Why is Airbnb mentioned so frequently?

Sitter Questions, Advice & Chat
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We seem to have endless discussions on this forum about levels of cleanliness and the standards of the homes we sit in. There have been discussions about the shift in marketing of THS in general, presenting it as a way to have a ‘free’ vacation. Airbnb is repeatedly mentioned and often used as a measuring stick for what is, or is not, acceptable in terms of cleanliness, bed comfort/size, amenities, etc

It appears that tasks like mowing the lawn, or caring for vegetable gardens, are now viewed as excessive demands whereas, in my mind, they are part and parcel of caring for a home (and we are, after all, called House Sitters).

Some of us who have been sitting for many years often refer back to the ‘good old days’ and, rightly or wrongly, shake our heads in amazement when we see the expectations of, what we assume to be, newer sitters and hosts. Personally, I have always viewed it as a way to travel whilst experiencing life like a local, going to places that I would never visit as a tourist and with the added bonus of pets for company. I would have always said that it was for people who are a little more adventurous and resilient than an average tourist. I would even go so far as to suggest it’s a calling for some people who like to care for animals and support other people.

I do take ‘ordinary’ vacations from time to time, if I want to go somewhere specific and I fancy a bit more luxury, but I see the two things as very different. Do other sitters make this distinction?

In a recent discussion on here another member made this comment, “If the stay isn’t meant to be comparable, then why offer the option to link to Airbnb?”

This really made me think!

My understanding has always been that it is so that potential hosts can see a sitter’s reviews on Airbnb. I didn’t think it, in any way, that it suggests that this is an alternative to renting vacation accommodation. However, it does make the connection in our minds between the two things, Airbnb and house sitting.

It is interesting though, maybe this is one of the reasons that people’s expectations are not being met. It could explain a lot of the complaints that I see on here, if people are doing house sitting, expecting Airbnb standards.

What are your thoughts on this topic? Are you expecting to stay in a place comparable to a vacation rental? Do you feel this is what was ‘sold’ to you when you signed up? Or are you a more adventurous, I can cope with anything, sort of sitter who enjoys a challenge?

I have been a sitter for seven years and have been a host twice.

If you are commenting I think it would be very useful to say how long you have been a member of THS and if you are a sitter or host (or both).

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I agree with everything you say, you make some very good points.
I also wonder why people are complaining about requests to look after the home and garden as well as pets. This to me is the very definition of a housesitter.
I am a sitter and have been sitting very part time for two years.
I link my Airbnb profile to demonstrate that I treat other people’s property with care.

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Very interesting thought. We are new sitters having just completed our second. We are currently long term travelling (paying for many Airbnb’s and hotels) and trying some house sits in between. For us the house sitting gives us the opportunity to stay in a home, so a bit more space, often a garden, a better equipped kitchen etc. It’s also a chance to explore an area we may not have chosen to pay for. We no longer have pets of our own and have thoroughly enjoyed “borrowing” our hosts pets for the time we sit.
I do think you need to be flexible and resilient and understand people are different. We have a couple more sits lined up and have differing expectations around cleanliness due to the vibe from the hosts. That’s ok with us, we will work with both. But would not accept squalor. I think the idea of equal exchange might be getting missed when reading so many bad experiences. The forum has definitely helped me to fine tune my vetting and more experience will continue to refine our experience. Everybody is different but as a sitter it seems to me there are plenty of good opportunities, so I don’t need to pick the bad ones.:wink:

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We’ve been pretty much full time house sitting for 4.5 years. We’d always thought that the Airbnb link was so hosts could have another way to verify a sitter, nothing more. We are hosts & travellers on Airbnb so it seemed logical to attach to our profile. THS have used marketing slogans recently that include “Stay in an Airbnb for free” type comments which is most likely where the problem comes from. We also happily do some pool & garden care on our sits if needed (& discussed) and also want the mutual exchange and travel slow type of experience you enjoy. #winwin

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It seems clear to me that there has been a shift in focus in the last couple of years but even so you have only been sitting for two years and think like I do.

This should be an interesting thread. :grinning_face:

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Interesting topic @anon55123711 .

I have been a member here for a year. My back story is using Home Exchange for about ten years. That heavily influence how I regard petsitting, the host-pet-sitterrelationship AND what I’m looking for in a listing.

For me the link-possibility at AirBnB is reviews only.

Hosts and sitters are equal partners. I will not in any way endure anything else, and I look closely for this in listings, videocalls etc. It is unfair, but I have a profession that probably will deter sh.. behavior towards me. So I know I am lucky and will probably be less exposed to bad hosts because they will be less likely to pick on me. I do believe, though, that anyone can learn how to find good partners as there are so many friendly people in this community.

I don’t expect to stay in a vacation rental. I actually prefer a normal and also a simple home. I wouldn’t use a pool, hot tub or whatever even if it was in the home. I like smaller homes as they are often functional.

I do however think that preparing a clean and - if not clutter-free, at least tidied up home - for a guest is something that is a normal thing in any culture, and it is IMO not too much to expect. But I don’t do health inspections with white cotton gloves, either.

I’m here for petsitting, and I clean up after myself. I have never done deep cleans and still get 5* . Ofc I never stay at a sit more than approx. 2 weeks, and I don’t pick neatfreak sits. So it is about expectations and good matches. If the host expect what I regard «too much» I won’t apply. The bottom line here is that I have a clear consept of what is «too much» to begin with. I think that a member that hasn’t some criterias of what is within and outside of their ideas of a sit, it is so much more likely to end in a slippery slope of tasks and expectations.

I water plants, have never mowed a lawn (but could, with some lawns and equipment) and I could also suggest they get someone else to do it. Haven’t had the issue so far. I have had a couple of hosts that wanted me to stay longer. I said my tickets and schedule didn’t permit that. They found someone else to fill in the extra days.

Find a reasonable partner and you will be able to work it out.

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I think this is an excellent point. The majority of my sits have been in locations that I would not have chosen had I been paying for accommodation but it does offer an opportunity to stay somewhere authentic and immerse myself in the local community.

Yes, there have been some horror stories recently. When I first joined the forum I found it very concerning and it made me quite fearful. I wondered how I had managed to dodge a bullet for so long but I keep reminding myself that we mostly hear the bad stuff on here, people rarely post about the good times.

I also wonder if new hosts latch on to the concept of ‘they are providing accommodation worth £100s so the sitters should be grateful’ (also comparing to Airbnb) Is this why there appears to be more ‘ungrateful’ hosts. :thinking:

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Really :flushed_face: No wonder people can sometimes get the wrong idea. Do you know if there is any business connection between the two companies? I know THS was sold a couple of years ago. Otherwise how can they legally advertise like that? :thinking:

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I’m like you, I wouldn’t use any of that and much prefer a simple home. I am very much attracted to quirky homes though.

There haven’t been too many places that I have stayed that would pass a white glove inspection :rofl:

No, even though I go above and beyond with cleaning when I am there, I avoid neatfreak sits. I don’t want that pressure plus then there’s very little for me to do and I get bored. That’s also why I like a garden, it gives me something to do, I am often miles from any meaningful civilization.

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I don’t think there’s a connection, just that the marketing dept were a little over zealous on selling the THS concept :flushed_face: It seems to have disappeared again now. It referenced Airbnb rather than saying it was the same thing. #timetorethink

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@Cuttlefish I would imagine it was a trademark contravention.

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I have been using THS for 11 years and my experience has been overwhelmingly positive. While it may be the case for some people, that the nature of the experience, the types of hosts, the expectations and such has changed drastically in any way simply doesn’t ring true for me.

The vast majority of houses I stay in are super clean and while I occasionally might be in one that isn’t that level of ‘spotless’ to which I am largely accustomed, it isn’t dirty by any means.

I do not expect the homes I stay in to have some AirBnB level of presentation,etc…–people are living in these spaces full time and have animals. I am not paying hundreds of dollars a night to stay here, and wouldn’t place the same expectations.

Housesitting has allowed me to live at a much higher standard than I probably would if I was paying for accommodation myself all the time, whether hotels and rentals or living somewhere permanently. With just my husband and I, we wouldn’t be living in a 5 bedroom house; I wouldn’t rent an apartment in the most exclusive area of a city regardless of affordability.

And as for additional responsibilities that sitters think is above their pay grade, hosts should be transparent about all the things they expect and if they are springing things on the sitter last minute, that shouldn’t be happening.

But when I see sitters complaining about listings that fully outline the host’s expectations, I don’t see the issue. If they think it is too much work, then don’t apply. If the hosts truly are asking for too much, they probably won’t get much interest. While pet sitting is the primary need, care of the house is part of the package and some houses may need more tending to in various respects.

Ultimately I think they can ask for whatever they want and people can decide for themselves if it is reasonable. If they are upfront about their needs, no one is getting taken advantage of. And even if there were some ‘nefarious’ hosts who were deliberately trying to take advantage of the arrangement, no one is being forced to do these sits–it isn’t as if us sitters are THS employees who get assigned places with no say in the matter.

What one person might consider too much work another may be happy to do. My husband and I for example, have our own online businesses that are not full-time endeavors by any means, leaving us a lot of free time. Sometimes I like having stuff to do to fill up the day–it would depend on the specific tasks.

This forum like any other online space, is not immune to becoming an echo chamber to some degree, which means that a lot of opinions, complaints and 'analyses’people share are probably not necessarily representative of how the majority of people view things…the whole ‘false consensus’ effect.

And of course, as far as their sitting experiences go overall, people are much more likely to come to a forum or other online space when something bad happens, which makes certain issues appear more common than they probably are.

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I am the same, I’ve had nothing but positive experiences. I think it’s a great shame that this is not the case for everyone but it does make me wonder why not, hence my question. Is it due to unreasonable expectations, and if it is, how have those expectations been arrived at. Obviously there are, and will always be, some horror stories, but even with, what seems to me, to be reasonable sits I see people complaining (on both sides, sitters and home owners). It’s a shame that people feel let down.

Yes, the fact that people are living in in their home full time definitely makes a big difference. Possibly some people, who are accustomed to staying in Airbnbs do not give this enough consideration and this is why they are taken aback when they arrive.

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Hi @anon55123711

What an interesting post. I’ve been a bit taken aback recently by posts where sitters want to leave because the sit is too dirty/hot/cold, bed not comfortable enough, dog too energetic, etc. or there is some relatively minor problem which could probably be more easily solved by speaking directly to the home owner, rather than ranting about it on the forum. It’s as though there is a new breed of sitters who themselves need ‘sitter-sitting’, possibly due to recent THS marketing strategies.

I don’t expect the same level of cleanliness as I would from an Air BnB, but to me, the home owner’s attitude and intention is really important. The best hosts are those who realise that their sit is my holiday - albeit one with a bit of ‘work’ involved - and make the effort to provide a reasonably clean and welcoming environment. It’s all part of treating people as people, rather than as a resource.

I’ve been a member of THS for around seven years, and overall it’s been a really positive experience, although there are certainly one or two incidents which I could easily reframe as horror stories of the type that I’ve seen on the forum recently.

I’ve come to the conclusion that my resilience as a sitter is largely influenced by other life experiences. From a relatively young age I’ve been thrown in at the deep end and have had to muddle my way through situations, and throughout life this has given me the confidence to complete several trips where I’ve worked in exchange for board and lodgings, so being asked to do a bit of watering of plants, or garden care on a sit is really no big deal. I’ve generally found that the more you put into these experiences, the more you get out of them, and I think the same could be said for the sits that I’ve done.

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There’s a link to AirBnB?? What, where, how…?!
They are totally different experiences. Sitting is not a holiday. I’ve never gone into it seeing it as “free accommodation” and I find it a huge shame that THS is now pushing that angle. Like you, if I want a holiday, I book a hotel; I make sure I have no responsibilities other than for myself. But sitting is a Responsibility; its only likeness to a vacation is that you’re in a different place.
I do think some of the sits where you’re expected to look after an entire smallholding or farm, with lots of livestock, should be paid jobs and listing them on THS is cheeky. But as you say, mowing the grass or keeping a garden in the state you found it is part of a sitter’s role, to my mind.
I’ve been a professional pet sitter for seven years and with THS since the start of '23

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Sitter and host for 2.5 years with 17 sits and 17 hostings under our belt here. We mention airbnb in our profile when we mention how clean we leave our home for sitters, it is as if its been professionally cleaned.

We love housesitting because we love staying in homes vs hotels-the pets, the space, its wonderful. We love doing home tasks as long as long as they are not abusive, however- we only apply to sits that list responsibilities we are comfortable and capable with. We have seen sits with excessive responsibilities that should be paid for such as football field style mowing, air bnb hosting, and there was one where it was a farmhand position that was absolutely abusive.

As hosts, we have felt great with most of our sitters. Few have given us “we wanted an airbnb and haaaad to take care of pets” vibes. However, the amount of applications that feel like “tldr we need a place to chill and your pets are secondary” have gone up. We have even had to cancel sitters that have mentioned pet neglect upon arrival. There are also some folks that are applying to pet sit that do not like animals-ths needs to seriously rethink about how they advertise to keep the long term core user base intact while adding folks who believe in ths as an exchange and not a one sided benefit.

I had to edit my post… wow I can’t believe we’ve been on here since 2023! We have made awesome friends with other home owners and sitters.

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I’m glad it’s not just me who thinks this. I don’t want this post to sound like I’m being overly critical of fellow sitters, it’s more that I took think people are being sold something they don’t fully understand.

This resonates with me, I’ve always been a survivor and a problem solver.

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Yes, sitters can show the link to their Airbnb profile. It is so that potential hosts can see reviews from Airbnb as to how the place has been left. However, I wonder if this has added to the misconception that house sitting is similar to staying in an Airbnb.

Excellent point, it IS a responsibility, not a vacation.

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Thank you for this observation, it is indeed rather worrying, imagine doing this but not liking animals :flushed_face:

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I think too many people are getting drawn to the negative comments on this forum and thinking they are representative of THS sits in general, they are not. The vast majority of sits go ahead without a hitch, they always have, and always will. Its human nature to use social media to complain when things go wrong, but say nothing when everything goes right. We were Airbnb hosts for ten years, I was Admin on a large Airbnb forum for most of those years and we had the same problem there, people 'concerned ’ about the horror stories. As with THS they were always in the minority but seemed worse because those were the ones people wanted to vent about. We have been full time sitters for four years, we have had 96 great sits, and one terrible sit - its not a bad ratio , 100% would be great, but we are dealing with the public, so we shouldn’t allow an occasional blip to cloud our views on sitting as a whole.

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