We recently had our first not so great housesit and maybe we should have asked certain questions JUST TO CLARIFY expectations. I have 3 that we have learned from this past sit lesson and we will ask in the future (if they apply). Perhaps others could post their learning lesson questions so we can all be more prepared for HO being annoyed with us.
Question #1: Do you expect us to pick up your dog’s crap when there is two feet of snow in the backyard or when it melts and its all a pile of wet crap? And if so, how do you do this? (WE HAD THIS PROBLEM HAPPEN AND IT BECAME A S**T SHOW BECAUSE THE SNOW MELTED)
Question #2: If we use something in the kitchen (tool, etc.) will you be annoyed when you come home if it is not in the same spot because we might not recall where we found it (especially if their kitchen is not logically organized and they have so much stuff) (WE HAD THIS SITUATION AND THEY ACTUALLY EMAILED US AND SAID “WHERE DID YOU GET THOSE STEAK KNIVES FROM, WE HAVEN’T USED THEM FOR 1.5 YEARS AND I WANT TO PUT THEM BACK WITH THE OTHERS”)
Question #3: If your renter in your separate unit has a problem (say furnace), should we be expected to contact you or should they? (WE HAD THIS SITUATION HAPPEN AND THE OWNERS WERE ANNOYED AT US BECAUSE THE RENTERS FURNACE WAS BLASTING HEAT FOR TWO WEEKS AND THEY BLAMED US)
It sounds like you had irrational hosts, which is unfortunate. All the same, I don’t think it’s a good approach to ask other hosts questions based on terrible hosts.
I think you can answer your own questions 1 and 3.
Number 2 — We take a bunch of photos on arrival so that we can leave the home “as we found it.” Open refrigerator, bed (if there are lots of pillow), and any surface if we are going to move any small items, i.e the coffee table.
If we use something in the kitchen, and we don’t know where to put it back, I will leave it on the counter with a note (“sorry, not sure where this goes”). I suppose an Owner might be annoyed by this, but we have never had anyone complain.
I’ll half jokingly say “I’ll try to put things back in the right places but sorry in advance if I don’t… If I’m not sure I’ll leave it on the counter.”
we actually met them at their house - these things really are reactions to expectations that we didn’t clearly have defined - so lesson learned - get clear expectations defined
Good things to think about. I’m wondering about this kind of thing with time restrictions. Does anyone ever ask about responsibility expectations that don’t seem reasonable, or just not apply for the sit. The one I’m looking at now is the not be away from the house for more than 6 hours when sitting cats. I’m new so I’m not sure what is reasonable to expect for the situation, so not sure if spending most of your time at the home is just part of the gig or this really is a common expectation when doing a sit.
And then there are other HOs who would not appreciate it when sitters took pictures of everything in the house, documenting every drawer in the kitchen, all pots and pans, etc, etc.
Home host post their listing needs and I would say that overall accept the responsibilities as fact.
It’s really not for TH sitters to ask that the listing confirm to their needs for a sit.
That being said, you could apply and at the top let the home host know that you see the 6hrs and wonder if there is any flexibility for a few instances for perhaps a couple 8 hr alone stints.
Most home hosts I belive are open to discussion when it is up front and considerate of their overall listing needs.
Me too… unfortunately not everyone thinks the same way - like putting all the baking measuring stuff together, or do they have a cheese grater and where might it be? Just one of the small things that might house sitting interesting. Our latest house sit is a dream though - he is a retired chef so everything is where I would expect it to be!
@DBarnes If a listing contains something that is against THS T&Cs ( like have internal cameras on during the sit or a third party staying ) then it can be reported to THS .
Aside from this a sitter must respect the homeowners wishes . If something in the listing is not suitable for you , do not apply . There will be another sitter who it suits .
Paid house sitting sites often require that a house- sitter can’t be away from the property more than 3 hours in every 24 .
I sat twice for a young couple who told me not to worry about putting things away wrong. The husband said, “We don’t even know where we are putting things! We once had a sitter ask if she could reorganize our kitchen, and we told her to have at it! We came home, and our kitchen was so much better!”
That is why HO clarify the time allowed away from the house in their listing. Feel free to not apply if it doesn’t suit you but you are not able to judge that as unreasonable because they are cats. Cats are social creatures and each has its own personalities and needs. Not all cats are comfortable being alone.
Frankly as a HO I list 6 hrs (which I think is completely reasonable amount of time for a Sitter to get out and explore) and home by 9 pm (my pets go to bed early) and no one seems to have an issue with it. If a Sitter asked me for flexibility there I would just decline the application unless it was a rare situation (wanting to spend Thanksgiving Day with nearby family, for example - I would make some arrangements for our dog to be let out in that case).
