I am new to formal house-sitting, with some sits now lined up in the UK later this year which is great I will be travelling with my 14 year old daughter and until I was reading through some posts on the forum, pet / security cameras being used to monitor sitters coming and going, or being active inside had not occurred to me!
It feels like a real invasion of privacy and makes me extremely uncomfortable. My daughter equally does not wish to stay anywhere with inside cameras. I know they are not allowed by THS but it sounds like many home owners still insist on them and/or use them without telling sitters?
Can anyone reassure us that itās unusual/rare?
Also any tips on how to double check with owners without offending would be greatly appreciated.
I donāt want to appear paranoid but it just leaves a bit of an āickā feelingā¦
Thank you so much Such a kind forumā¦
In 40 sits we have never come across cameras inside or outside of a property. Best thing is to ask politely during the video call if they have cameras at their house and if they do, then pin it down to why and where and that they are only outside (maybe trespassers or security). Whilst we donāt sit in the UK, Iām a Brit who lived there until 3 years ago and other than in cities or really big rural properties itās unusual. Never known anyone with an internal camera in Blighty. Clear & open comms is everything @RubyTuesday for a good sitting relationship. #trustyourgut
The use of internal cameras is forbidden.
External cameras are not necessarily to monitor sitters, they are just general security cameras which are also in use whilst sitters are not present so do not get hung up about them.
We have sat at 4 different locations and none have had external camera but one did have an internal, in the kitchen to monitor the dog, which was turned off before the HO left.
Enjoy your pet sitting and donāt worry.
Itās become very popular for homes to have outside cameras, Weāre not keen on them but they are obviously there for security so there is little you can do about them.
Inside cameras are still relatively rare.
Those who do have inside cameras, 99.9% of the time, they have them simply to observe their pets when the pets are home alone. They are not allowed under THS rules and home hosts will almost always will be more than happy to turn them off if requested when a sitter is staying.
It is always worth asking the question when you do the video call before confirming the sit.
In over 60 sits we have only ever come across inside cameras once, and the home host had no objections to them being turned off when we asked.
Indoor cameras are against THS rules, but owners are allowed to have outdoor security cameras (as long as a sitter is notified of their presence). I did 6 months of back-to-back sitting all over the UK last year, and most people had a ring camera at their front door. We were always notified of this though, and Iām pretty sure owners really only check these cameras if thereās some usual activity thatās cause for concern (which has never happened to me). I just kind of ignored them and it was never an issue - theyāre just for security anyway.
My dear Aussie mate, try not to worry too much about everything for this trip. I understand you are very anxious as can be expected. I can read from all your topics how nervous you are but try not to worry too much about things until they happen because chances are - they probably wonāt Itās good you are asking a lot of questions on the Forum so I hope you are feeling better with all the support you have been given on all your topics.
In all my sits in the UK, I have never had cameras in a home, maybe just been lucky. The UK is pretty chill and youāll be just fine. As we say at home, donāt sweat the small stuff. Go and enjoy yourselves!
@RubyTuesday ask during the video chat (prior to confirming the sit) if there are any pet cams and security cameras inside the home. If yes, ask if they will be turned off during your sit. If they refuse to turn them off you can decide whether or not you want to accept the sit or decline.
As others have said camera doorbells are quite usual in U.K. .
5 out of 8 of our U.K. sits have had video doorbells . One sit had internal cameras to watch the pets whilst they were out - they said that they would take the battery out whilst we were house sitting .
We have only sat in the USA, and many people here have doorbell cameras. These are allowed and are a bit annoying. Some people get a text notification whenever there is someone on the front porch, and then they can look at the video. We are definitely feeling monitored in our comings and goings, and whether or not we walk the dog at the right time, for the right amount of time.
Some people in the USA have indoor cameras too. If we see them, we cover them up. We are always careful about our indoor conversations. Many people have a āhome hub,ā usually an iPad set up in the kitchen. It is possible for the Owner to access the camera and audio on the home hub. Sometimes we unplug these or just cover them up with a towel. Lots of people have Alexa or Google devices, which are convenient for listening to music or setting a timer while cooking. These devices can have cameras too. I always inspect them when we arrive.
I am not super tech-y. Would love to hear from others who know more.
I had a bad experience of indoor cameras on one sit in the UK. The owner was very nervous having sitter. She had a burglary once in a previous house. I said that they are not allowed. But she took my mobile number and linked it in and said they would be off when I was in the house as it would pick up the phone. I stupidly believed her. One camera was off the other wasnāt. I know this as when some friends came to pick me up for dinner which she knew was going to happen. She sent a very nasty message as she obviously had an alert. I wrote to her privately and she was very abrupt, and angry her review was very short but still 5*. TH were helpful and said I could raise a disput, and I didnāt have to do the 2nd sit booked for later in the year. I wrote and said I wouldnāt be coming back and she had a huge climb down and was full of apologies. Said we should start again. I said no, and she left the site. Last year, I went to meet an owner in the country who had a bank of screens in the hallway, each showing a different room and view. I said I couldnāt do the sit if they were on. It was a very expensive property. She wrote to me and said her daughter would do it. 2 in 10 years but I am careful now to ask first. I donāt object to outside ones.
Homeowners donāt āinsistā on them. The reason you are reading about them is because when they are discovered it is a big deal and sitters are of course freaked out because it is a violation.
The only incident I had with an indoor camera was when a homeowner accidently left a pet cam on and it was an accident. She was mortified and apologetic.
You will have a chance to video chat with homeowners before you accept the sit, so you can certainly ask if there are any indoor cameras that they regularly have on. You can remind them of the policy and make sure you are in agreement that the cameras - if they exist ā will be off.
Many people have systems like Alexa that can record or film and they donāt even think about this stuff, so itās good to ask about disabling systems or making sure recording and filming are disabled before the sit starts.
In the US many people have ring cameras outside their doors. Sometimes these are inside the front entryway, so it could be worth asking about those. In some cases homeowners may not want to disable cameras by doors and that could be another discussion.
Iām not saying that the concern is overblown or that there arenāt some homeowners āspyingā on guests, but I think cases of homeowners purposely violating the rules on this are very rare.
In my experience, it is usually a pet cam that is in place inside the home. I simply ask if it will be unplugged during my stay and they always reply yes. In case they forget, I always check to see that it is not plugged in. If there are so many cords and I canāt really tell which one goes to the pet cam, I just place a cloth over it. I have never experienced, that I know of, a hidden camera inside the home.
Hi @RubyTuesday
Iāve done 21 sits over the last 2 years and have never encountered an indoor camera. Sure some HOās have ring doorbell cameras but that doesnāt bother me.
I think you are right to ask this. I think they are becoming much more common and also difficult to spot.
Recently I applied for a sit near where I live and went to meet the HO. Casually I asked if there were cameras and it turned out there were cameras in every room (theyād recently been burgled). None were disclosed without me asking.
And this isnāt the first time. Iām much more aware of this now. Itās not great.
I think Iāll be the only person with a different opinion here. In my second experience as a petsitter, at the request of a friend, I stayed in an apartment in a beautiful condominium to take care of two female chihuahuas. The owner asked me if I would agree to keep the cameras on. I said ThatĀ“s ok. Within minutes, I realized that one of the chihuahuas was sweet and the other was very anxious, sometimes nervous around strange people. This girl was already popular in the condominium, due to her defiant behavior haha. With lots of love, patience and resilience, all problems were resolved. Luckily I was adopted by the dog and her family. I think the owner was very insecure and worried about her dogās health, especially your behavior. Using the camera provided greater safety and comfort for the owner and she could enjoy a long trip with the certainty that her āprecious jewelā was protected. I didnāt feel uncomfortable. I didnāt have any problems, but thatās my opinion. Dialogue is always the best way. Itās important to say what bothers you so that your experience is positive. Itās up to the owner to decide. We are different from each other and that makes us unique. I hope you understand.
I will be travelling with my 14 year old daughter and until I was reading through some posts on the forum, pet / security cameras being used to monitor sitters coming and going, or being active inside had not occurred to me!
Itās good you are asking a lot of questions on the Forum so I hope you are feeling better with all the support you have been given on all your topics.
