Do I tell the owner the truth about the mess?

Yes, you definitely need to tell the owner who was in the house, doing what. Ideally, you would have messaged them at the time. I used to regularly housesit for a couple that collected very expensive bottles of wine and had adult children coming in with their friends holding parties. You bet I informed them of what I was seeing in the trash pail, because I wanted them to know it wasn’t me guzzling down a high value collection. Likewise, they had maids sometimes were careless and would scare their little dogs, not watching out for them. They needed to know that if their dog was suddenly having an anxiety reaction to swiffer, or a mop, or a vacuum, or possibly being stepped on, that there was a very good reason, it had nothing to do with me.

I might not suggest you reply immediately to counter the review.

First, use rovers messaging system to let him know that you’re sorry you didn’t mention it sooner but that you noticed that when the boyfriend was using the bathroom he left a mess and found yourself cleaning up after him and you did not check the other areas. Your direct message to the owner may convince them to edit their review.

Depending how that goes, you may not need to reply to the review, which then highlights a problem review. If it doesn’t get edited, then you can reply something about being glad that you were able to dialog with them about other people in the house who created this situation and that you take pride in leaving homes where you pet sit in clean condition.

Hey there! That's a tricky situation to be in. It's important to be honest with the owner, but you can also handle it in a diplomatic way.

If I were in your shoes:

1. I would reply the review with something like: “Hey there! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review. I wanted to clarify the bathroom situation during the recent sitting. I did my best to keep the common areas clean during my stay, and I apologize if there was any inconvenience caused. I always strive to provide excellent care for your home and pets, and I take cleanliness seriously. If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me directly. Thanks for your feedback!"

A courteous and professional response can help address any concerns or misperceptions, and show potential clients that the sitter takes feedback seriously and is proactive in resolving any issues. It's important to keep the response polite, factual, and focused on addressing the specific concerns mentioned in the review. Avoid being defensive or confrontational, and instead aim to provide a reasonable explanation or clarification.

1. Send the owner a private message with something like this: “Hi [Owner's Name], I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to follow up on the review you left on my profile regarding the condition of the bathroom during my recent sitting. While I did my best to keep the apartment clean, there were some challenges with the bathroom that your daughter's boyfriend was using. It was left in a messy state despite my efforts to clean up. I want to assure you that I made sure to maintain cleanliness in the areas I used during my sitting, but I can't speak for the other bathroom as I didn't go in there. I understand that it's important for you to know the facts, and I wanted to be transparent with you. I have received positive reviews from other clients that reflect my usual cleanliness standards. Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns. Thanks for your understanding. Best, [Your Name]"

Remember to keep the tone friendly, approachable, and non-confrontational. The aim is to address the issue while maintaining a positive and respectful tone, and finding a resolution without engaging in any confrontation.

Good luck!

Normally I would say not to engage in the Review section of your Profile because of how it looks like you are argumentative to potential clients.

However in this case, you could write something along the lines of: "Yes, your daughter and her bf stayed. I should have communicated that to you earlier so it wasn't a surprise. From all the previous times I house sat, I've never left it in that condition and take pride in the fact that I always leave the home the way I found it or better. We can communicate further via messaging for any details you'd like."

You should have let him know about the daughter and her boyfriend. That's on you. Definitely continue this dialogue with your client via the messaging system, and be sure to say that, if he ever has any questions, you would appreciate hearing from him directly. But if he had been forewarned this would never have happened.

I inform my clients about EVERYTHING. And I meant everything - pets, visitors, problems, mess, people ringing door bell. Whatever happens I tell them. I don't understand why sitters are so unable to communicate honestly with the owners and vice versa.

The owner left a very honest review. You were not honest with the owner, what do you expect?