Home > Blog > Homeowner Misrepresented Listing
Quick Facts
| How common is this? | Rare. but the THS forum has a dedicated thread with 744 views for a reason |
| Most common types | Undisclosed pet behaviour, dirtier home than photos, more animals than listed, missing welcome guide |
| First step | Document immediately on arrival. photos, video, written notes |
| Second step | Message the homeowner directly in writing with specific details |
| Platform escalation | Contact support to create a record. most platforms can review listings and accounts |
| Your strongest protection | A timestamped arrival walkthrough video |
| Review | Be accurate. future sitters deserve to know |
| Can you cancel? | Yes. material misrepresentation is grounds for early departure on most platforms |
Listing misrepresentation is rare. In 18 sits across 11 countries, the overwhelming majority of homeowners described their homes, pets, and situations accurately. But when it does happen, it matters. You made a decision based on information that was wrong.
This article covers the types of misrepresentation the community encounters most often, what your rights are, how to document it, and how to escalate. The goal is not to make house sitting sound risky. It is to make sure sitters who encounter this situation are prepared, documented, and not left with a he-said-she-said dispute that could have been avoided. Start sits you are uncertain about with a TrustedHouseSitters Standard or Premium membership. the platform protection and support access is meaningful when things go wrong. Use our 25% discount link.
What Counts as Misrepresentation
Not every surprise is misrepresentation. A pet that is more affectionate than the listing described is a pleasant surprise, not a complaint. A home that is slightly smaller than the photos suggested is normal. These are not the situations this article covers.
Misrepresentation is when the listing contains false or significantly incomplete information that materially affects your decision to accept the sit. Examples the community reports repeatedly:
Undisclosed pet behaviour: a dog listed as calm that has significant separation anxiety, resource guarding, overnight barking, or a history of aggression. This is the most common category. In our Portugal sit, the dog's resource guarding and night barking were not mentioned in the listing. There was also no welcome guide, which meant we arrived with no written reference at all.
More animals than listed: a listing describes two cats, and four outdoor cats arrive at feeding time having been fed by the homeowner. One homeowner's forum account described arriving to find nine cats present when two were listed.
Condition significantly worse than photos: a home that looks clean and well-maintained in the listing photos but has not been cleaned before the sitter's arrival. Our Kefalonia sit required a full clean on arrival. The floors had not been swept, the fridge was full, and the vacuum was broken. The photos in the listing did not reflect this.
Undisclosed pets with medical conditions: a pet on medication that was not mentioned, with doses and timing absent from the welcome guide.
Undisclosed safety issues: cameras not mentioned in the listing, access problems, structural issues in the property.
The key test: if you had known this information before applying, would it have changed your decision? If yes, it is material misrepresentation.
Document Immediately on Arrival
The single most important action you can take is to do a walkthrough video before you unpack anything.
Walk through every room slowly with your phone recording. Show the condition of surfaces, floors, appliances, and any areas that differ from the listing photos. If animals are present that were not listed, film them. If there is damage or mess that was not disclosed, film it. Send the video to yourself immediately via WhatsApp, email, or anywhere that creates an automatic timestamp. This timestamp is your evidence.
We did this in Kefalonia specifically because we knew another sitter was arriving after us and wanted to document what we had found. We also did it on departure. The combination of arrival and departure footage meant that if any dispute arose between our sit and the next sitter's, the record was clear.
If you are already at a sit and have not done this, do it now. Film the current state of anything that differs from what the listing described. A timestamped video created today is better than no video at all. The checkout guide covers departure documentation in detail.
Message the Homeowner in Writing
After documenting, message the homeowner in writing through whatever channel creates a record. Platform messaging, WhatsApp, email.
Keep the message factual and specific. Not "this is nothing like what you described" : that is emotional. Instead: Instead: "When we arrived we found the following differences from what the listing described: [specific items]. We wanted to flag these so we can discuss how to proceed." This gives the homeowner the opportunity to respond, and their response (or lack of it) becomes part of the record.
Most homeowners respond reasonably when approached this way. Some were simply unaware of how their listing read versus the reality. Some apologise and offer to arrange a cleaner or alternative care. Their response tells you a great deal about whether the sit is salvageable.
In Portugal, our 1am message about the dog's behaviour was read and not responded to for eight hours. The response, when it came, was minimal. That response is part of the record. It shows what the homeowner knew, when they knew it, and how they chose to handle it.
If the homeowner does not respond to a written message about a material issue, that silence is itself documented evidence. Send a follow-up. Note the time and date of each attempt in your own records.
Types of Misrepresentation and How to Handle Each
| Type | What to do immediately | Escalation threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Undisclosed pet behaviour | Film the behaviour if safe to do so; message homeowner with specific description | Platform report if behaviour creates safety concern |
| More animals than listed | Photograph all animals present; message homeowner for clarification | If significantly more, contact platform. the listing is factually incorrect |
| Condition worse than photos | Arrival walkthrough video; message homeowner before cleaning anything | Platform report if conditions are truly unacceptable |
| Undisclosed cameras | Photograph camera locations; message homeowner; see our cameras guide | Platform report and potentially police for indoor cameras in private areas |
| Missing welcome guide | Ask homeowner directly; see our no welcome guide article | Not a platform violation on its own, but contributes to pattern |
| Undisclosed pet medical condition | Contact homeowner and vet immediately; see our pet emergency guide | Platform report if pet's welfare has been put at risk by the omission |
What the Platform Can Do
Most major house sitting platforms have a mechanism for reporting listing inaccuracies and undisclosed issues. TrustedHouseSitters allows sitters to contact Membership Services and raise a formal Member Dispute. Nomador, Aussie House Sitters, and most other platforms have support channels. Response times and the extent of intervention vary significantly.
What platforms can do: review the listing and require the homeowner to update it, issue a warning to the homeowner's account, and in serious cases remove the listing or account. A pattern of complaints about the same homeowner carries more weight than a single report. That is exactly why documenting and reporting matters even when you ultimately decide to stay and complete the sit.
What platforms cannot do: force the homeowner to provide a better home, make the pet's behaviour different, or compensate you for time lost. The platform is a record-holder and a moderator, not a resolution service.
Contact the platform with your documentation: the arrival video, the message thread, the specific discrepancies between the listing and the reality. Be factual and specific. "The listing described two dogs; three were present" is actionable. "The homeowner was misleading" is not.
Your Right to Leave
If the misrepresentation is material (significantly affecting your safety, your ability to complete the sit, or the fundamental nature of what you agreed to) you have grounds to leave.
Before leaving, message the homeowner with a clear account of why you are ending the sit early. Contact the platform. Make sure the animals have care arranged before you go. do not leave them without provision because you are unhappy with the homeowner. Our early cancellation guide covers the process in full.
The decision to stay or leave depends on the severity of the misrepresentation and whether the situation is manageable. In Portugal, we stayed because we found a way to manage the situation and because the animals needed care. If the resource guarding had escalated to the point where we felt unsafe enough to leave, we would have left. Two nights of severe sleep disruption from undisclosed barking was approaching that threshold.
There is no obligation to stay in a sit that is materially different from what you accepted. The exchange is accommodation in return for reliable care. If the homeowner withheld information that would have prevented you from accepting, they have already broken that exchange on their side.
The Review
Leave an accurate review. Not an angry one. A factual one.
Future sitters are making decisions based on the reviews a listing has. A homeowner who consistently misrepresents their listing will keep doing it until enough sitters leave accurate reviews that other sitters can see the pattern. The review system only works if people use it accurately.
Specific is more useful than emotional. "The listing described two cats; four were present on arrival" is actionable. "The homeowner was dishonest" is not. Our THS blind review guide covers how to write a review that is both fair and useful.
Conclusion
Listing misrepresentation is rare. The vast majority of homeowners describe their homes and pets accurately. But when it happens, the sitter who has documented from arrival, communicated in writing, and escalated appropriately is in a far better position than the one who stayed silent and hoped for the best.
Document on arrival, every sit. Message in writing, every significant issue. Review accurately, every sit. These habits cost almost nothing in normal situations and are the difference between a resolved dispute and an unwinnable argument when things go wrong.
Join TrustedHouseSitters with 25% off using our discount link and read our what to ask a homeowner guide. The right questions before arrival surface misrepresentation before it becomes a problem you are managing from inside the sit.
DM us @housesittersguide if you are dealing with a misrepresented listing right now. We answer everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if a house sitting listing was misrepresented?
Document immediately with a timestamped walkthrough video, message the homeowner in writing with specific details, and contact the platform to create a formal record. Keep every communication in writing. The video and the message thread are your evidence if the situation becomes disputed. See our damaging property guide for the documentation approach that applies across all arrival situations.
Can I leave a house sit if the listing was misrepresented?
Yes. Material misrepresentation is grounds for early departure on most platforms. Message the homeowner with a clear explanation before leaving, contact the platform, and ensure the animals have care arranged. Do not leave animals without provision. Our early cancellation guide covers the process.
What counts as listing misrepresentation versus a normal surprise?
Misrepresentation is when false or significantly incomplete information materially affected your decision to accept the sit. A home slightly smaller than the photos is normal. An undisclosed dog with significant aggression, nine cats when two were listed, or a home in a condition substantially worse than pictured are material misrepresentations. The test: if you had known this, would you have accepted the sit?
Should I report a misrepresented listing to the platform even if I stay and complete the sit?
Yes. The platform can only identify patterns of problematic listings if sitters report them. A single report may result in a warning or listing update. Multiple reports about the same homeowner carry significantly more weight. Reporting protects future sitters even when you decide to stay yourself.
