Rather than change the listings for England to “New”, I decided to keep it on the default and look at the “Low Applications” listings instead. This proved to be quite entertaining. Out of a total of 1475 listings in England, 1074 are labelled “Low Applications” with the last one on page 90! This means many listings have been posted for quite a lengthy time. Of course, there are a high percentage with 0 applicants but there are also a significant amount that have applicants yet no action has been taken by owners (no I didn’t click on them all 
). So the likelihood of receiving a response or even having an application read by these owners I feel would be slim. Sitters get a pop-up when they click on Find a Sit, saying Looking for A Sit? then implying that it will be easier to get one of these “Low Applications” listings. My thoughts are that owners need some kind of reminder from THS about their “live” listing being months old and that some action needs to be taken in relation to applications already received or removing their listing if they are no longer interested in getting a sitter.
With sitters asking for much more useful searches, I feel the “Low Applications” label is completely unnecessary.
As an owner also, if my listing was labelled “Low Applications” I might view this in a negative way, thinking my listing was not attractive to sitters and couldn’t compete with those that quickly reach the “Reviewing Applications” stage.
What do other members think?
Agree with all that. I only noticed the “low applications”” label on a desktop yesterday (normally I use the app). I saw it as a “discount” type of badge so not appealing. If I was an HO I wouldn’t want it on my sit. Yes, HOs definitely need reminding to either respond or close listings especially when they have been “reviewing applications” for months. Otherwise it’s just wasting everyone’s time which is even more precious now we have the dreaded 5 in play…
The badges such as recommended, new and low applications are useless unless the filters work correctly. I filter on newest but even those aren’t new.
If THS persist with badges why not have reviewing applications as a badge? Sitters don’t know if homeowners are reviewing unless they click into the listing. Very frustrating!
As a HO, I would hate to have a “Low Applications” badge on my listing. It does make it appear less desirable.
In addition, since every listing is paused at 5 apps, anything that is still open is low applications. 
@Lassie - there is only one thing worse than a HO with low applications and that is a PP (Pet Parent) with low applications 
Well, you’re right! The Waikiki sit I applied for several weeks ago is listed ‘low applications’, yet they still have replied….
Hello all, and thankyou for Temba who I know has great insight into THS for raising this subject again.
Ive been using THS for 6 years as both owner (not pet parent) and sitter. In that time I have never felt the need to post on the forum. I held back over the 5 application rule , as I knew what was said would be probably be ignored by THS but the new “Low application” label has literally got me so disheartened that I feel the need to put my view forward ,albeit in the knowledge that the" powers that be" will forge on with changes and in my opinion , no real consideration to the THS members and the impact there changes are having on us.
When I first noticed this was happening , I immediately thought how I would hate that “LABEL” to happen to my one of my listing. It has so many negative connotations.
As an owner and a sitter , I would never apply for a sit just because it had "low applications ". I apply for sits that match my criteria of date, pets and area, not because I feel the owner is desperate and will jump at the first/any applicant.
I feel it is yet another disappointing change to THS and I’m becoming more and more uncomfortable with the whole process. This isn’t what I signed up for and pay my hard earned money for!
I know there is a way to search for new sits only but I’m also wondering how the sit goes from" new" to ""low applications??? Is it One/two/three applicants , or is it done on time your sit has been posted and if so, how much time?
I feel all of us are sensible enough on our searches to "figure out " if a sit has not got many applicants. Isn’t that why they put the numbers of applicants on an advertised sit!
I’m sure I will see posts that say this is a trial, but as we all know after the 5 applications debacle , that our views are really not considered.
So, I’ve done it. Put my views on here , knowing that this probably will become the norm and maybe it is time I investigated new pet sitting services.
From a disappointed PET PARENT…!
Yes I agree that it makes a sit look undesirable. Whether it’s true or not, that’s how I now feel about the sits with that label. The default view for sits is now to prioritise those with low applications (“Recommended”), but it’s another button to click (to get to ‘New’). Again, not sure that this helps anyone…
I would also like to know when a sit goes from New to Normal then to Low Applications.
I have no idea whether I am seeing all sits each day.
@Ben-ProductManager - I should be grateful if you would answer this question:
I have a daily saved search on the website for United Kingdom. If I select “New” and I read them all until the New disappears, is it safe to say that I have read all the rest of the listings the day before?
I am assuming I will also have read Low Applications when they came out as New so I don’t need to read them again?
Thanks
@Engadine Thank you for taking the time to comment and raise these points. Your feedback has been passed onto the Product team so that they are aware. Thank you
I am a homeowner with an open sit right now which has been labeled “LOW APPLICATIONS”. You are all right. I think that sounds like there is something off when in fact we have a really lovely place with an easy-going cat and ask little of our sitters and want them to feel like an invited guest! All our sits have been positive and the reviews/feedback confirms this. But still we are getting low applications - and notice that most of the ads in Washington State show “LOW Application Rate”, too!
I spent the other evening inviting a bunch of sitters from Oregon and Washington who were available based on
- the filter
- their calendar showed either green on the dates (“available”) or had lines though some recent dates (meaning they are updating their calendar)
- the most recent sit was in late '22 or later (meaning they are actively sitting).
…And I hoped they had at least one sit with a great review, but invited some that had excellent profiles with personal references.
I could have searched all over the country because it’s a long enough sit to make travel worth it, but had to start somewhere:. So far, we’re getting decline after decline, with most saying they aren’t available.
We’ joined THS this past summer and the first few sits were easy-peasy to find a sitter: we posted the date and had many sitters apply! Now, we’re feeling a little stressed…
As much as we love this concept, when on our last sit we had one sitter back out the day after she confirmed and another just a short time before the sit started, we began to question if we could depend on THS.
• Is there simply a lack of sitters?
• Does the search filter need to be overhauled to better narrow down potential matches (ie really available, interested in 3 week or weekend only sits, interested only with certain conditions like allowed to bring pet, or needs sit close to home for in-person work)…???
• Is this amazing concept is still viable??
We surely answer our inquiries pretty immediately, so it’s hard to picture a homeowner with a vacation who isn’t following through.
Hi @AmyNJoe - You are doing everything correctly and it appears you now have 3 applicants so the Low Application tag no longer applies.
A Low Application tag wouldn’t deter me from applying for a sit if I thought it was a good fit for everyone. What would concern me more is a lack of feedback from previous sitters. You have some great feedback but if the short sit in early January went ahead I would chase up feedback from that sitter.
Gaps in feedback can be seen as a red flag to some sitters. One gap wouldn’t concern me too much but several would.
Hope all goes well.
Also I wondered what the use of “Low Applications” would be. I search with some criteria such as location, region, what animals are to care for. For me this label has no use at all. It feels discrimitating too…
At the contrary, I’ve asked THS several times to re-install the possibility to search from a certain date on, a feature THS had in the past. I’m a member since 2015! For me this would be useful as I like to make a combination of sits, about 2 or 3, possibly with some days in between to be more flexible with delays with the owners, using hotels in between sits. This way I like to plan a pet-sitting holiday, meeting nice HO’s and lovely pets, while exploring their region. At this moment you have to look at many listings to find “the one” with the start date you wish. Takes a lot of unnessesary time compared with the earlier possibility. Yet no answer from THS, no changes. Only these (in my eyes) unnessesary “Low Applications” and also the 5 applications limit. I did not ask for them! I understand THS is no charity but a business, should they not offer their customers what they want??
Hi
I agree I don’t like the ‘Low Applications’ label. I’m new and had only be live for 48 hours when I got this label. I immediately thought hang on give me a chance.
If I see LA label my first thought is what’s wrong with it.
I don’t think any labels are necessary.
If any admin are reading this I would like mine removed please.
Amanda
Thanks! Wish we had three applicants. (We’ve declined one so far for needing to bring a dog, and one for bringing two cats.) The two left will/may let us know Thursday if they will be available for our start dates.
Oddly, our January sitter was excellent and we had fun communicating. I’ve asked several times and she hasn’t followed up. I’ll ask again!
Jumping on as a sitter … I was somewhat shocked to see the new label “Low Applications” - it’s rude to the homeowner and doesn’t appeal to me as a sitter at all. I’m on the site many times a day and it seems clear that there is a shortage of sitters, bec why else would there be SO MANY homeowners with low apps?
It’s obvious the scales have shifted- it’s a sitter’s world now (unless you have a highly desirable sit). It seems to me that in order to work efficiently, THS needs a much larger pool of sitters than owners, and that’s not happening right now.
While doing a search in New Mexico and also the entire USA I am seeing about 75-85% of sits have low application badges. What happened? Where are all the sitters? Even in sought after and very expensive Santa Fe, NM beautiful homes are going un-sit. As a sitter it’s great because I basically get my pick but… in the long run this will cut down on HO membership and then what? What is going on? Please don’t state the obvious- travel costs, back to work etc because digital nomads are abound!
Hi @friendtofurs. We’ve had a number of conversations here in the forum about the “low applications” badge since its inception about six months ago. I moved your conversation here so you could see what people said in one of those conversations. Very similar sentiment to yours.
In regards to when this badge is applied,
I scroll on past low applications as I’ve already read and rejected them for whatever reason, today I had to scroll for ages 
. If I was a HO I wouldn’t want that label either, its like the SALE rail.