I arrived at a sit on Saturday evening, and the smell of cigarette smoke immediately hit me as I opened the front door. I sniffled all through the evening with the smell irritating my sinuses. The bed smelled of smoke, although not strongly, so by the morning my throat was also irritated, and I decided I couldn’t stay for the 11-day sit. I had to prioritise my health, and I knew the mother could take over as she was just two doors away.
I contacted THS through chat, but nobody was available for a live chat. I did get an email a couple of hours later confirming support for my situation and advising me to contact the HO so that she could make alternative arrangements for cat care. She was obviously not happy and said she would need to fly back home. Anyway, the key and cat care were left with the mother.
THS subsequently also contacted the HO, the post was urgently re-listed, and I saw that there was one applicant and the listing was later closed so I think it was sorted.
I was grateful to get support from THS as no doubt was the HO. The whole situation need not have happened though as I have a note at the very top of my profile page asking people not to accept my application if there are smokers or room fragrance products in the house as I am allergic to them. I suppose smokers don’t realise that their house does smell even if they don’t notice it themselves.
So, a big thank you to membership services!
Thank you so much for the feedback @Dace I’ve passed that over to the team 
Really glad to hear things worked out. While I have a BIG non-smoking warning in my host listing, and sometimes double check on chat, I realize I don’t mention anything about smoking on my sitter profile page, and I don’t think I explicitly ask hosts when I video chat although probably some mention “no smoking” in their profiles or ask me. In future, I’ll make sure to specifically ask before a sit, as it’s a good point, most smokers are likely to think they’ve “cleaned” the place or aired it out and everything is fine and their own sense of smell is deadened to it.
Great points!
I used to work with a smoker who thought the solution to the cigarette odor was to douse herself in Opium perfume (often while sharing a car or elevator)!
This has made me sit up as, I must admit, although I hate smoking I never think of asking owners if they smoke. Even if people do smoke it’s my experience that most people nowadays don’t even smoke in their own homes. Non smoking owners often mention that they don’t want sitters who smoke in their listing. What an awful experience for you and I’m glad to read you have managed to escape! Happy Christmas
@Smiley Happy Christmas to you as well, and to everybody else!
Ugh 
!
This issue is sooo important to us that when we “apply” for a sit, it isn’t really an application. We just ask whether the home is smoke free and say we will submit a proper application if they confirm.
Amazing how many HOs don’t even think to mention their smoker status, either way, in their listings.
@Jenny I was telling one of my friends about my experience with the cigarette smoke, and she asked if there wasn’t a tick box for HOs to confirm whether or not it is a non-smoking house. I think this is a really good idea and should be easy to implement.
I cannot imagine why we sitters cannot contact the HOs without hitting the “apply” button. I just “applied” for a sit in a sprawling area (over 10,000 square miles) because the only location information in the profile was that it was a busy street with a bus stop!
It seems that many tick-boxes aren’t visible for sitters? So that would be a requirement to be useful.
I’ve no allergies but I find the smell repulsive and can’t imagine staying a week in a house where people had been smoking. Luckily in 110 sits we’ve not had any where people had smoked inside and only 2 or 3 appear to have smoked outside. It’s such a strange thing nowadays that it would seem rude to actually ask. It would be good if Tusted Housitters made it a requirement that no one smokes indoors.
I would LOVE if THS made it part of the profile, along with the home and pets. I know no one who smokes tobacco and never remember to ask.
@EdGallagher I don’t think it can be made into a requirement that nobody smokes indoors. What people do in their own homes is their business. However, it should be a requirement to declare this in the profile as @Whirld-Traveller suggests.
@Jenny @EdGallagher @Garfield @Smiley @Marion @Whirld-Traveller @Saltrams
I thought some of you would find the reviews interesting.
My review of the HO, 3* overall, 4* for communication, 5* for the other categories. An HO that I was arranging a repeat sit with for next year thought I had given a generous review under the circumstances.
“There are many positives for this sit such as a clean house, a lovely location and a friendly cat.
However, unfortunately, I had to leave the sit on the second day of the 11 days booked due to the smell of cigarette smoke which was irritating my sinuses and throat. This was done with the support of THS. The fact that it is a smoking environment needs to be added to the listing so that potential sitters are aware and can choose not to apply, thus avoiding stress for both the sitter and the homeowner.
I was sorry to leave [the cat] as he is such a friendly guy who was up on my knee within a couple of hours of my arriving. I was also given a warm welcome by [the HO’s] mum who lives a couple of doors away”.
Review from the HO of me, 1* overall, 2* for organisation, 1* for the other categories, including for Clean & Tidy which she hasn’t even seen as she is still away.
“Thought I’d found a good sitter but dace left my cat after one day when I was in another country for Xmas. She didn’t wait till another sitter had been allocated by the site either. Xmas and holiday was completely ruined. I wouldn’t have minded so much if Dace waited on another sitter but no, she informed she was leaving and left. Her reason was feeling a bit unwell but clearly well enough to drive a very long way home”.
My reply: “Unfortunately, I had to leave this sit on the second day of the 11 days booked as the smell of cigarette smoke had irritated my sinuses and throat. This was done with THS support, and the key and cat care were left with [the HO’s] mother who lives a couple of doors away.
I have a very clear note at the top of my profile page asking people not to accept my application if there are smokers or room fragrance products in the house as I am allergic to both. In addition, there was no indication in the listing that it is a smoking environment”.
I think she’s rather shot herself in the foot with this one.
Thanks for updating the outcome. Good for you @Dace you handled that confrontation really well with a fair review and a solid comeback after the host’s tantrum of a review to you. Blind Freddy can see she was in the wrong here for not disclosing that it’s an inside smokers home. Onwards and upwards. 
I too loathe cigarettes and would never accept a sit in the home of smokers. Having said that, Although unpleasant I don’t think the residual smell is a health hazard and I would probably have used a lot of air freshener rather than leave.
From Cleveland Clinic:
Secondhand smoke can linger in a room for up to about five hours. In fact, it can even travel through stairwells and ventilation units. This means people who live in apartment buildings risk exposure without ever leaving their home. Particles from tobacco smoke can settle on surfaces and last several months. This is called thirdhand smoke.
I definitely wouldn’t be able to stay in that environment as it would aggravate my asthma. My application requests confirmation that it is a non-smoking home.
I am glad to hear you were supported by THS.
@Wildcolonialgirl I’m allergic to air fresheners as well! Synthetic chemicals! I would have been doubly sniffling and coughing!
Residual smoke, i.e. third-hand smoke, is known to be a potential hazard. For example: What is thirdhand smoke, and why is it a concern? - Mayo Clinic.
If a person smokes a lot, the smell can stick to the walls and furniture and everything, and it is more than just unpleasant to a non-smoker. I remember looking at a house I loved but even with fresh paint, it still reeked, so was a hard no.
Thank you @Dace - like you I can’t cope with smoke or fragrance smells, so I’ve now reflected this in my profile and will include it in my applications. So far, none of my pet parents have been smokers, and I’ve not encountered room fragrances, and I’d like to keep it that way.