I’ve been a member of TH for almost a decade with 100+ completed sits. As a sitter, I’ve had many lovely sits and met many lovely owners. Here are some things I wish TH would consider.
make visible in the listing:
Smoking / Non-smoking
Nearest public transport
Flexible dates option
Age should be private - a stranger shouldn’t have the right to know my age. Please change to an age range format - like how it is when you take a survey.
Time limit for reviewing applications - I applied for a sit recently, and the owner responded a week+ later saying they’re going on a holiday and will check back in a month. Had several sits in my history where the owners were reviewing after a week. Perhaps put a time limit - a week - 10 days max to review the applicants.
Eliminate wasted applications - I’ve heard that many people apply without reading due to the 5-applicant limit. As a premium member, thought that once I started the application process, I was able to send. But recently, by the time I took time and personalised the application and hot send, it was closed.
Implement Cleanliness Rating Guideline - cleanliness is subjective, and I know my standards are higher than average - almost all sits require me to spend a minimum 2 hours to clean, which I am OK with due to my needs. But when I have to spend more than half day, sometimes more than a day to clean, it’s so disheartening. Pictures and descriptions can be misleading. Sometimes the owner is super nice and isn’t aware, and I’ve given them the benefit in the rating. But many of us sitters are tired of fibbing about this. Please have a clear guideline for the cleanliness rating.
Maybe something like this:
5 Star
-
Bathroom hygienic - free of mould, owner’s personal/pet hair, dust, personal towels, clean bath mat, drain not clogged, ventilation, space for sitter’s items on counter and or drawer, no odour, washing machine free of mould
-
Refuse cans not full
-
fridge free of spoiled foods, food buildup freezer/kitchen cabinet
-
Bedding free of excess pet hair
4 - Few hairs and dust, maybe forgot personal towels or items that may be unsanitary
3- needs overall light cleaning
2 - needs a good cleaning - floors dirty, lot of pet hair everywhere, removable mould and dust build up, slow drain, bothersome odour…
1- unsanitary - needs several hours/days of cleaning: stubborn pink/black mould, clogged drain, a lot of hair and dust, dirty towels & floor mat, no ventilation, persistent odour…
E) No bed switching - I’ve had sits where the bed indicated in the listing/welcome guide was not provided. Instead of the owner’s queen/king, I was given a single or sofa bed with a lumpy mattress in a spare room. The single mattress looked like it was dragged from the dump and the pillows looked decades old.
F) Compensate for date change - I recently paid for the most expensive 1-night lodging in my life - my whole month’s budget for grocery. The owner notified me the day before to extend their departure. No, it wasn’t an emergency. Premium membership doesn’t cover this situation. TH should have a system where the owners pay. I’ve read several threads where the owners changing their dates last minute and implementing a fee would discourage them from doing this freely. And I know it goes both ways, so as a sitter, I would take responsibility if I showed up late.
E) Photos of the home, not just the pets. I love seeing the pets as the first photo, but I also would like to see their homes. I’ve seen several posts with dozens of photos of the pets but no photos of the home. I know some owners are concerned with privacy and don’t like to show until after screening. But if I don’t see at least where I’ll be sleeping and the bathroom I will use, I don’t apply.