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House-Sitting owner disputes after stay, what do I do?

Cairn R.'s profile image

I had owners reach out to me far in advance and set up two Meet & Greets before they left. I am an experienced Rover sitter and saw no red flags from them.

During the Meet & Greets they mentioned that one of the dogs tends to pee in the house and to not worry about it but just wipe it up best I can. Also, the dogs are not allowed in the house unsupervised for more than an hour, which to me meant not to leave them alone at all during the stay.

Stay went fine, we did have two accidents but luckily on the hardwood so easy to clean up. Left the house with the dogs in their kennel and didn't think twice about it.

Thought it was odd of them not to let me know when they arrived back to the house but didn't worry too much. Then this morning I woke up to a message claiming the house was a mess with feces when they got home. Her message to me states that: - One of the main rugs was ruined with urine and was soaking wet - The guest room had numerous piles of poop and urine stains - And finally, that the whole house stank of urine and poop when you walked in.

My only thoughts could be them doing things while I slept in the house but no clue why I would not have noticed this terrible smell and wet rugs under my bare feet for four days or when I do my final walk around in the house before I leave. So, I am feeling like my leg is getting pulled here....

They are now demanding a refund, money to purchase a new rug, and me to pay for professional floor cleaners for the house.

Has anyone had this happen to them before? Advice?

Comments

Namasté, If any dispute(s) happen, only call Rover (like a lawyer) an let them handle it. YOU ARE GIVING ROVER FIFTEEN OR THIRTY PERCENT OF YOUR TOTAL PAY TO STAY SAFE! Let Rover handle it! Namasté, Marcus

Marcus L.'s profile image Marcus L.

5 Answers

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Shane W.'s profile image

Hi, Cairn.

I'm so sorry that you're dealing with this. Unfortunately, I have been in this boat.

  1. Definitely contact Rover Support. They'll be able to see the message history, and advise you of what to include in your response.
  2. Respond to the owner by recounting your stay with the dogs. Keep things professional, but make it clear that you saw no indication that this happened under your watch. **I would ask for photos
  3. You should not accept blame or responsibility for the financial burden of this. Damage to their household is covered by insurance (though they will have a $500 deductible).

If Rover feels like there is grounds for a refund, they will handle that. Same with financial coverage for any damage they claim occurred. My message to the client with whom I had a similar experience:

"Hey, there! I'm sorry to hear that your house was in the condition you described when you arrived home. I did a walk-through of the house before I left at 2:30 PM. I definitely did not notice any those things before I left. She did have a couple of accidents during the stay. As you know, she gets really nervous with strangers. So the first couple of days, when I would try to leash her up, she would run up the stairs (while pooping and peeing). I used the Nature's Miracle that you had under the sink to clean it up. I didn't notice any accidents on the rug in the bedroom, but I can assure you that she wasn't home alone for more than the 3-4 hours it took me to do my normal walking clients during the day. I'm honestly very surprised to hear that you're unhappy, as I try to leave a clean house and a happy pup with each house sitting booking. If possible, could you document the damage you described with pictures? This will help move the insurance claim along, should we need to go through Rover to have your rug replaced."

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Hillary H.'s profile image

Have you responded to their message explaining what you mentioned here about the dog only having 2 accidents during your stay? I would definitely contact Rover support and explain the situation. They will likely contact the owner to get their statement and may serve as a mediator between you and the client to solve the dispute.

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Cairn R.'s profile image

I did call Rover right away and ask their thoughts, the only thing they said was to respond professionally and call them back if that doesn't "solve the problem".

I wish Rover had not been emailing/notifying me because I sent a response after getting off the phone and before posting here. I really like your pictures and insurance mention Ben, I just explained the timeline of my stay and explained that I did a walk-through before leaving. They have yet to respond.

Question for you Ben: Have you done anything different since your incident? I was thinking if I need to start including taking photos during my walk-through so I have a time stamp?

Comments

Cairn: that sounds like a good idea to me....taking pics with the time stamp - you'd have proof that everything was OK when you left, if you would ever need it.

Mary C.'s profile image Mary C.

Absolutely take photos at the end of every stay. Time stamped, or even better, a shot in the client's home that includes a clock, auto feeder, etc. I do this on every stay. I also take photos of their doors locked and garage closed when I leave. Never know who else has access to the house.

Kathy B.'s profile image Kathy B.
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Serina R.'s profile image

Also if you remember going into guest room and seeing no stains, I might offer to swing back around to take a look at damage. Might be too late in this case, but for future ones. Just say "wow, really?! I must have missed that! I'm so sorry. Ill be over in 15 minutes to access the damage"

Obviously if its wet; it wouldn't be from your time there. (Trust me, I've had plenty a big dog accident. It dries after a day. So even if peeing in same spot , it'd only be wet if done in less than 12 hour period) Plus seeing the stains would let you know if old stains or newer.

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Jessica M.'s profile image

This is a time when I would IMMEDIATELY contact Rover, as you will need legal support. If you took care of things and believe that they are lying, then get ready to fight.

Comments

Not really lol. She doesn't pay, they don't have proof. Small claims would dismiss. Done deal.

Serina R.'s profile image Serina R.
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