I am a bit hesitant to ask about a HO providing a clean home, especially clean bedding, for my sit without offending them. Has anyone had issues with this? What are the standard protocol/requirements for the condition of a home in preparation for a sitter?
Separately, I am a single woman embarking on this pet-sitting journey and have wondered about cameras in a person’s home. Will I feel safe and comfortable living in the space, taking a shower, or being nude in any capacity without wondering if there are cameras around the home to see me? How does Trusted Housesitters ensure the safety and privacy of a sitter?
Hello @Ghazellé - we’ve never arrived at a sit where there weren’t clean sheets and towels, the HO gets an email with what they need to provide for the sitter. Cameras are not allowed by THS and the hosts acknowledge that so should be fine. (If we ever see one we’re not sure about we throw a tea towel over it ) There are lots of single female sitters on here so am sure you’ll get lots of good tips & advice from others. Best of luck
All of my sits have told me the bedding was clean upon arrival but I bring my own bedding anyway because I color my hair and don’t want it to bleed. I am curious about the cameras. My last sit had like twenty fire alarm looking things in a pretty small home and I know those are common hidden camera things but I didn’t get the feeling of being watched. The sit I’m currently on I have a really intense vibe of being watched but there are a lot of things that I can’t tell what they are so I’m unsure. I’m just hoping not. I guess just behave like the common areas are possibly monitored and hope that bathrooms aren’t.
HOs don’t sign anything @Cuttlefish. @Ghazellé there is a policy in relation to cameras which forms part of the T & C but many members do not read this. New HO are given a prompt to disclose this in their listing and mark in the new Amenities list feature but older members who just re-post their listing with new sets of dates are more likely not to know about this policy. Camera and Recording Devices Policy | TrustedHousesitters.com
Hosts should not need to be told (or asked) to clean their homes and provide fresh bedding, and sitters should not need to be told to clean up after themselves! It should be absolutely standard & just common courtesy and mutual respect! However THS does send out cleaning reminders to both hosts & sitters as standards vary so much- they must have received enough feedback to make such messages necessary.
Despite those reminders we, unfortunately, don’t always arrive at a clean home, despite what the listing pictures may have shown. We (too often) feel the need to deep clean on arrival- the areas we will use and at the very minimum we use disinfectant wipes in bathrooms and on surfaces. We once arrived at a home that looked supercially clean and very presentable but later after the hosts left we discovered, on pulling back the top cover, that the bedding was not fresh at all!! Obviously slept in and full of dog hairs! We found that truly insulting. If there was an option for sitters to rate on cleaning we could knock a few stars off!
Internal cameras are a complete no go. We always ask if there are any operating. Usually we trust the answer but we once spotted a live camera (in the main living area)on day 3 and immediately disabled it. We did not say anything but if the hosts were actively monitoring they would have realised! Another host assured us they had switched them off but later we had reason to suspect they had not. Another host was monitoring her cat flap from New Zealand while we were at her place in France! We only found out when she commented one day about the cat coming home too late in the night! That gave us a strange feeling of being observed.
Fortunately all the above scenarios are the minority. Most sit experiences are positive!
@Cuttlefish I’m thinking there’s a box that all new members need to tick agreeing to the T & C but we need a new member to let us know if this is correct. Then, of course, the T & C actually need to be read and there lies the issue. I’m sure many of us are guilty of not reading T &C in documents/ web sites etc but just ticking the box so we can continue.
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How does Trusted Housesitters ensure the safety and privacy of a sitter?
Good question… I don’t know if they’ve changed it but I’d sure like to see TH have the same verification requirements for owners as for sitters – I’ve suggested it in feedback before, and the response was that the owners are taking a bigger risk by having a stranger in their house. Well, we don’t know whose house we’re gonna be in either, so…
Maybe in your messages with the HO before the sit you could ask something like “Among the responsibilities I’ll have, will I need to launder the bedding when I arrive?” – they might take the hint and let you know they’ll do it.
Dunno what to think about the cameras. Potential for it… but you could have that in an Airbnb too.
Although it is in the T & Cs that internal cameras are not allowed, I always ask the HO in my initial question “Are you aware that the Code of Conduct states that Internal Cameras and Third Parties are not allowed?”
I haven’t asked about the cameras. There’s been a lot of issues already and I’m just trying to make it through the sit at this point because they already seem bothered and I don’t want a bad review.
Welcome @Ghazellé to the forum and to your pet-sitting journey.
We are new to THS this year and are currently enjoying our fourth sit . So far all the homes have been lovely and clean , including the bedroom and bed linens.
Before applying for a sit we take a thorough look at the photos on the listing. ( someone who hasn’t bothered to make the bed or pick up rubbish from the floor for the listing photos is a no for us )
We also take time to read all feedback from previous sitters to see if they mention any issues .
We ask for a video call before agreeing to sit . These are just a few ways we use to discover any possible issues that wouldn’t suit us before committing to a sit .
Hello @Ghazellé and a warm welcome to the Community Forum
I have attached a link for you for the policy regarding cameras and recording devices, I hope this helps to clarify for you.
To confirm for you, In our Terms and Conditions, our Camera & Recording Devices Policy states that during a sit no internal recording or monitoring devices can be enabled.
For reference as a member and once your listing is completed you can also add your TrustedHousesitters profile on to your Forum profile by following the attached link, should you wish. This will then enable others to offer you helpful advice and feedback.
If you are unsure how to do this, or if you have any questions at all, do not hesitate to ask, we are all more than happy to help.
I have attached some additional links as you are just starting out on your house sitting journey
Also, remember you can use the spyglass symbol at the top of the page next to the TrustedHousesitters logo and search for any questions that you may have as they have most likely already been answered on here and of course if not then please just ask!
I have attached a thread below, it would be great if you could join in with this as we think you could offer great feedback and would be a great addition
It’s really really rare (see my notes below).
But that is one of the BIG reasons for video chats with a HO before agreeing to a sit. If they are being cagey about showing you the home, maybe a red flag? Most important: read notes from previous sitters. Look for “code” words. If the previous sitters call it “very relaxed” that might mean…
Honestly, we have found the vast majority of HO are very considerate about leaving things pleasant for a sitter & of course expect the same courtesy when they return.
Only ONE time have we taken a sit, and the HO clearly didn’t understand the win-win arrangement: full disclosure it was via a different org, not THS.
A bit shocked to arrive on the day requested only to be told we should find a hotel & come back at 7 AM for the keys as they had an early flight.
After a hurried exchange and request to drive them to the airport, returned to find dirty dishes,fridge full of way past due stuff to be tossed, used linens in the bedroom & dirty towels in the WC. Spent our first day cleaning up. They came back to a clean house & fresh food in the fridge: they had the nerve to complain we hadn’t dusted in the rooms they specifically asked us NOT to enter.
Closest after that was a home where the owners changed the start & end date multiple times, arrived to a bit of chaos but not bad.
So not going to say it cannot happen but - it’s NEVER happened again!
We have once sat in a home that had security cameras inside & outside.
Inside were in the living room & kitchen. TBH I was not comfortable with that arrangement even though they swore they wouldn’t have them on.
I’m a single female sitter and have never felt unsafe (or had dirty bedding). There’s definitely an element of trust and a need for adaptability with petsitting, on both sides. But you can learn a lot from a listing and by talking to the homeowners before accepting a sit. If you’re worried about cameras there are apps that will detect what devices are connected to a network, which can identify if there are cameras being monitored- Fling is one. There can never be guarantees that you won’t encounter issues, so it’s also wise to really consider if petsitting is something you feel comfortable with.
All my sits the homes have been very clean with clean bedding and towels provided. That said, I do scrutinize pics carefully as well as reviews and rule out places that look like they might be cluttered. Since I’m usually driving, I’ve always thrown my own sheets in my car just in case as I’m really picky about sheets and can’t stand synthetic fabrics.
Re: cameras, I always ask. I would be totally ok with external cameras (like ring cameras) as long as informed, though I’ve yet to encounter it… Internal cameras absolutely not! I usually just ask in a very neutral way “are there any cameras or other security devices I should know about?”
I’m a single woman and have always felt safe, though I must say I have avoided applying for sits where the host is a single man (unless he happened to disclose in the listing that he was not straight, then I’d be fine with it). That’s just not comfortable to me esp since I’m usually invited to stay the night before and across my life have often received unwanted male attention…so my guard is super up for that, perhaps more than it needs to be but I just don’t want that worry that I’ll get hit on or be in an uncomfortable position.
I have sat for single women and straight/gay couples thus far, and everyone has been absolutely delightful and feel I made friends with all of them!
70 plus sits and never had an issue about clean houses, fresh bedding or cameras.
Communication and due diligence is the key. Ask the questions and listen to the answers carefully. If your not happy, reject and start again.
Good luck.
) There are lots of single female sitters on here so am sure you’ll get lots of good tips & advice from others. Best of luck 
