Have you as a homeowner requested that a sitter leave a video before they leave?
Or as a sitter have you been asked to do this or initiated it?
I’m a homeowner and would never think to ask this of a sitter, but one sitter did so without me initiating it.
I’m also a sitter on THS and had one HO ask me to do so. I had nothing to hide and complied but felt like it was a sign of distrust (despite that and other 5 star reviews).
Thoughts?
I’ve never heard of this as previously a homeowner and now sitter and I’d find it really off-putting and a hassle I don’t need at the end of a sit. Is the point to make sure I haven’t destroyed the place? Or so they can tell me to do some remedial cleaning if they want? Too late!
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I have thought about doing a video or some shots before leaving just for my own protection but have not. If a homeowner asked me to do a video call like this I would probably comply so that they didn’t leave me a retaliatory review should I decline. Truth is, all of my hosts have been lovely.
Never heard about this, but if I remember correctly, @MissChef does an exit video too (just to cover herself)
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Yes, that was me !
If I am leaving before the PPs come home, I do a quick little video of showing all pets inside the house before I leave, and locking the door, and also giving the doorknob a good yank so that I showed that it has been locked.
I do that, in combination with taking photos of the clean house, just to prove that I did what I was supposed to… I wouldn’t send them to anyone unless there was an issue, and I delete them soon after the review comes through.
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Other than @MissChef 's reason for taking a video before leaving a sit, the only reason I can think this would be necessary is if you, as a sitter, are handing off the home to another sitter before the owners get home. That way the owners can see that you left the home in good shape, should the second sitter(s) not leave things that way.
Otherwise, what is the purpose? The home/pet owners will see what the home looks like when they walk in the door.
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I seem to remember someone telling a story about water pipes bursting after they left. I would be horrified to think a homeowner would even consider that I would be so irresponsible. I couldn’t leave a disaster like that without handling it, but if it happened AFTER I left, how could I prove it?
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That’s where the trust comes in. I would hope I would have established a good enough relationship with my home/pet owner that they would know I would never have left a home in that condition.
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“Trust, but verify”
Like I said, nobody’s asked for proof, and I’ve never had an issue, and if anything, I have a cute little video of my farewell to the puppies and the kitties 
If anyone had a look at all of my repeat sits, they would have no question about how conscientious. I am about caring for their home, but it’s practically no effort to prepare a little “insurance”.
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Exactly, hence why it threw me off and was a little offensive, but reading others’ posts, I guess I can see why some sitter do it for their own protection.
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We did a mini video of a house sit in Portugal before we left, partly because other paid sitters were coming in after us and before the HOs returned, and partly because we’d washed down all the outside space after torrential rain and it looked fab! (& may not have by the time they came home) Our review said we were “rock star 
sitters and to book us at all costs” 
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I do a video walk-thru as we leave every single sit. It’s helpful for the owner, and it also protects us as sitters. I want proof to show that we’ve left the property in perfect condition
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I have an upcoming sit that I need to leave mid-morning and they’ll be home in the evening , same day. Sh3 asked that I leave a ‘time stamped video’. I said sure, but just realized I’m not sure what ‘time-stamped’ actually is. If I take a video with my iPhone, that should suffice, right?
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I just saw this topic as I was leaving a sit yesterday and had just filmed a walk-through video!
I have done this several times, but only if we are not doing a direct handover with the owner or they will not be the first person home.
We prefer a direct handover, but as that is not always possible for example a friend was coming to stay for a couple of days before the owners return on one sit and on another the AuPair would be back a couple of days before the owner but we would not get to handover to either of them in these cases.
So as I like to make sure that the home is returned super clean and nothing is broken on our watch I do a little walk-through video. I think it is as much for my peace of mind as it is for the owner 
@Cleeflang we have never been asked for a time-stamped one, in fact, we just do one if there is no handover. We use our iPhone and do it right at the end, then lock up and send the video along with a message stating we are off now, thank you and any questions let us know.
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That’s a cute idea, to make it like a little farewell video. Then it doesn’t look like your trying to prove something. Hmnnnn…
I only do cat sits and have never had a hand over upon leaving…
That’s an intersting thought - to take the video/pics for your protection, but keep in case needed later. Good idea.
Frankly I find that depressing. It implies a lack of trust. If it was a paid job it would be bad enough, but for a mutual exchange?
I’ll leave my current pet sit in two days before the owners get back but making a video to prove I haven’t destryed the place does not feel nice at all.
Different strokes for different folks…
I’m going to do that for a sit where I’ll stay about two weeks and there will be another sitter before I return for another two weeks. Otherwise, there’s no way the HOs will know if I left things in good order and the other sitter doesn’t. I decided to do that. The HOs didn’t request it.
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@Maggie8K we had that scenario once where other sitters took over from us. We did a personal handover with them but before leaving we took photos all around and sent them directly to the owners- just to cover ourselves.
Have never thought about a video walk through but why not? Then the hosts have peace of mind even before they reach home. I think it would depend on the connection with the host whether it would feel necessary or not.
More recently we had another sit- the other way around-we were the second sitters and the first one had not cleaned at all for us!!! He even admitted he’d not cleaned the bathroom at all during his 2 weeks! Yuck! And minimal vacumming, no mopping etc. He’d also not changed the cat litter (4 cats) and the whole place stunk!
We were not amused.
We sent a full report to the hosts of our impression on arrival and at least they dropped him a star on Clean & Tidy but otherwise gave him a great review- just one day later. But we had to wait 2 weeks for our review after a couple of reminders and it was much less friendly that for the first sitter- maybe they took offence somehow by our straightforwardness or maybe they felt insulted that we left their home cleaner that they left it…we’ll never know as we did not meet them or see how they left their home for him…
We’d done successful sitter to sitter handovers before but now we will be more reluctant. A split sit is always a risk.
I overlapped with the HOs and they were very cool, so I’m not worried about them. I have no control over the other sitter of course and don’t want to risk anything they might do (or not) being confused with how I care for the pets or home.
This sit was offered to me by the HOs out of the blue as a six-week stay. I asked whether they could give me a break in the middle, because I didn’t want to be away from home that long. They obliged and got another sitter, to whom I’ll do a hand-off.
The HOs have longstanding cleaners and a gardener come one a week, so it’s not a lot of effort. Mostly clean up after myself; look after the dogs, many plants, jacuzzi, trash and mail.
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