The problem with housesitting reviews
Scroll through any housesitting platform and you'll see it: five stars everywhere. “Wonderful sitters!” “Lovely home, lovely pets!” “Would definitely recommend!”
Which raises an obvious question: if everyone is wonderful, how do you tell who's actually excellent versus who's just okay? How do you spot potential problems? How does anyone improve?
The numbers tell the story
On major housesitting platforms, the average rating hovers around 4.9 out of 5. Less than 1% of reviews mention anything negative. This isn't because every sit is perfect – it's because the review culture discourages honesty.
Compare this to Airbnb, where hosts average around 4.7 stars and critical reviews are common. Or Amazon, where a 4.2-star product is considered good. Housesitting reviews exist in their own inflated universe.
Why honest reviews are rare
For sitters reviewing homeowners
- Fear of retaliation.
On many platforms, reviews are visible to both parties before (or as) they're posted. A critical review might prompt a negative response that damages your profile.
- Feeling ungrateful.
You stayed in someone's home for free. Criticising them feels rude, even when issues were genuine.
- Community pressure.
Forum posts questioning negative reviews are common. “Why would you do that to them?” The culture discourages criticism.
- It doesn't benefit you directly.
Unlike leaving a review on a product, you probably won't return to this sit. Why risk conflict for strangers?
For homeowners reviewing sitters
- Gratitude overwhelms criticism.
They looked after your pets. The house didn't burn down. Even if things weren't perfect, they did you a favour.
- Fear of being the bad guy.
A negative review could genuinely hurt someone's ability to get future sits. That feels like a harsh punishment for minor issues.
- Wanting to move on.
If the sit is over, why prolong negativity? Easier to leave a polite review and forget about it.
- Uncertainty about what's “fair” criticism.
Is it reasonable to mention they didn't clean as expected? Or that communication was slow? Hard to know.
The Retaliation Reality
The fear of retaliation isn't paranoia. It's based on real experiences that sitters and hosts share in forums, usually anonymously because they're still afraid.
“My previous house sitters recommended that I not report this person for fear of retribution (bad review to where I could not get another sitter). All my sitters said that sometimes they KNOW they should leave a negative review but they are afraid.”
— Host, THS Forum
“The last time I made a negative review, she retaliated by giving me a negative review that was full of blatant lies.”
— Sitter, THS Forum
“I had a pretty horrible sit and the HO left a negative review as retaliation. Now, HO decline me immediately or are asking about my last review.”
— Sitter, THS Forum
Even fair reviews — not complaints, just honest feedback — can trigger conflict:
“I tried to write an honest and fair review. I gave overall 5 stars but 4 for hospitality and 4 for cleanliness. The homeowner then confronted me, asking why I gave only 4 stars for cleanliness.”
— Sitter, THS Forum
The System Doesn't Help
“Blind reviews” were meant to solve this — neither party sees the other's review until both are submitted. But they haven't fixed the problem:
“Blind reviews were supposed to fix everything. But judging by the forum posts, I don't think it's worked out that way.”
— THS Forum, June 2025
“Many sitters will still skip the review altogether rather than post even 4-stars as they are afraid that homeowners won't accept a sitter who gives an ‘honest’ review.”
— THS Forum, June 2025
And when sitters do try to get help after receiving a retaliatory review full of false statements? Platforms often refuse to intervene:
“When sitters try to get assistance from TrustedHousesitters and offer proof that homeowners lied in their reviews, TrustedHousesitters has refused to help or remove reviews, saying reviews cannot be edited even when false statements are made.”
— Sitejabber compilation
This Is Everyone's Problem
One host put it plainly:
“This is an issue that affects everyone at TH — sits and sitters. There has to be a better way.”
The fear of retaliation creates a chilling effect across the entire community. Not just for the individuals involved — but for everyone who reads those inflated reviews and makes decisions based on them.
Why this matters
Inflated reviews hurt everyone – which is why owning your reviews independently matters more than ever:
- Good sitters can't stand out.
When everyone has 5 stars, exceptional sitters look the same as mediocre ones. Your genuinely excellent track record is invisible.
- Homeowners can't make informed decisions.
Without honest feedback, they're choosing based on photos and gut feeling. Problems are invisible until they experience them.
- Problems repeat.
The reactive dog that nobody mentions keeps being “discovered” by each new sitter. The sitter who cancels keeps getting confirmed.
- Nobody improves.
Without feedback, how does anyone know what to do better? The homeowner with the overwhelming welcome guide never learns to simplify it.
What honest reviews look like
Honest doesn't mean harsh. Here's the difference:
Instead of ignoring issues entirely...
Dishonest (silent):
“Lovely home, great pets, would definitely recommend!”
(Despite the dog being highly reactive and the sitter feeling unsafe)
Honest (helpful):
“Beautiful home and lovely pets. Max is reactive to other dogs on walks, so future sitters should be comfortable managing a strong dog around triggers. The owners were helpful and communicative.”
Instead of generic praise...
Generic:
“Great sitters, our pets were well cared for!”
Specific (useful):
“Sarah and Tom went above and beyond. Daily photo updates, handled our cat's medication perfectly, and left the house cleaner than they found it. Their experience with senior pets really showed.”
Instead of being harsh...
Harsh:
“The house was a mess and the pet info was completely wrong. Would not recommend.”
Honest but fair:
“The home needed some cleaning on arrival and the pet's behaviour didn't quite match the listing. Communication was good though, and the location was lovely. Future sitters should clarify expectations upfront.”
How to write better reviews
For sitters reviewing homeowners
- Mention anything future sitters need to know. Reactive pet? Tricky heating system? Long walk to shops? Be specific.
- Frame challenges constructively. “Best suited for experienced dog handlers” is helpful without being cruel.
- Be specific about what was good. Generic praise helps no one. What made this sit particularly good or easy?
- Remember: you're helping fellow sitters. The next person deserves to know what you wish you'd known.
For homeowners reviewing sitters
- Mention specific things they did well. Was communication excellent? Did they handle an emergency well? Say so.
- If something wasn't right, mention it fairly. “Communication during the sit could have been more frequent” is factual and useful.
- Help excellent sitters stand out. If they truly were exceptional, say why. Generic five stars doesn't distinguish them.
- Remember: other homeowners will read this. Would this review help them make a good choice?
The star rating problem
Part of the issue is how we interpret stars:
- 5 stars should mean “exceptional, went above and beyond” – but is used for “nothing went wrong”
- 4 stars should mean “very good, minor issues” – but is interpreted as “something was wrong”
- 3 stars should mean “average, did the job” – but is read as “bad”
- 1-2 stars are reserved for disasters – and almost never used
This compression means 4 stars feels like a criticism, when it should mean “genuinely good.” Until this culture changes, the written review matters more than the number.
When NOT to leave a review
- When you're still angry. Wait until you've calmed down. Heated reviews often regret themselves.
- When the issue was resolved. If they fixed a problem and you're satisfied, mentioning it might be unnecessary.
- When it's personal preference, not objective. “The decor wasn't my style” isn't useful information.
- When circumstances were exceptional. A family emergency affecting a sit isn't the same as poor planning.
The bottom line
Honest reviews are an act of community service. They help good sitters get recognised, help homeowners make better choices, and help everyone improve.
You don't have to be harsh. You don't have to damage anyone's reputation. But you owe it to the next person to tell the truth – the good, the challenging, and the things they need to know.
If we all did this, reviews would actually mean something.