Show up at my second sit which I had seen once prior but wasn’t looking close enough. Dog is easy. I had to clean the toilets just to feel comfortable. I am a clean person but every cabinet, every drawer is sticky. I’m trying to forget about the algae/moss in the shower. I texted the owner and asked if they would pay for a one time housekeeper and the response was, What? NO.
What would you do?
@Denephew, welcome to THS Forum.
Kudos on proactively asking owner for a one-time cleaner - seems a pragmatic tactic.
Encourage that you take photographs sooner than later - to protect against possibility that host claims that you caused the situation.
Consider reaching out to support@trustedhousesitters.com to advise of situation. No harm.
Then suggest take deep breath and determine what is your desired outcome.
What is the duration of the housesit?
Two of our housesits (~70) are memorable due to immediate disappointment in regards cleanliness. We’ve come to appreciate cleanliness is subjective - standards vary. One sit was relatively brief so my spouse moved out and I took one for the team and completed housesit responsibilities - then we moved on with our lives. One sit was longer duration so we determined to personally clean selected parts of the property (key rooms that we would use during housesit) and to inform host that we had closed doors to all rooms and would not use them (ie. we would not clean them).
For me it would depend very much on the duration of the stay. Less than a week, and I would just forget it. Try and spend time outdoors, exploring the countryside/city.
Longer than a week… I would have been much more diligent in committing!
Welcome to the forum @Denephew
What we would do would depend on several factors -
How long is the sit ? What is your desired outcome ? Is it something you can deal with yourself ?
Hosts are required to provide a comfortable environment.
“Whether you’re welcoming sitters into your home for the first time or the tenth time, it’s always important to create a welcoming and comfortable environment for them, just as you would want to enjoy it. “
However you can’t force the host to pay for a cleaner . Neither can THS.
You also don’t have to stay If it is not clean and hygienic environment - but first you must give the host sufficient notice so they can either return or get someone else to take care of the pets .
If that is what you decide be sure to inform both the host and THS in writing -give at least 24 notice of your decision to leave - explain the reason . I echo what @GotYourBack has suggested - take photos ( shower etc ) as proof of the unhygienic conditions as you may need these to defend your decision to leave .
@GotYourBack has given you great advice.
What we would do would depend on the length of stay and how unliveable the conditions were. If a long stay we would clean the areas we used and make sure we reviewed them appropriately. The fact that you have raised the issue brings with it the potential of a bad review with the HO getting “in front” of any potential bd review from you. As others have said, document the lack of cleanliness with photos. Hoping your future sits are better.
I feel for you - we had this once. Are you prepared to stay? If so take photos then move everything to one area of the kitchen. Buy cleaning supplies and gloves Wash just the plates, cutlery, pans and appliances you need to use and a food prep area. Same in bathrooms and bedroom. Replace everything where it was at the end of the sit with no further cleaning and leave a terrible review.
If you decide to stay - you can clean up the shower yourself OR some sitters in a similar situation have found a shower at a local gym or leisure centre and used that .
It depends on my situation. Personally I drive to my sits so I would give 24 hours notice and leave after I speak to THS and discuss with them. I would send them pictures for proof of unlivable situation. If I was in a foreign country and hotel rooms were 500.00 a night and I would have to stay several nights before I fly to my next destination, I would pay for a cleaning crew to come in and clean the house if the owner wouldn’t. Hopefully the results would make the home tolerable till I leave. I definitely would review accordingly.
All credit to you for tackling the HOs head on and asking for a cleaner. The fact they said no is not great but you asked. As others have said, take photos of all the filth and then send them to THS membership support and ask them for advice. If it’s too grim or too long a sit to put up with it, then give the host notice to leave and inform THS. Are they first time hosts? Did they have decent reviews from other sitters if they’re not new? How long is the sit? Glad the dog is a delight. #cleaningconundrum