TrustedHousesitters has always worked because people show up for each other. You trust someone with your pets, your home, your routines, your travel plans. That human side is what makes this community special, and it’s something we’ll always protect.
As our community grows, we’ve heard from more members who would like to see increased clarity, more consistency and stronger support systems.
Over the years, we’ve seen recurring conversations around cancellations, clearer expectations on both sides, easier ways to raise concerns and stronger baseline standards across TrustedHousesitters.
So over the coming months, you’ll start to see a series of improvements designed to raise the standard of trust across TrustedHousesitters. Not by removing the human side, but by supporting it better.
We wanted to share an early look at the thinking behind this work, so you have a clearer idea of what’s coming and why.
1. Helping members make more informed choices
Right now, members do a lot of the work themselves. You read carefully through reviews and use your own judgement to decide whether it feels like the right fit.
That judgement will always matter. But we think we can do more to support this process.
One example of this support is a beta feature we’ll be testing soon, which will help show relevant sitter experience when they apply for a sit. The aim is to make it quicker and easier for owners to understand whether someone may be a strong fit for their sit.
2. Making expectations clearer on both sides
When plans fall through at the last minute, the impact can be huge for travel, pets, accommodation, cost and stress. We think there should be clearer expectations, and more shared responsibility, across both sides of the community.
That’s why we’re looking at improvements such as cancellation deterrents, with the aim of making the experience feel fairer, clearer and more dependable for everyone involved.
3. Giving members clearer routes when something doesn’t feel right
Today, if something doesn’t feel right, members need to proactively contact Membership Services. For some, that can feel unclear, or like there isn’t an obvious next step. We want to make that easier.
We’re working on a clearer way for logged-in members to report a concerning profile or listing directly in the product, without needing to search for the right route into Membership Services.
We’re also adding one simple question at the end of the review flow: whether you would recommend the sitter or sit. Your answer will only be seen by TrustedHousesitters. It won’t be shared with the other member. We’ll use this alongside other signals to help us spot patterns, understand concerns and keep standards high across the platform.
4. Strengthening systems behind the scenes
Some trust improvements are visible. Others happen quietly in the background. We’re continuing to strengthen the foundations that help keep TrustedHousesitters secure, reliable and running smoothly.
One upcoming example is an update to the devices we support. Most members won’t be affected, and if we believe you may be impacted by a future app update, we’ll contact you directly. If you are affected, the app will still work for now, but it won’t receive future updates.
You can read more here: How to check if your mobile device supports app updates
Raising standards isn’t a one-off launch. It’s an ongoing effort to make TrustedHousesitters feel clearer, fairer, more consistent and more supportive as the community continues to grow.
