Safety in new sit location

Sitter Questions, Advice & Chat
1

Hi all-

I’m brand new to HouseSitters, this is only my second sit and I’d really appreciate your feedback. This home is located in a town fairly close to my own home - about 40 minutes away. I’m doing it because it is close and I’m just starting out on this site so I wanted to get a couple of great reviews locally before I travel far.

However I have several concerns about this location: It is at the very end of town, no houses on one side and nobody home on the other, and it’s right next to a dirt road on the beach that is a known dangerous location for drugs and other issues. 2 sitters ago the man staying here got held up on that road at gunpoint. The local caretaker for the property was robbed at gunpoint inside his house on the other side of this small town about a year ago. I’ve travelled the world alone and in third world countries quite often so I’m no scaredy cat and I can take care of myself, pretty well, but my concern here is that this house has no curtains in the living space upstairs. on the floor to ceiling windows facing the roads in the front (beach) and in the back (highway). It gets dark here around 6p every day. Since all the rooms up here are locked and I have no key to any of them (including the bathroom), I can either sit upstairs in the fishbowl to watch TV at night after making dinner or go sit in my small room downstairs by the laundry room (the only room I have a key to and where the only bathroom is located) which has no TV and nothing comfortable to sit on except the bed. It gets dark here at 6pm so that’s a long time to sit in a small room with no TV. I asked about the safety when I first saw the house, and was told by the caretaker that the glass in the living room is a special type that you can see out but others can’t see in. Well, tonight I drove my car out on the road after dark to see if that was true, and you can see perfectly well inside the kitchen and living room both from the beach side and from the major highway that is up the hill. This is the last house in the town (or first if coming from the highway) and right now this country has had a rash of daily kidnappings and murders, most are even caught on camera and still nobody has been arrested for most of them.

I’m not allowed to have any guests over and I don’t know anyone who would be willing to come stay even if I was. I’m considering offering to the owner to take her cat and dog to my place which is 40 minutes away and in a safe gated community, but I don’t think anyone else should be staying in this location until there are at least privacy curtains in place, especially when the sitter is a woman alone. I have a friend who lives in this town and she carries pepper gel literally all the time when she is not inside her house. I didn’t know any of this when I signed up for the sit, but now I’m concerned and I don’t know what I should do.

I don’t want to leave the animals of course, but also I’m concerned I will get a black mark since I am so new to this platform if I raise this concern, even if I offer to take care of the animals in my own home. But I’m concerned and so are my friends in the town I live in who I told about this. They recommended I ask the community what you think before discussing it with the owner, to see if anyone else had any ideas.

It’s dark now, and that means it’s not safe for me to drive home from here, so I’m stuck for tonight no matter what. But I don’t think I could stay here for a month under these conditions, as the longer I am in the fishbowl the more likely someone will notice there’s a woman staying here alone and that does not feel safe to me. Please advise what you would do in this situation. Again, I’m happy to take the animals to my place and I will offer this to the owner tomorrow if you all think that is a fair resolution.

Thank you for your feedback.

1 Like
2

O you poor thing that sounds awful … i have never had to experience anything like that and you should not have too!! I would not worry about the feedback as yet , most HO leave great stars in my journey of 30+ sits worldwide!! They soon build up…
I would contact your emergency number and tell the owner you do not feel safe, whether they think you are or not isnt relevant you need to feel safe! Give 24 hrs notice to leave and make sure contacts cover the pet care before you go its not their fault ! If not tell the HO you will look after them at home until other care can be arranged ….. dont risk staying there!!
I hope this helps🙏

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3

Yikes. Sounds unsafe. I wouldn’t stay even if they had privacy curtains. I would be willing to get rated down, because staying safe seems more clearly important.

When you say, “right now this country has had a rash of daily kidnappings and murders, most are even caught on camera and still nobody has been arrested for most of them,” I would never risk sitting without clearly knowing whether X location is safe, especially if sitting solo as a woman.

Maybe you don’t do local sits and it takes you longer / you have to pursue sits abroad. That’s still better than risking your life to sit.

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4

Hi @TMP

I’m sorry to hear about this.

I thought I’d share a link to our “Can I cancel a sit?” article for you to take a look at.

I have also passed your details over to the team, explained you’re concerned about your safety, and asked the team if they can reach out to you.

Jenny

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5

Offering to take the pets to your home where you feel safe is a good idea. If you have pictures of your house and outside area and the PP sees how nice it is they may agree.

6

I am sorry to hear about this experience…it sounds less than ideal in numerous ways.

I can’t say for certain what I would do as I have never been in a similar circumstance as far as being in a location where I truly feared for my safety. But that alone is a very valid reason to leave the sit, especially if you are there alone.

When sitters leave early I am not sure if the sit gets completely cancelled–meaning neither party can review each other–or the end date changes to when you actually plan to leave, or if there is an option to choose one or the other depending on the circumstances.

If the sit gets completely cancelled, you won’t have to worry about a bad review though the host could potentially raise a dispute against you, which in the worst case scenario could lead to removal from the platform. Though in this instance, I highly doubt this would be the end result should this person decide to do so.

If you do leave early and there is still the chance for the host to review you, it is of course possible you won’t get a good one I know that can be upsetting and not an ideal way to start off on the site, but you would have an opportunity to respond, being able to share your side of things.

Living only 40 minutes away, did you truly have no idea what the general area was like at all? That is not meant to be accusatory or to suggest you aren’t being truthful in your claim that you had no idea about any of these issues prior to accepting the sit.

But perhaps it could be helpful to reflect on what transpired prior to accepting --for example, realizing you could have researched the area more to get a better sense of what it would be like.

As for the house itself, were you aware that most of it would be off limits during your stay? Were there pictures in the listing that clearly illustrated where you would be sleeping, what the other rooms looked like?

I ask these questions–which are more meant for you to answer to yourself rather than me-- because as a new sitter there can be a bit of a learning curve ; in a new sitter’s eagerness to rack up reviews, they may not vet opportunities as carefully and closely. It is tempting to just take whatever you can get, especially when the sits are close by.

Ultimately, know that you are under no obligation to stay if you do not want to–THS can’t make you, the host can’t make you. But if fear of getting a bad review or putting your membership in jeopardy is strong enough that you would choose to stay, just be sure to own that choice–it will make you feel a lot better about the situation.

Offering to take the animals is a good suggestion, and there is a good chance she will be okay with it if the alternative would be coming home or trying to arrange a new sitter. Though, if having someone occupy the home while she is gone is of equal importance as pet care, then it may not work. Won’t know until you ask.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

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7

Thank you for your response. I did know there are safety concerns all over the country at the moment, I did not know the house was located where it is and that there are no curtains. I have reached out to the home owner, thank you for your time and consideration.

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Thank you for taking the time to respond, I really appreciate it.

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Thank you Maggie8K for your feedback. I will definitely do more thorough research for any future sits.

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Thank you Jenny, I look forward to hearing from your team. I have reached out to the homeowner and am waiting for their reply. With luck we can find a reasonable solution that will work out for everyone.

1 Like
11

Aside from the considerable safety concerns, is any part of the accommodation different from what is advertised? Such as the lack of access to much of the home. If so, that would be worth mentioning to member services as it could minimize the risk of the HO leaving a negative review. Either way, I personally would prioritize my safety over the review. A friend of mine just had a one-star sitter complete a 3 month sit for her and was completely satisfied. The sitter had only one review, but after reading the review and the sitter’s response, she felt it was worth scheduling a video call, and from there, she felt confident in the sitter.

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12

It sounds like you have enough experience and street savvy to trust your spidey sense. You’re concerned about the situation. Your local friends are concerned about your situation. Seems to me that’s enough.

Your offer to take and care for the animals at your own place may be against THS policy but exceptions happen and your offer is much more reasonable than sitting in a home with all the rooms locked. I’d let the PPs know you’re leaving the sit, I’d leave today and take the pets until the PPs make other arrangements.

Whether or not you get a review is the much lesser concern. If you do get to review, I’d suggest listing your security concerns while there as well as the locked off majority of the property. If the HOs review you, you will have the opportunity reply to their review and detail what actions you took and why. Given the circumstances and your dicey location, I think a bad review by the HO could ultimately reflect very well on you to future HOs if you handle your review and response well. Do mention the country where the sit occurred to improve the context.

Good luck.

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13

Your safety is more important than being rated on a pet sitting platform. You are offering a good option by taking the pet to your place. I hope the host takes you up on that offer.

14

I stopped reading your post after two mentions of the word gun. I wouldn’t have gotten involved with that sit. I would have just started with normal sets rather than risk my life for the way that it sounds like you may have hope you’re OK

15

Thank you for sharing all of this so clearly and thoughtfully — I can feel how much you care about doing right by the animals, while also honoring your very real safety concerns. And you’re absolutely right to pause and reach out for feedback before making a decision.

What you’re describing doesn’t sound like simple discomfort — it sounds like a legitimate personal safety concern, especially with what you’ve learned about the area, the history of violence, and the lack of basic privacy measures like curtains. The “fishbowl” feeling in an isolated home, combined with recent crime nearby, would make anyone uneasy — especially staying alone for a full month.

I think your idea of offering to take the pets to your home (just 40 minutes away) is a fair and thoughtful compromise. It allows you to continue providing loving care for the animals while also protecting your own well-being. If the owner is truly concerned for their pets, they’ll appreciate that you’re trying to find a safe, workable solution rather than abandoning the sit altogether.

When you reach out to them, be calm, clear, and non-accusatory. You could frame it like this:

“I’ve had some unexpected concerns about the security of the location, particularly the visibility at night and recent events in the area. I care about your pets and want to continue caring for them, but I don’t feel fully safe here for the duration of the sit. Would you be open to me caring for your cat and dog from my home, where they’ll still receive dedicated attention and love? I want to make sure this works for all of us.”

It’s good that you’ve documented the situation, and if you’re using a platform like TrustedHousesitters, I’d recommend contacting support as well — not to escalate, but to have the situation on record, especially if you’re brand new. They can be surprisingly supportive when safety is involved.

Above all, please trust your gut. Your safety is just as important as the pets’ care, and you’re handling this with empathy, caution, and integrity — exactly what a great sitter does.

Sending strength and hoping for a smooth resolution tomorrow. You’re not alone in this.

16

Thanks everyone so very much for taking the time to share your thoughts and ideas with me. The support is amazing. The HO and I have agreed for me to take the pets (dog and cat) to my place until she finds an alternate solution. I am not sure if the sit will be cancelled or the dates altered to reflect actual days spent, I suppose it will depend on whether or not she can find an alternate sitter and for what time period.

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17

I would recommend giving the HO a timeline for finding alternate care. Given the situation and the fact that they outright lied to you about the windows being glass that people can’t see in, I would be a little hesitant to trust that they will make it a priority. They also don’t have to worry about the pets being cared for since you are taking them to your home. The exchange here is gone, you are just providing pet care in your own home for free. I would give them a few days at most.

Don’t worry about the review, your safety is much more important. Even if they give you a bad review, you get to review them and also respond to their review. Just lay out the facts that you’ve presented here. Any HO who would read this and think you should have stayed is someone you don’t want to sit for anyway.

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18

It’s no longer a THS sit if you are taking the pets to your home . THS won’t provide any support for this private arrangement. This is no longer a mutual exchange , if you are receiving nothing in return .

I suggest that you research how much locals pet sitters charge for boarding pets in their own home . Has the host has agreed to pay you the going rate for this service ?

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19

The “they” that “lied” was the caretaker. Not the HO. And whether anyone lied is debatable. One-way residential window glass works during daylight hours. Not so much when the outdoors is darker than the indoors.

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I missed that it was the caretaker. However, the fact remains that people can clearly see in the house. Whether anyone lied or not, the sitter was still in a very bad situation and I still think it wise to give them a timeline for finding alternate care.