When I arrive I see the host has a roommate that lives downstairs. I was told (two days before my sit started) that there was a tenant, but that “he had his own entrance”. That is true, but he also shares the kitchen. A nice guy, but already there’s a big pan of food that was left out on the stove overnight, and the counter has food and grease. Is it my job to tell him to clean up like I’m a roommate? I thought I was going to have the whole house. The roommate will be leaving for work starting tomorrow, but feels like I was lied to.
Amenities listed a bike I could use. Well that bike has no lock, and flat tires. I told host I would have to take the bike in with me where I went and informed him of the tires. He told me where the pump was. I inflated the tires, but hours later, when I tried biking home, the tires were flat again. Gonna need replacement tubes. Can’t be sure but I think the owner knew this bike was jacked and left me out to dry miles away from home with a bad bike.
Old and open food (moldy plums in a bag, these old cookies in foil) was left out on counter when I arrived for my sit. This attracted ants and I had to deal with wiping them up and throwing away the food when I arrived.
Felt like owner left in a rush. No welcome guide provided. Just a paper on the counter telling me how much food to feed the dog and cat.
Coffee cup, half full, left for me to wash. Empty soda bottle, with chewing tobacco juice left out for me to throw away.
No towel left out and I can’t be certain the sheets are clean. Owner said they were, but you know fresh sheets when you feel them, and they don’t feel that way.
All the pictures on the listing are from the realty site, probably when it was being sold. Not a big deal, but feels like they used them to attact people to listing.
The cat is different than the listing. In reality it’s a juvenile, not a senior.
As I said, many issues.
WHERE IS THE HELP FROM TH? All the chat says is no one is available to contact me.
That sounds like a frustrating start, and I think there are a few separate issues here.
The biggest concern to me is the shared accommodation. If the listing gave the impression you’d have the home to yourself and only mentioned a tenant two days before the sit, I’d be disappointed too. That’s something I’d mention in my review so future sitters know what to expect.
The cleanliness issues are also reasonable to raise. Sitters shouldn’t arrive to dirty dishes, rubbish, spoiled food attracting ants, or have to clean the house before settling in.
The bike is more of a convenience issue. If it’s listed as an amenity, it should be usable. I’d let the owner know it’s not fit for purpose and then make other transport arrangements if possible.
For things like the age of the cat or whether the sheets feel freshly washed, I’d be a little cautious about drawing conclusions unless there’s clear evidence. Those aren’t as objective as the other issues.
As for TrustedHousesitters support, I’m tagging @Jenny one of our forum moderators, who may be able to help point you towards Member Services or advise on the best way to get assistance while your sit is still in progress. In the meantime, keep a written record of everything, including photos if you have them, and continue trying to contact Member Services through the app or website.
When the sit is over, leave an honest, factual review. That will probably help future sitters more than anything else.
I’m sorry you’re dealing with this, and you’ll get great advice from the experienced sitters on this forum. I just read tabacco juice in a bottle and nearly gagged. Gross. Just Ew. I just couldn’t do that. I hope you get assistance and your next sit is better.
Not sure what you expect THS to do. It’s against the rules to have another person in the house, but you said you already knew about this, a major red flag. Cleanliness issues do happen, you can contact THS during UK office hours.
Call the THS emergency line, don’t use the chat. A third party is a violation of the T&Cs, you are not expected to reside with a stranger. I would leave.
@mcgr0119 To say, as Jenny is not in today, I see that membership services have been in touch with you to help you, and they will be following up again.
@mcgr0119, welcome to THS Forum. Really sorry of your experience.
We suggest that you pour a nice cup of coffee and reflect on your desired outcome.
Do you want to continue housesit or to leave? Unclear of sit duration. Presence of third party means that you appear to have credible grounds to give 24 hours notice of cancellation. If you want to stay then what pragmatic steps can you take to improve situation?
There’s a range of topics here that appear to collectively reflect on the character of the pet parent. You probably cannot change any of those.
THS is not going to somehow help you resolve this. They are a technology platform.
Discrepencies should be included in brief, factual language in review if sit is completed.
Finally, suggest reflect on your unfortunate situation and assess how evolve your listing assessment process or video call questions to hopefully mitigate a future such situation.
This sounds IDENTICAL to a problematic sit about 2 weeks ago. I’m speculating here but it sounds like you didn’t see/check the most recent review or they hadn’t as yet left their review. That sitter decided to stick it out despite many of us saying they should give notice and leave. It goes against the T&Cs so you’re well within your rights.
The previous sitter was 12 days ago ‘2 days into a two week sit’ they had to wash the sheets of a previous sitter, sounds like maybe you’re in the same position…. ?
Anyone experiencing serious problems on a sit can the 24/7 Emergency help phone number
You can advise them you are leaving in 24 hours because the host has breached the terms of services by having a third party living in the home that has access to shared areas - kitchen etc
Take photos of the other issues before you leave .
You can raise a member dispute and provide these photos as evidence.
Don’t post the details ( link to listing etc ) on the main forum as it will be taken down by moderators . You could send a DM to the other sitter on this forum who had a similar experience to see if it’s the same sit.
It was only revealed after the sit had been arranged, a couple days before travel, and I was told he had a separate entrance. I took that to mean it was a separate unit and not just a basement room. Lesson learned to ask more questions. But in the listing it says “finished basement” as part of the house, well, that’s not really available when a stranger is living down there. Again, no mention of any of this in the listing or the reviews (which the newest one is a year old).
Most recent review was a year old. I have since figured out that was when the house was run by a couple that has since broken up. So now that the home owner is single, he has rented out the basement bedroom, but not stated that in the listing.
OMG so sorry. I’d be miserable and due to the breaking of THS rules I’d be requesting the tenant care for the cat and leave but that’s bc privacy is one of my top values. That said, if you have nowhere to go, there isn’t much you can do about it.
The thing about “sits gone wrong” is that you have to consider the welfare of the animals. Yes, the HO should have a back-up plan, but you need that plan up and running before you leave the animal(s).
We may not all agree on many things, but we do all agree on the care, safety and security of the animals. The universal bond of THS members.
Re: the cleanliness — it’s such a bummer when this happens; sorry you’re having to deal with it. Usually I have a mental rant, then a sigh before I buckle down & get busy putting the home into a state that I’ll feel comfortable with…including a wash/change of sheets if I’m not confident. (Follow-up review should note that the listing didn’t accurately reflect the home, at a minimum.)
Re: the roommate, that’s a much more serious concern. Have you spoken to the host directly since you learned it’s actually a shared-living situation? What did they say?
As a solo female traveler I’m afraid this would be a non-starter for me. I’d have contacted the host to let them know it’s not workable & give notice that they need to action their backup plan. Then as a premium member I’d contact THS membership services to review & action options/coverage.
Best of luck; please let us know how you get along.
