I wanted to share something and hear from both sitters and hosts because I’ve been feeling pretty discouraged.
Recently, I’ve had several sit applications declined in destinations I’ve really been hoping to visit, including Portugal, Spain, and Mexico City. What’s been disappointing isn’t just being declined. It’s that I haven’t had the chance to have a conversation or even a quick interview with any of the hosts before they made their decision.
I completely understand that hosts receive a lot of applications and have every right to choose whoever they feel is the best fit. I also understand that not every sitter is going to be chosen. But I’ve completed multiple sits and have received some really excellent reviews, although I understand that not every review has been perfect. I consider myself a responsible and reliable sitter, and I put a lot of effort into my applications and the sits I do. So it can be frustrating to feel like I’m being ruled out based only on an application without having the opportunity to introduce myself or have a conversation.
I’d genuinely love to hear from hosts: what makes you decide to decline an applicant without messaging them first or having a quick conversation? Are there certain things you look for that sitters might not realize?
And for other sitters, have you experienced something similar, especially when applying for popular destinations in Europe or major cities?
I really enjoy TrustedHousesitters and the experiences I’ve had through it, but after several declines in places I’ve been hoping to visit, I’m honestly starting to question whether renewing my membership next year makes sense. I’d really appreciate hearing everyone’s honest experiences and perspectives.
I’m a sitter, not a host, but we’ve had a 100% success rate in getting accepted for at least the past couple of years (unless a prior sitter applies, and then we always lose out understandably).
I think what you’ve wrote actually sums up why you are getting declines. Ask yourself why would they would choose you over someone who has a history of sitting in their country with perfect reviews.
To remedy it, focus on getting perfect reviews in places where you are more likely to be accepted, and then venturing off to sought-after destinations will become easier.
You also say:
That doesn’t sound like you have many reviews yet, because you said multiple, rather than giving an indication of an actual figure. So that is likely to be going against you too. How many reviews do you have at the moment, and out of those, how many were 5stars in every category?
You need to wash away the less-than-perfect reviews by smothering them in good ones.
If you can give an indication of the number of reviews you have, then forum members will be able to give you better advice to make it more likely for you to get accepted.
Are you applying just to one sit in an area. Hopefully you are applying to many if you are being declined. Maybe apply to an area near the area you want to explore that would not be so competitive and just visit the area you want with a longer commute. You need to look back at your reviews at the complaints you did get. Are you consistently being marked down for the same thing. I am a sitter but have been a host on another platform. If you constantly are being marked down in the same area, I would not choose you. If you were marked down for something with a host but not with others, I would choose you. Maybe you can link your profile so both sitters and hosts can give suggestions. Don’t leave THS if you like this lifestyle but just try to improve on what needs fixing.
Sounds like you’re pursuing locations where there are relatively few sits listed, so those hosts tend to have their pick of sitters. And if you have relatively few reviews (not sure how many you mean by “multiple”), plus they’re not all strong, then your odds are low for such sits.
You could strengthen them by sitting more and improving reviews going forward, but you’ll probably have to do that with less popular locations first.
As hosts we process the applications one after the other. If the application of the first sitter to respond is a good fit. We schedule a video chat and if it goes well we ask the sitter right there and then if they want the sit. If the answer is yes we confirm the sit. We generally talk the to first applicant within 24 hours. We do not interview all applicants before choosing. The first sitter that is a good fit gets the sit. We then write a note to the other applicants thanking them for their interest. We do not see the benefit of talking to everyone and then second guessing ourselves to choose between several good sitters. It has worked well for us.
I’m a sitter, I find that you’ve got to be quick off the mark, when I’m looking for a sit in a particular area I’m checking the site all the time, I have an introduction letter ready to go and just tweak it for the sit I’m applying for so I can get my application in as quickly as possible. Don’t make your introduction letter too long or the host can find it boring, highlight why you think your a good match for them.
I agree with some others that you could try and get a few sits closer to home and concentrate on getting some really good reviews, we’ve done 50 sits now all 5* and pride ourselves on that.
Like others here, I am wondering how many is “multiple:?
You are applying for sits that are in HIGHLY competitive locations. There are not a ton of sits in Mexico to begin with, and Span and Portugal are snatched up in seconds.
We have been sitters since 2019 (some on and some off platform), have nearly 30 5 star rave reviews in 7 different countries, are a couple in our 60’s who are multilingual and very well traveled and we still get turned down! Sometimes we don’t even get the chance to chat. We tried for a long time to land a sit in Portugal and gave up and just went as tourists.
The only sitters I think that are often picked right away are current or former vets, vet techs, dog trainers, etc. And that’s no surprise to anyone!
As a host, we don’t have time to talk to everyone who applies. Even if we did have time, why would we when we’ve made up our minds? Usually a sitter applies that looks like a good match, we can’t with them and (if all goes well) confirm. No need to chat with all the rest.
I suspect you are getting declined because you don’t have enough reviews and/or the reviews you do have are not perfect. When applying for sits in very popular places both of those factors are more relevant than talking/pleading for the sit with the HO.
As a HO, and getting 5 applications in the first day (except for most recently not), I only have a video call with the one sitter whose application I like best. I’m not a HO that has conversations with multiple sitters at once. 9 times out of 10, I offer the sit to that sitter.
I do send a message to every sitter that applies. There are some sitters who’ve not read my profile completely and will decline them and state why I declined them. Other sitters who are brand new and under age 25, I decline especially if they ask to use my car which my profile states need a car as public transportation is not good. Must be 25 in CA to rent a car.
As a HO, I always message sitters I decline - with the caveat of just hitting decline with no message when I feel that’s equivalent to the effort the sitter put into their application. That hasn’t happened since my first year, though.
If I have very strong applicants in the first 2-3 I receive, I set up those video calls asap, and if I get a sitter from that group, I decline the others saying I had already met with someone who applied earlier. If I get 5 applicants before I have a chance to review, I look through all of them and prioritize, offering video calls to the top 2-3 asap. If there is anyone I feel right off the bat isn’t going to be a good fit, I do decline, but again with a messsage.
If you are always getting declined without even a message, it might be worth revieing your profile, and/or your application message. Those are the two things under your control that can get an HO’s attention. Non-perfect reviews can be tough when you’re applying in a competitive location, but the best way to deal with it it to address it right away - what have you learned/what do you do differently now that can make an HO feel that you’re a great choice? If you have multiple reviews with the same issue coming up, that’s a bit tougher.
@Denisagjjn I wonder where you are applying from? The three locations you mention are all very popular and have very few sits offered so competition is fierce. If you are near any of them, speak the language and have a lot of great reviews your chances are much higher. We’ve done quite a lot of sits in Spain and this has been largely due to two things- our large number of great reviews (140) and, several times, when we’ve already been in Spain when a last minute sit popped up so we got chosen because we were nearby.
Despite our track record we definitely do not get chosen for every sit we apply for. This can be for any number of reasons. As some hosts here have already commented- they might go with the first suitable applicant & they don’t chat with everyone. So if we are 4th or 5th applicant they may have already honed in on number 1 or 2. After all if the first applicant is perfect why not just confirm directly? Personally I prefer hosts who are decisive in this way. (Especially ofcourse if we are the chosen ones!)One of my pet hates is having, what appears to be, a promising call only to have the host say- at the end- that they are also speaking to others and will get back to us… Other reasons could be age- we often get chosen by people of a similar age- 60s- especially for large homes or more complex sits where our greater life experience and home ownership etc is an advantage. Sometimes first timers choose us because they feel reassured by our experience. Or something about a particular applicant just resonated more for that host. Don’t take it all too personally. Just keep on applying and working on making yourself the perfect choice! As others have suggested- go for some local, less popular sits, to get your numbers up and bury those less than perfect reviews. Good luck!
A few thoughts on this from a sitter not an HO. I imagine from a hosts point of view it’s like looking at job applicants. You’re going to short list the CVs to do the interviews. Assuming there’s a good applicant with great reviews, they’ll chat to them via phone or video call and if it seems like a good fit why would they then need to chat with anyone else. I also wonder if your application places too much emphasis on the fact that you really want to visit the place and you are putting less emphasis on the pet care side. Are you applying for sits just for free holidays or do you genuinely enjoy looking after the pets? And as others have mentioned, hosts based in popular locations will tend to have more applicants, so you’ll need 5 star reviews to compete.
I’m a HO and this is how I review sitter apps after a few years of experience:
I state clearly in my listing what I am looking for and what would be a disqualification for me. I always get apps from people who clearly didn’t read it and applied anyway = Immediate decline, no comment. Jeepers, read the listing!
2. I normally get apps with a high number (10-25+) of consistently strong reviews. They go straight to the top, IF they also meet the next one:
They introduce themselves clearly and concisely in a way that shows; INDEPENDENCE, RESPONSIBILITY, and SPECIFICALLY REFER to the main needs I have expressed in my listing. Don’t tell your whole life story, don’t get all slobbery in your words about how much you already love my pet, don’t tell me how convenient it is that the dates line up perfectly because your sister is also visiting my city and you’ll be able to hang out together. Just keep it simple, clear, kind, and demonstrate that I can trust you with my home and pet.
I go with my gut and only request a phone conversation with my top pick. Having 2-3 calls just takes up everyone’s time and makes the decision more difficult. I’d rather not have to turn someone down whom I just bonded with on the phone if I don’t need to. If I’m not sold, I will go back and schedule a call with another sitter.
5. I try to acknowledge every app if you have at least taken the time to write something thoughtful and read my listing, but know that THS automatically declines all other apps when a sit is confirmed, so it may not always be intentional on the HO’s part.
As someone else stated, I try and respond in kind. If you clearly just sent off a bunch of generic applications, don’t expect much of a reply from me.
Perhaps the imperfections are not acceptable to the Homeowners of the really desirable sits you’re applying for. The Homeowner will always pick the sitters that best fit their needs and competing with sitters with 30, 40, 50+ reviews is tough!
Perhaps there is room for improvement in your sitter profile. Feel free to link it to your Forum profile, make a new post and ask for tips for improvement. Also explain your desired locations as that is very helpful too. Do you speak spanish? Have you travelled to these countries in the past and have experience in the cultures? My home is in Mexico and there are certain applicants with 50 x 5-star reviews that just will not be a good fit for my home. Someone also mentioned your application note for these sits, perhaps this needs a new approach from how youve been doing it.
No need to be discouraged. Statistically, if HOs get 5 applications, we sitters are going to be declined 80% of the time, on average. Some HOs decline a few people and then get more applications, so we might be declined even more that that, especially in the competitive areas that you are applying.
Bonus: a few kind HOs have just shared some ideas here for how to get more sits.
12 reviews is a good number and a decent amount of experience via THS alone, so it’s not your number of reviews, so it’s something else, it’s maybe the less-than-perfect-reviews. But the fact you have 12 means that owners are accepting your application, so your profile must be ok as a whole.
So with the ones that were less-than-perfect, what was your response like to the less-than-perfect words they said? Did you take responsibility, defend yourself, state the facts? Because if you didn’t respond in a way that took full responsibility, then perhaps that’s it. If you were late turning up at any, then that would be the most obvious reason you are getting rejected in other countries. So drown the negative with more 5 star sits.
You could also take a look at the ones that rejected you, and see who else they’ve had sitting for them in the past. Do their past sitters age/preference differ from you? Because you can click into their past sitters.
But also, remember it only takes 1 sitter who’s profile is more-suitable than yours to get rejected. So it’s not that your profile may be less attractive, it just means there was just 1 sitters profile that was more suitable. Just one, that’s all it takes.
Very popular listings can receive 5 applications from sitters with 10+ , 20+, 50+ reviews in seconds .
All very suitable sitters , however the host can only confirm one . Four great sitters will be declined . Statistically you are more likely to be declined than confirmed .
Keep on applying . If you can make yourself available to do last minute sits you will increase your chances of securing a sit in a popular location.
A little tip that can help your application stand out: if you speak the local language, be sure to mention it , it can make your application stand out . Also, if you’ve looked after the same breed of pet before, let the owner know in your application . If you have a photo of yourself with that pet, including it in your application can add a personal touch and may give you an extra advantage.
)One of my pet hates is having, what appears to be, a promising call only to have the host say- at the end- that they are also speaking to others and will get back to us… 
Other reasons could be age- we often get chosen by people of a similar age- 60s- especially for large homes or more complex sits where our greater life experience and home ownership etc is an advantage. Sometimes first timers choose us because they feel reassured by our experience. Or something about a particular applicant just resonated more for that host. Don’t take it all too personally. Just keep on applying and working on making yourself the perfect choice! As others have suggested- go for some local, less popular sits, to get your numbers up and bury those less than perfect reviews. Good luck! 
