I’ve only ever done one sit where a room was locked and it was a home office with confidential documents that was always kept locked. I’ve never understood why people would go and look after someone’s house when they clearly weren’t trusted or respected enough to be treated like guests. There’s a listing gone live yesterday where they want you to stay in their studio cottage with their dog while the actual house is not only off-limits but you’ll be handing out the keys to a series of “guests” during their stay.
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That would be perfect for us- and I could take my saxophone along too! I’ve just added it to my favourites! Thanks 
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Exactly.
A quote I like is “no one can make you feel inferior without your consent”…
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I’d love to hear you play the saxophone one day!
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I’m a one 
player… that hopes one day to be 5 
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I saw a listing that says: “We have a house sitter recommended and approved inflatable mattress we set up in our TV room for house sitters.” Not clear who did the “recommending,“ since they have no THS sitter reviews.
I recommend avoiding such sits.
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That’s absolutely subpar behavior on that HO’s end. It is amazing how HO’s can sometimes forget that the reason they can go about their plans is because a sitter graciously decided to take care of their pets.
You should’ve never been treated like that.
I think that THS might need to create a guide for HO’s on courtesy. Most of us have it but then you have those who don’t realize that they should be treating you well.
I’m not sure if you could’ve reported it. You deserve respect.
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Although i fully understand home owners not wanting you to go into their bedroom ect, we’ve never had a sit where any rooms have been locked, if your looking after someones property i think its important that if there is a storm or anything you can do a once over check of all rooms to ensure there is no damage, especially in older type houses. We tend to shut off any rooms we dont want to use anyway. I would see the situation you describe as a red flag, and it shows a total lack of trust.
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I saw a listing today where the house has 3 floors and the ground floor is a self contained apartment for sitters. They go on to say ‘Access to the rest of the house is granted for serving the pets’!!!
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My favourite sit so far (of 5) has been in a small apartment, beautifully renovated, with no special amenities and where the HOs were so thoughtful and welcoming (the pets were so lovely too). I have realised that I much prefer “ordinary”/modest homes to those that look like they are in a glossy lifestyle magazine, with a long list of rooms, locked or not.
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@ChristineB I think I know the sit you are talking about. I was tempted to apply too. However, the implied lack of trust and tone of the advert in general completely put me off. I also got the feeling the HO thought they were doing sitters a favour. It was a firm ‘no’ from me.
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Now we know where we stand…
I have done a couple of sits where the animals were fiercely loved and I was treated like a doormat. Gave me a reality check, because I had naively assumed that animal lovers tend to be kind people. Like everything, it might be generally true but there are exceptions to the rule…
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Put yourself in the pet owners position -
They are inviting a complete stranger into their home to look after their pets, which are very dear to them and would be devastated if anything happens to them. They are also entrusting their largest asset (probably) to the same stranger. It doesn’t matter how much this asset is worth, it’s still something they have worked hard for, where their families have grown up or are growing, memories of every occasion imaginable are etched into the four walls. Now, that takes a lot of trust! And I am surprised more people don’t ask for ID and lock more rooms up.
We have been pet sitting for about 6 years now and I can’t believe what we have seen lying around on kitchen counters or side tables - utility bills, letters from the bank, even money. I now scoop them up and put them in a drawer. It would be so easy to be dishonest but like 99.9% of sitters on this site we take it as a compliment to be so trusted.
I would never balk at being asked to show some ID or not having access to some rooms in their homes.
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@pietkuip Of course the “Keep out” signs would always be there. They’re teenagers, right? 
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Trust can be created, or destroyed instantly. Refusing to verify your identity with government photo ID when asked politely, may be one of many tests you may pass, or fail.
I am a male, 63, full-time Nomad sitter with no home base, who often sits for single senior women, who live comfortably in designer decorated homes. Some are VERY particular in their house cleaning requirements. Some have way more house keeping chores than “Feed cat twice a day”.
I may jump through many hoops, pre-visit before Confirming a sit, check-in daily with pet pics and vids, fill bird feeders, clean Robovac, empty dehumifer, feed yeast culture… etc etc etc…
because I want something from the deal that I highly value: To Live in a luxurious property, kayak on the lake, hot tub watching the stars, putter in their workshop,
or enjoy their animals…without any Housing Costs, Debt, Interest or taxes.
Everyone has different needs. HomeOwners and Sitters negotiate to exchange services so both benefit. Both are free to change their minds and look elsewhere for Free Exchange, or to Pay/ Charge for Services. We all should be satisfied with the Deal, whatever happens, no regrets. Good luck.
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So very true. Like you, we usually aim for the luxury lifestyle which (usually) comes with more chores than feeding a cat twice a day. I’m not complaining, the nightly hot tub soak or daily dip in the pool is worth the hoops we jump through. But I still appreciate the occasional week long city sit in a two bedroom flat, three flights up with no lift.
Ah …… this is the life.
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crikey, I thought a sofa bed was bad enough. I would defo avoid an inflatable mattress, an absolute deal breaker.
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This is the most accurate, logical and mature reply.
Anecdote: I did a sit last year where two of the upstairs rooms were locked off. The HOs didn’t make a big deal of it, just mentioned it in passing while they were showing me round. I had no problems with it and pretty much forgot about it; I didn’t need to go upstairs anyway. So… Two of the nights I was there, I was woken by the oddest noises from overhead. A bit of faint thudding and scraping - nothing dramatic… But then what sounded very much like someone walking around. It didn’t sound like birds or other animals and anyway, there was no attic. In the morning, after a restless night - you guessed, I twigged that my bedroom was under one of the locked rooms. I wasn’t seriously scared, because I knew there couldn’t really be anyone in there… But I don’t mind admitting, I wedged a shoe under my bedroom door most nights afterwards.
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@anon38481102 Thanks!
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