Surely the screenshots of them telling you that there is a third party @bonnyinbrighton is enough for THS support to contact and advise that HO they can’t do that @Jenny? #semantics
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It looks like @BonnyinBrighton 's ticket didn’t make it past the chatbot in this case, so I’ll need to ask MS to take a look. I’ve take a note of the ticket number and I’ll pop it over to the team with an explanation about the third party issue coming via DM. 
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…?
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That sounds creepy AF and should be booted off immediately!
Did they have prior reviews??
I’ve sent two emails but had neutral replies….
I’ve just seen a 6 week listing in India where the host has a 2 month old puppy that can’t be left alone or mix with other dogs. She can’t find a ‘proper nanny’ for him so basically wants a sitter to share her flat with her and take care of the dog while she is at work!! It starts on 1st June and I can’t see if there are other applicants as I am “busy on another sit”…
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It has 3 applicants!
I think that is reasonable.
We’re currently on a sit that will definitely be our last one this year, because I’m honestly getting really fed up with it. I do this as a hobby, not as a way of life.
During our video call, we explicitly asked whether anyone would be coming to the house — gardeners, maintenance people, or anyone else. The answer was no.
When we arrived, they mentioned that an older local might occasionally show up with his tractor to mow the back field. Fine. But now we’ve been here for over a week and there have been people showing up regularly — all of them very nice and not actively bothering us — but they’ve been doing things in the garden, and that really gets to me.
I don’t want to have to get dressed up just to go out into the garden with the dog, and I really don’t feel like making small talk. I came here to relax, not to be in a constant state of alert.
I’ve now messaged the owners saying that this doesn’t really feel like the level of privacy we had expected — because there are clearly more people around than we were led to believe. My husband doesn’t mind, but I do. That’s exactly why I ask these questions during the video chat. And honestly, if they had told me this beforehand, I wouldn’t have accepted the sit.
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I was relaxing in a garden when the top floor lodgers (separate entrance) started sunbathing with shirts off on the low sloping roof… plenty of chat from them. No it wasn’t my idea of ‘private’ at all….
@Fatamorgana We hope you mention the facts about this in your review. Just to give future sitters a heads up…?
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Yes, I’ll do that, but I’m a bit torn, to be honest. For example, my husband isn’t bothered by it at all, and it’s not like the people are constantly present or walking around the garden. Still, it somehow gets to me. The HOs are very kind, and the dog is absolutely lovely. I really don’t want to come across as if I’m trying to make a point or cause trouble — maybe I’m just particularly sensitive when it comes to this kind of thing. And let’s be honest: even if I say it in a very neutral and factual way, it still kind of sounds like I’m making a point, doesn’t it?
since sitters don’t get paid , there should be some compensation for any extra borden that is been experienced at the HO’s surroundings. I take that as a fair exchange.
a friend of mine sat two dogs at Valencia so as the HO could go for a three days trip to Newcastle, the HO did’nt tell her about their electricity power supply undergoing maintenance. As she began sitting, the power supply goes off and on, this was really disturbing as she couldn’t use some appliances. when the HO returned and heard all that has happened, she said "oh my God’’ she deep her hand into her bag and brought out some cash and gave it to her with a pleading face. Respectfully.
The point is : anything can happen when you get to HO’s home. but how the HO reacts to it determines her kind of person
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Are these owners ones you sent your new guidelines to after confirmation @Fatamorgana?
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No. This sit was arranged a few months ago.
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I hear you. Nobody likes to come across as causing trouble. But you wouldn’t be. Perhaps consider the following when making your decision when writing a review.
We’ve all seen posts on this forum about sitters experiencing things that, had previous sitters mentioned it in their reviews, that person would not have applied to the sit or at the very least, discussed the issues with the HO during the video chat.
So…
Like you, I would be bothered by third parties stopping by the house (in the garden) numerous times during a sit. It doesn’t bother your hubby. But that does not cancel your concerns. This is an issue for you, as it would be for me, too (as a sitter).
Here’s an example. When we sat for a truly lovely couple in a lovely, clean home with their one year old dog, we were surprised to learn, upon arrival, that we weren’t to sleep in the guest suite but in their bedroom where the dog crate is. (That alone would have deterred us from applying.) But then, we were told that the pup gets them up maybe at 6 a.m. to go out. Well, as it ended up, the dog got us up every morning around 4:30 - 5 a.m.
Not a huge problem in the big picture (since everything else was great), but yes, after many accolades about how lovely everything else was, we did state the facts about this in our review. Stated them briefly and quickly moved on by thanking the HOs for their hospitality.
Including such facts is not making trouble. It’s providing future sitters the info they need to decide whether to apply for a sit, in this case, where it is assured they will have to get up super duper early every morning.
Just food for thought as you continue on your sitters journey.
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“Won’t have any involvement in your stay”…?! Just how deluded are these people ?
I have sat with the dog crate in the bedroom, very recently in Palos Verdes with a puppy, but I actually didn’t put the dog in the crate. The guest suite opened up to the back yard so it was easy for me to take the dog out during the night. I am a light sleeper, so that wouldn’t bother me. And our next sit, the dog is crated in the bedroom at night. 3 nights, so I will do it. But I am good with middle of night get ups with dogs. We are all different types of sitters, just need to find sits that work for us.
I have had sits where gardners come by. Or I accomodated a real estate agent, whent he house was in contract. It didn’t bother me. And I have a sit coming up with the grown children will come by and take the trailer out of the garage for July 4th weekend. The sit is for almost 3 weeks. And the daughter is dropping off her cat for the weekend. The house is beautiful. Pool, hot tub, garden full of fresh veggies. Really sweet dogs. So no problem for me. But I declined another sit when the daughter was dropping off and picking up her dog while working during a 2 weeks sit. That is too much. And the house was not so nice to make me want to accomodate.
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I took it to mean that they live there but won’t help to look after the dog !!!