my pun) and will make adaptations to address this issue. That’s just my opinion, for what it’s worth.
Owners are obliged to disclose this in their listings and to inform sitters before the sit is confirmed so that sitters can make an educated choice about whether or not they will agree to the sit.
We are in the process of discussing this matter and will be tightening up the requirements around full disclosure in the New Year.
Yes, but it is in the T&Cs, and though everyone is required to read it I am not certain it will always be noticed or focussed on at the time of reading amongst all of the other things (and mustn’t be if so many sitters are rightly concerned about it). It was just a suggestion that it be overtly drawn to the HO attention when they are completing their latest listing.
I’m pretty sure your suggestion, as it’s arisen several times, will be taken into consideration as part of this review in the New Year. All the best, Vanessa
I’m planning on hiring sitters and also offering my services as a sitter here. Personally, I would remove all valuables and lock them in a closet so I didn’t have to worry about them being broken or lost. Every airbnb or vrbo rental I’ve used has had a private closet locked with the owner’s person things in them. Seems like a better solution than filming the sitter.
In the US, there are laws restricting recording audio. They vary by state. I don’t know if listening live and not recording is allowed. Also, nanny cams can’t be in someone’s personal space where they’d expect privacy (bedroom and bathroom).
Can’t imagine hiding a camera! So unfair to someone who is expecting privacy and might not be fully dressed when running to the laundry room to grab a shirt out of the dryer, etc. And how do people have personal phone conversations?
Yes, I’d like to have an officially document we both can sign stating there are or there aren’t cameras in the home. A verbal mention isn’t enough to protect the homeowners or sitters from later accusations that they weren’t aware or that they were informed.
Homeowners probably aren’t aware they may also be violating laws when using these cameras. I’d like to see some language directing them to be informed of their local wiretapping/eavedropping laws and ensure they follow them. In some states, homeowners can be sued for recording audio of people when they aren’t informed. The filming without audio varies state by state. They could find themselves in more trouble than being suspended from THS.
For the people asking about the app, please know that not all cameras are connected to wifi. Some use batteries or are rechargeable and they actually record and save the video. The owners can view it when they return and connect the camera to a device.
Finding these can be tricky. I’d suggest Googling ways to locate them and having a look at devices that double as alarm clocks, stuffed animals, phone charging plugs etc. It’s too bad we have to think about these things!
@Angela_L When you state “audio/visual recording devices” is that also supposed to cover devices that don’t record? I have a $40 wifi camera on my cat’s food bowl while I’m at work during the day. It’s a two-way audio and I can view live through the camera. I can’t record though. (I would never, ever use this with a sitter in the house!)
Your description specifies recording is against the policies. So would just viewing and listening live also be a violation? If it is, maybe clarifying live viewing and audio is prohibited if not approved by the sitter?
Hi @hmatthewman thank you asking for clarity and apologies for any confusion.
All cameras and devices which can be used for live viewing or recording need to be disclosed in listings and to any potential sitters before any arrangement is confirmed.
The sitters need to be aware of all devices, internal and external to enable them to make an informed decision and choose whether or not they accept the sit and if there are devices mutual agreement on how these will be managed when the sitters are in the home must be arrived at.
The key is transparent and honest communication on this and every aspect of the sit to ensure everyone is 100% happy with all arrangements and personal expectations.
Non disclosure of these devices is against TrustedHousesitters T&C’s and we will be looking closely at disclosure regarding this subject in the New Year. The laws covering these devices and their use, vary widely from country to country and even within countries, this directive is not from any legal standpoint.
Hello, as HOs, we always tell potential sitters about our exterior cameras and that there are no cameras or audio devices inside. We are also sitters, and we do ask the HOs about this during the video interview. It’s wrong not to divulge this information before a sit is confirmed.