What a freaking nightmare! So taking advantage. Did you report to THS during or after and leave an honest review? Curious no judgement. And so sorry you had to deal with that. Just wrong on so many levels.
FYI in case you missed it
âPlease note that sitters are not expected to complete any tasks that are considered âworkâ. This may include helping a pet parent maintain any business they have â
It wouldnât be your responsibility, but it sounds as if the host is placing that responsibility on whomever chooses to apply, which is not within the remit of a THS house sitter. However, hosts sometimes push the limits of the Ts and Cs to suit themselves.
I applied for a house sit a while ago. Only when I visited months in advance, did it become clear to me that I would be somewhat responsible for running their bed and breakfast (without payment) while the owners were on holiday. My kitchen would be shared with a chef who would be cooking meals for guests, therefore also violating the third party rule. I made it clear to the hosts that this was not allowed, and that the only way a sitter could look after their property and dog would be if the B+B was closed during that period, and no third parties present. I also reported to THS and their listing was removed, only to reappear days later. As they were adamant the place would remain open in their absence, Iâm pretty sure they would have found someone who would comply with this, while not being transparent on the listing.
EXACTLY!!! Thank you.
Barbara
| Cuttlefish
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with @CreatureCuddler on this. Itâs not the easy ones, itâs the things that go wrong - whereâs the iron, can you order a taxi, can we stay an extra night, can you stop the dog barking, I donât like my bed ones. And what about any changeovers during the sit? Sounds easy but has potential danger written all over it & thatâs speaking from experience! #oncebittenonceshy
Edited to remove personal contact details as per the Terms of Service.
It wasnât via THS, but I did report it to the other platform and they ended up getting banned. Ended up being expensive for me as it was a 3 month sit on the literal other side of the planet, but I ended up having a great time road tripping and picked up some other shorter sits to fill in some time.
Well I have found THS premium insurance is only moderately helpful in situations like that. So sorry.
Barbara
| CreatureCuddler
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It wasnât via THS, but I did report it to the other platform and they ended up getting banned. Ended up being expensive for me as it was a 3 month sit on the literal other side of the planet, but I ended up having a great time road tripping and picked up some other shorter sits to fill in some time.
Edited post to remove personal contact details as per the Terms of Service.
Please return to this thread and let us know about THS response.
We have done a non-THS sit with an Airbnb unit, and we have had similar negative experiences. My husband cleaned out the pipes of the Airbnb bathroom sink as it had become completely clogged on a Sunday (expensive to get a plumber, especially on a Sunday), among other chores. This was a completely gross job!
Another thought that I had while reading all these responses: Owners who have Airbnb units or B & B business are likely more keen to view your âStayâ at their home in a monetized way, which is really a bummer. Just a guess.
The Owners with the clogged bathroom sink thanked us, of course, for fixing this on a Sunday while they were thousands of miles away, but they never thanked us enough or mentioned how we literally saved them hundreds of dollars. Hmm.
No way Iâd agree to Airbnb duties.
I did sit a home that had an Airbnb across the carport, so the units were separated. That was made clear in the listing and I had zero responsibilities for the Airbnb. If the guests had asked me anything â they didnât â I wouldâve told them to contact the hosts.
I hear you. I do t event want to apply or here âhow it really worksâ. First time host had an ADU on property. Never mentioned it. Wasnât introduced to renter in this garden unit. She introduced herself in a bit of a jumble. Not bad but unexpected. Told new host itâs something she should mention in the listing. Harmless but unexpected to be sharing âspaceâ or knocks on the door.
Barbara
| Maggie8K
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No way Iâd agree to Airbnb duties.
I did sit a home that had an Airbnb across the carport, so the units were separated. That was made clear in the listing and I had zero responsibilities for the Airbnb. If the guests had asked me anything â they didnât â I wouldâve told them to contact the hosts.
Edited post to remove personal contact details as per the Terms of Service.
Exactly what would happen and let me tell you Iâd call a plumber and theyâd have to arrange payment. So not taking a sit or walking away ugh!
THS said theyâll investigate. I mentioned a number of blank reviews by previous sitters. I donât have much faith but itâs THS.
Barbara
| PVGemini
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Please return to this thread and let us know about THS response.
We have done a non-THS sit with an Airbnb unit, and we have had similar negative experiences. My husband cleaned out the pipes of the Airbnb bathroom sink as it had become completely clogged on a Sunday (expensive to get a plumber, especially on a Sunday), among other chores. This was a completely gross job!
Another thought that I had while reading all these responses: Owners who have Airbnb units or B & B business are likely more keen to view your âStayâ at their home in a monetized way, which is really a bummer. Just a guess.
The Owners with the clogged bathroom sink thanked us, of course, for fixing this on a Sunday while they were thousands of miles away, but they never thanked us enough or mentioned how we literally saved them hundreds of dollars. Hmm.
Edited post to remove personal contact details as per the Terms of Service.
On a more general note, I donât believe home owners should be making money from their property in any way while it is being looked after by a sitter.
I found out during one sit that the land surrounding the house I was on, and which was owned by the HO, was being leased for the purpose of shooting pheasants while they were away. Imagine my delight when, as a sole female looking after two dogs on rural, isolated land, I saw a group of men with guns approach the house. All the while, the home owners were making a pretty penny while not having to do a thing. Obviously, terms like these would be difficult to implement, even more so as it was not made clear to me when signing up for the sit, but there is something that doesnât sit right with me about HOs going on holiday and leaving an unpaid sitter to tend to the tasks that make them money.
What a homeowner does on their land doesnât matter to sitters EXCEPT:
When it affects our stay
Strangers showing up (with guns)
Making money that sitters are responsible for caretaking
Extra people on property not mentioned in ad or interview.
Who knew these were questions we need to ASK during an interview?!?!
As to your ethics v the HO again something to be covered during interview. One HO checked my FB page which is very public - she could not have someone of a political bent in her home. Her choice. Her research. Her decision. We donât have the same options except during an interview.
We do have an obligation to report infractions or things that were off once we arrive. We and HO have a duty of care and THS rules.
Barbara
| strawberryjen
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On a more general note, I donât believe home owners should be making money from their property in any way while it is being looked after by a sitter.
I found out during one sit that the land surrounding the house I was on, and which was owned by the HO, was being leased for the purpose of shooting pheasants while they were away. Imagine my delight when, as a sole female looking after two dogs on rural, isolated land, I saw a group of men with guns approach the house. All the while, the home owners were making a pretty penny while not having to do a thing. Obviously, terms like these would be difficult to implement, even more so as it was not made clear to me when signing up for the sit, but there is something that doesnât sit right with me about HOs going on holiday and leaving an unpaid sitter to tend to the tasks that make them money.
Edited post to remove personal contact details as per the Terms of Service.
We once did a short sit and had no idea - until we arrived - that the basement was an Airbnb.
On the first night, we both had our phones on charge in our attic bedroom so it was only in getting ready for bed that we noticed a flurry of emails and messages from the pet parents, marked âURGENT!â and asking us to ring them back.
It turns out the Airbnb guests were having problems with the boiler and they wanted us to sort it out!
On a personal level, weâd help anybody. On a sitter level, we found this incredibly presumptuous!
In the event, our not noticing the messages meant the pet parent had already had to deal with it himself.
Lovely dog, beautiful home, but we wouldnt return in a million years!
Wow thatâs karma right there for that host!! The assumption youâd dive right in! Sheesh.
Barbara
| Happypets
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We once did a short sit and had no idea - until we arrived - that the basement was an Airbnb.
On the first night, we both had our phones on charge in our attic bedroom so it was only in getting ready for bed that we noticed a flurry of emails and messages from the pet parents, marked âURGENT!â and asking us to ring them back.
It turns out the Airbnb guests were having problems with the boiler and they wanted us to sort it out!
On a personal level, weâd help anybody. On a sitter level, we found this incredibly presumptuous!
In the event, our not noticing the messages meant the pet parent had already had to deal with it himself.
Lovely dog, beautiful home, but we wouldnt return in a million years!
Edited post to remove personal contact details as per the Terms of Service.
Iâm not arguing with this statement but I canât find it in the terms and conditions.
Iâve just spent an hour reading through the t and cs and also the members code of conduct. I must applaud the individual or committee that wrote them. Most of it is so ambiguous it could mean anything. As I originally thought, we sign up, make our choices then we are on our own.
Good luck fellow pet lovers.
Itâs posted in this string.
Barbara
| ElsieDownie
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Iâm not arguing with this statement but I canât find it in the terms and conditions.
Iâve just spent an hour reading through the t and cs and also the members code of conduct. I must applaud the individual or committee that wrote them. Most of it is so ambiguous it could mean anything. As I originally thought, we sign up, make our choices then we are on our own.
Good luck fellow pet lovers.
Thank you. But yet again like the rest, very ambiguous. It doesnât actually say it canât be a private agreement between parties.
It says sitter donât run businesses for hosts. Whatâs ambiguous???
Barbara
| ElsieDownie
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Thank you. But yet again like the rest, very ambiguous. It doesnât actually say it canât be a private agreement between parties.
Edited to remove Personal detail
âPlease note that sitters are not expected to complete any tasks that are considered âworkâ. This may include helping a pet parent maintain any business they have or completing tasks like home renovation work where it would be better for them to bring in paid employment to complete those tasks.â
âNot expectedâ is not must not or must never. To me, that statement means itâs really up to the two parties involved. This is a theme that runs through the whole terms and conditions. Itâs very open to interpretation. You read it one way, I another.
Ok, good for you, but I would not like it.
I donât have problems with the occasional package, but I donât want to be tied to be at a property however gorgeous it was. I would choose a modest home instead, even a council flat.