I started a sit last week and have just had a message from the home owners after I opened a window in the house, asking me not to open that particular window as there is an antique lamp on the windowsill. I was a little taken aback and asked how they were aware I opened that window, to which they replied they get notifications from Ring on their phone, assuring me they had no indoor cameras (they have a Ring doorbell).
I’m not familiar with the Ring system, and unsure how it all works. I see they have movement sensors in each of the rooms. Do they get notifications every time I leave a room as well as opening a window or door? Although it’s not on the same level as cameras, it still feels invasive to me so I’d like more of an understanding of how this works, if anyone knows. Thank you!
Like with many security systems, if they have window sensors, then if a window is left open or opened, they will get an alert. Most security systems work this way. Motion detectors work this way as well. If you leave and set the alarm, those motion detectors will trigger the alarm and the police will arrive if the code has not been entered in time.
Thank you. I’ve never had security systems in houses I’ve lived in, so don’t have an understanding of what triggers phone notifications with Ring, other than if someone rings the doorbell, i.e. if someone enters/ leaves a room, would the HOs be notified by text, or would that only be the case if I set the alarm? I guess my concern is that they are being notified every time I leave or enter a room (which is frequently!) which feels a bit unnecessary and invasive, but I don’t know if this is the case.
Your best bet is to ask them which alerts they get but I doubt it’s every time you move vs just when an entry point is opened. usually interior motion detectors are only active if the alarm is active.
While I can’t say for sure how they are using the system, it is highly unlikely they are getting notifications every time you are moving around the house–that would be burdensome and anyone who would want to keep tabs on someone that closely probably wouldn’t do something like THS.
Like someone mentioned above, the motion sensors are designed to monitor movements in the house when the alarm has been set and no one is home.
I am sure that experience was a bit unnerving but it sounds like they are just using standard security and you aren’t being monitored in any way.
Thank you, you are right. I guess I wasn’t expecting them to know I’d opened a window, and so it set off all sorts of questions regarding whether I was being otherwise monitored.
As @CreatureCuddler suggested, I asked the HOs directly and they confirmed they only receive alerts for external doors and windows, and the movement senors alert them if the alarm is set, which is reassuring. Thank you for your responses!
I suppose they keep tabs on you, how much you are at home, and when you go out.
It is surveillance of the sitter. If they had wanted security, they would have routed the notifications to you. When I was in a smart home, I was given the app, to see what light were on, gas use, etc. I suppose the HO could still see everything, but at least I know what they could see (and I was pretty sure that they were not keeping an eye on me).
I agree. It is difficult to know where the line is between acceptable and invasive surveillance. I think this is straddling that line, especially as they hadn’t previously let me know how the system works. This is a repeat sit and the HOs are pernickety to say the least (I think their home manual was about 40 pages!) so this is in line with what I know about them already and have had to adapt to.
We each make our own choices about what’s acceptable on sits or not.
If you’re worried about this sort of thing, it makes sense to discuss it upfront. But maybe you didn’t because you find the sit so compelling that you’re willing to accept more murkiness and therefore risks.
For me, there is no sliding scale or compromising — no matter how great a location, home, etc., my standards never waver. That makes it easy to decide what’s acceptable to me.
To me, it’s not a big deal for hosts to know when I come and go, because I’m not doing anything that would be worrisome, as long as they’re within what I consider normal range. I wouldn’t for instance take sits with anyone I thought was “persnickety,” especially not as a repeat sit.
To me, if you’re taking such sits, shrug, you automatically sign up for more trouble, so makes sense to set expectations accordingly.
As for security systems, many have window sensors. If they only wired the doors, there’s no real point, because why wouldn’t burglars just enter through a window? It’s not as if there’s some burglar rule to enter only through a door.
I’m not willing to accept any kind of ‘murkiness’. My safety and privacy is of paramount importance to me and I do not compromise where this is concerned. I came to the forum to ask a question about a system was, until today, unaware of and the answers I have received here and from the home owners have satisfied me.
I am not bothered about the home owners knowing when I come and go, nor do I mind fussy home owners, hence why I accepted the repeat sit. I am not signing up to more trouble: there are far more positives about this sit than there are negatives.
Have you considered sending a post-review message to them suggesting that the entry/window alert system is mentioned in the listing, for the benefit of future potential sitters?
Yes, I think they are aware given our discussion today that this needs to be clarified. They were very reassuring and apologetic for having concerned me. It is taken for granted that people will be familiar with these systems, but that’s not always the case.
Usually on a repeat sit, someone would’ve discussed the security system the first time. Like I just did a sit and my hosts explained the security system to me, because I’d asked. If I were to do a repeat sit, I’d check whether anything had changed — eliminating murkiness on the first sit and making sure it wasn’t introduced with the second. Those elements are within each sitter’s control. I mention that, because we aren’t sitting ducks. If a host lies despite due diligence, that’s another matter, of course.
Communicating about priorities is important, because hosts won’t necessarily mention things they take for granted in their homes.
If your host gave you a 40-page guide and didn’t mention the workings of the security system, that would be an issue.
The Ring doorbell was made clear to me before I first sat for these HOs. I was not aware that notifications would be received for the internal windows and this was not disclosed. We have had a discussion regarding things that have changed since the previous sit. In terms of the security system, nothing has. This was the first time they had alerted me to the fact they receive notifications when a window is opened, which piqued my concern, hence this thread.
Each message you post (at least in response to mine) is unnecessarily combative and has an air of superiority, i.e. you do house sitting it the correct way and we should all follow suit. I have been house sitting since 2018. I do not require a play-by-play guide on how to communicate with home owners. It makes posting a simple question quite unpleasant when your words are put under a microscope in this way. I posted a simple question, to which I have received kind and satisfactory responses. I will not be responding to any more of your messages, here or in other threads.
It sounds like this sit was good enough the first time around (persnickety-ness aside) to warrant a second sit. now that you’ve got the information about not having your every movement tracked, it might be useful to reframe this as the HOs doing you a solid - what if the open window had caused the lamp to fall and your post was about how to deal with that?
I think of all sits as learning opportunities, and it sounds like they now know more things to put in their listings - so you’ve also been very helpful to both the HOs and future sitters!
Oh yes, absolutely. Having the discussion today with the HOs definitely put my mind at ease regarding their intentions and the safety of the house. Rather than keeping me on surveillance, it was clear that not explaining the alert system was just an oversight.
I agree that all sits are learning opportunities and it’s usually ‘learning on the job’ in my experience. Rather than getting every piece of information upfront, some things become apparent when you have stayed in a place for some time.
Why? The sit is great, the HOs are kind (albeit a little particular) and, having been here before, I have made connections in the area. The above thread was about one small detail that was missed out. It happens. No reason not to do a repeat sit.
