And I’ve heard from more than one HO that they don’t give 5 stars for anything because that means perfection and no one can achieve that.
Woah…
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This has heavily been my position.
In fact, I feel they should be part of the listing itself. Basic stuff in the listing, link to more involved Welcome Guide for thorough details if the HS is curious enough about it to find out more. Help weed out sits HSs aren’t wanting once they know more details and less time for HOs weeding out those who wouldn’t fit.
Then on initial discussions with a HO those more specific and fuller details can be discussed on the first direct chat and any changes negotiated or forgot-to-mention by either can be added to the THS chat series or updated in the Guide so that everything is on record for both sides if there is any issue down the road.
All security-issue information on a post-acceptance basis, of course.
I guess if a star has been dinged on cleanliness ‘a few times’ , the impact - and implications - of that will depend on how many sits you’ve done overall.
Can you identify any common themes in the pet parents who dinged stars? For example, were their homes all super-clean homes on arrival, or all very large properties, or all sits for big, hairy dogs? Do you think you left homes as clean as they were when you arrived? I’m just wondering whether you feel you’ve done ‘enough’ but are aware that things aren’t as good as they were, or whether you believe you’ve left homes in the same condition as they were when you arrived.
I will be.
My friend just got this from their Airbnb host. Maybe we should create something similar that we can send to HOs to help with reviews?
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I’ve seen these as fridge magnets! We’re Airbnb Superhosts but never message our guests for reviews, just seems a bit desperate.
However I think I would welcome something like this on THS- why not!
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@ElsieDownie Me too! It’s automatic to wipe down the hob after each use isn’t it?
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I totally agree with you!
I am a HO and leave my home as I wish to find it when I return….(which is actually at the same level of cleanliness as I would leave it if it was an Airbnb)….and when you leave an Airbnb you are expected to leave it as you found it.
However, trusted housesitters are getting their “Airbnb Experience “ for FREE, so I can’t see why they are complaining if they have to do some housework to keep the accommodation clean-and if they “only”get 4 stars for doing it. As for moaning about all the work involved in packing to leave because of being a nomad and serial housesitter…. Really? What do they expect?
Fair enough if they say so in their reviews and don’t expect to get 5 stars.
when i rent an airbnb i don’t have to do any work. i don’t have to walk pets, scoop poop, stick to someone else’s feeding schedule, stick around during the day to keep the pets company, clean up and care for them if they’re sick, cancel any plans I have if something happens at the house/with the pet, don’t have to coordinate arrival/departure times, and no, i don’t have to clean other than not trashing the space.
so house sitting and renting an airbnb are absolutely nothing alike.
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None that I’ve seen talk about it have ever said they make it clear in the reviews they give. Maybe they do, but no one so far has mentioned doing so… just that no one should expect 5 stars.
Yes, some folks think that. Some of us sitters check reviews given by hosts before applying. Personally, if I see that a host never gives five stars to any sitter, I’ll automatically skip their sit, figuring their expectations aren’t reasonable. To me, better safe than sorry with hosts. And I know I’m not alone in considering hosts that way.
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I am HO and I try to leave the house sparkling clean for a HS. I also try to make their stay as comfortable as possible so they feel they are on a nice vacation - just with some pets around. I always hope that the house is in a good condition when we come home since it’s a long and often exhausting travel time. And I am VERY grateful to find the house in neat state. My last sitters left the house spotless which I am still grateful for even it as been 1 year ago.
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I completely agree. I saw that in an Airbnb place I stayed at recently, I smiled and didn’t mind because the owner, communication and place deserved 5 stars and I rated accordingly.
In my last stay, just over a week ago, on the day before my departure, I received a message from my host, whom I had not seen and who had let a message unanswered for several days so I didn’t know if I could leave my luggage before check in time. The message said literally:
"Our cleaners are ONLY responsible for washing towels, linens, and disinfecting surfaces (…)any additional messiness (…)will be an extra charge. (…) We would greatly appreciate a 5 star review as it will help us with our business!
★★★★★ Perfection doesn’t exist, but we were happy with our stay
★★★★ Several issues that need to be addressed, lack of host communication
★★★ Major detrimental problems to our stay and no communication from host
★★ The home was a disaster and we wanted to leave immediately
★ Shut this place down
This message got her 4 stars. I was thinking 5 general and 4 in communication but her interpretation of the rating made me change my mind. I clearly explained the reasons of my rating so that other users can decide if that is important for them or not.
Although I agree that some general explanation by THS about the rating system would help us all to use the same code when rating, I wouldn’t like to get it “translated” for me by the other party asking for 5 stars.
All that said, I do not really like comparisons with Airbnb or hotels. This is a mutual exchange, we develop some kind of relationship with the other party and ideally keep communicating during the sit.
My level of cleanliness in THS is higher than Airbnb. In Airbnb I pay a cleaning fee so, for short stays, I don’t wash the linen or strip the beds, I don’t mop or hoover unless it’s messy. I do the washing up but I may leave the dishes in the drainer to dry.
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I meant my comment to be half ironic, half factual. The ironic part is exactly what you say, those people tend to think perfection doesn’t exist but they consider themselves as an exception. I have had colleges (teachers) not using the top grade because, they said, that was for themselves. I asked if they were taking secondary level tests again, after getting their degree.
The factual part is: if people are clear of the meaning of the stars they assign in the wording of the review it won’t really harm the person being rated it could backfire, though. I’m with @Maggie8K, I won’t apply for those sits. I am only interested in applying for sits with reasonable expectations that I, as a solo sitter, can fulfil 100% not 80% (which would be a 4 star rating)
Didn’t iron the ned linens??? They expected you to do that? Unbelievable!!!
I hope after they told you that you responded to their review and said that this is what they told you.
I would have wanted to know that in advance, and I wouldn’t have applied with them.
I regularly get 5 stars on cleaning, and written compliments about it, and I have never IRONED the linens. I don’t iron my own linens in my own home either. What’s the point? The night after I put them on I’ll sleep in them and they will get wrinkled…
Usually, if I wasn’t specifically
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Expecting you to iron the linens is absolutely ridiculous! I don’t iron my own linens in my own home. You sleep in them. They’d get wrinkled anyhow!!
Generally speaking, if I didn’t get specific instructions about the bedding I wash them on the last day together with the towels, and put them in the dryer before I leave. The HO come back to clean linens waiting for them in the dryer. No one ever complained about it, and I regularly get 5 stars. Some asked me to just strip the bed, some ask that you wash the beddings, and no one ever asked me to iron the beddings or even take them out of the dryer and fold them.
I do clean the filter of the dryer if I used it, but I do think it’s petty to deduct a star for not.
I never cleaned the dishwasher filter, and I think that unless it is a long sit (3 weeks+), or you used the dishwasher without clearing the plates first and the food scraps are easily visible or smelly, you shouldn’t have to do it.
In my home I clean it on as needed bases, (maybe once every 1-2 wees, because I am careful to make sure there is no food in the plates when I stack them in), and if their standards are abnormally high, it’s not my problem.
I do clean thoroughly anything I used, including the sink, stovetop, and counter tops, and it usually means that these areas are cleaner than they were before I got there, because if I clean the stove top of my oil splatters and there is gunk that accumulated there from the HOs, I can’t stop myself from cleaning it, because it drives me crazy to see that…
But what’s in the pics I just uploaded - this is how I received the house - is something that a sitter shouldn’t be expected to clean.
(I am working on myself NOT to clean that, because my natural tendency would be to clean it, because it’s disgusting)
I also wouldn’t sit for someone who expects me to iron the beddings, because I know that it means their expectations are higher than what consider reasonable, and it would apply to other areas that they didn’t mention.
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I agree with “leave it as clean as you found it,” although usually I leave it even cleaner, because my routine cleaning up after myself is usually better than how I found the place.
But, there is a caveat: it has to be within reason. Ironing linens is beyond what I consider reasonable. Dusting shelves etc., during a short stay (<2-3 weeks), seems unreasonable to me. Cleaning rooms I haven’t used, even on a longer stay, I don’t think so.
Also, of someone regularly employes a professional cleaning service when they are home, but not during the sitting, they shouldn’t expect the professional standard from the sitter.
Exactly! I had read this on the forum during my last sit, so decided to iron the bed linen for the couple returning. Low and behold, I managed to burn the duvet cover with the iron, and told the HOs with my tail between my legs. They were very good about it, but that’s the last time I’ll attempt to iron the bed linen. Surely it’s better to be slightly wrinkled than burnt!