Yes, owners can see who has saved their listing.
Not if the HO only has the basic membership level. I have this membership as a HO and can’t see who has saved my listing.
3 Likes
There was a high standard of cleanliness: HOs are fastidious and pedantic (avoid, avoid, avoid!!)
The dog is very cuddly: will expect to sit on your lap all day and be with you all night
Relaxed about the house: the animals run the show and mess is okay
Animals are healthy: they will expect treats from you all day long but especially when you enter the kitchen. . .
2 Likes
Gosh, I wouldn’t read any of that into those words! A high standard of cleanliness is a must for me as I’m a sitter who has asthma. The more fastidious and the less dust the better… Bring on the super clean hosts! 
4 Likes
@adamcchristie
Apart from the first point, where I happen to agree with @Pips, I had to chuckle at the other examples, especially the last point. I won’t exactly use your words, but these scenarios are so familiar!
I didnt think we’d met but you seem to know me… 
[Prospective sitters - the spare room is very clean and tidy! The rest of the house is still respectably clean and tidy for visitors 
]
Thanks for these wonderful phrases and codes! I will use some of them in the future.
Many sitter reviews are missing. If the sit was not a good situation, I realize many are not leaving reviews with the way the system works now – not being able to leave a negative review without repercussion.
BUT - if the sit was a good one, can sitters PLEASE be sure to leave a review? If there is none, I will assume it is not a good sit, and hope I am assuming correctly. I usually do not apply sits if there are several sitter reviews missing.
If the sit did not happen, do sitters know what to do so it isn’t listed, rather than just leaving no review??
Hi @Traveler9910. Welcome to our community here in the forum. Thanks for joining us and for joining the conversation. You’ll find we’re a friendly group of helpful pet- and travel-loving potential new friends.
I wasn’t able to locate your TrustedHousesitters record. Are you a member? If you have any questions about becoming a member, please reach out.
Enjoy your time in the forum.
Thanks, everyone
“the kitchen will suit the minimalist chef”?
4 Likes
I don’t think you have to try to be “nice” about it. “Kitchen is minimally equipped. Very few cooking implements and zero pantry staples or condiments.”
Just state the facts. Was the Owner embarrassed and apologetic about it? If so, then they already know that they need to improve.
Did the Owner say nothing about the crappy kitchen? Then they need proper feedback.
Either way, just be honest. No fluff.
11 Likes
People who read to much into things may be delusional. To me even recognizing that the OP was “half in jest” we are all in trouble if sitters or homeowners are looking at code in every comment that is meant to be truthful and give a sense of what to expect. I live in a city so If I have a sit in the country, “tranquil” is what I’m looking for. My neighbood is lively and I’d like sitters to know they don’t have to take the subway to Brooklyn and can find stuff to do if they want. It doesn’t mean my apartmet or building is noisy. If words don’t mean what they mean, we’re all in trouble.
Meantime, when I read reviews sitters have left me I think I understand the code. My cats love to be brushed. It is a recommended way to win their hearts if a sitter wants to. I don’t care. I’d like sitters to follow my feeding instructions which are necessary owing to cats’ health, but they’ll survive without “brushy” for a few days. However, I’ve found most sitters who I vet love cats as much as I do, and consider making friends with a cat to be “winning” on a sit and they play to win. So if a sitter writes “Walter loves to be brushed” the message I read is that the sitter is boasting: “Walter and I have a secret relationship. He likes me better than the petowner! In fact, he hopped into my suitcase, and I almost took him with me. We spent the last night cuddling next to each other. We’re following each other’s socials.”
Of course I could be reading too much in.
10 Likes
Rather than accuse the host of not letting you use pots and pans or not having them, I would state it like this: “Just as a headsup, there were no staples in the kitchen, so if you cook you’ll need the basics including cooking oil, etc. I also wasn’t able to find the pots and pans, so we wound up eating a lot of take out.”
Hosts gets a lot of mixed messages from THS about not having to leave food for sitters and making sure there is room for sitter’s food, so this could be a misunderstanding. In my house there is plenty of food, but I don’t use butter or sugar, or milk, so there’s going to be a gap for some sitters who expect those items. But pots and pans should be supplied.
I’d also ASK about the pots and pans or offer private feedback about it as a new host might not know.
4 Likes
@BruceT this is the kind of wording I use as well. I never want to use negative language and I recognize most things are very subjective (“clean”, “well equipped kitchen”, “comfortable” - these are all subjective!) so I state things like you did here.
While I do appreciate the humorous style in this thread, I completely agree that
I also noticed that this thread was started before blind reviews and I do hope that a secret code is no longer used and people write honest, factual reviews. There’s still room for euphemisms, though.
Yesterday I had to laugh when I read this in a review: “X is a clever dog and has great training potential”. I did get the message and didn’t apply in spite of the five star rating.
9 Likes
Everything could be said on a positive note! All possibilities! 
4 Likes
I think that’s the key, a tactful review but the message should be clear.
3 Likes
There’s also a way of saying things in both sides of reviews that isn’t personal. “It’s an older home so it’s not well sealed and gets drafty” as opposed to "Stingy homeowners didn’t want me to turn up the heat.
11 Likes
“X was always keen to start his day, and often voiced this enthusiasm” = dog woke up at 4 o’clock every morning and didn’t stop barking until I hauled myself out of bed and gave him some attention…
11 Likes