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AIBU?

To by annoyed with SIL over House Sitting

21 replies

ChocolateTeacup · 08/08/2015 14:25

Do I need to get a grip?

MIL, SIL, SIL's OH and Baby (8 months) have been house sitting from Mon-Fri

We have 1 dopey dog (Giant breed mutt aged 3 he spends most of the time drooling and sleeping) & 1 very cuddly cat

2 bedroomed semi-detached house, which I left in immaculate condition.

I have come back to a bomb-site and actually I am pissed off as I am spending the first day back from holiday cleaning to get things back in order.

Examples:

My SIL smokes and there are fag butts on the floor around outside (My OH smokes but puts them in the plant pot we have for this purpose)

The Kitchen is disgusting, not one surface is clean and a pile of rubbish is on the side

Lots of general mess such as empty pop bottles, cups etc lying around

Books from the bookcases in odd places (absolutely fine with them reading it but put them back!)

For some bizarre reason the cutlery drawer has been turned around.

I could go on and on, I keep discovering more as the day goes on. It is just really annoying, I know I should be grateful that they have looked after the dog, although he has been mostly locked out of the way of baby (I do understand that and he is used to being put away while we are at work) but I am really upset that I have come home to do all this.

I really didn't expect it to be the same as I left it, I know I am a perfectionist, but I did expect it to be clean and relatively tidy, was that too much to ask?

OP posts:

Report

AyeAmarok · 08/08/2015 14:27

They should have left it in better order, at least with the rubbish and dishes cleared, but yes, they did you a favour so stuck it up.

NickiFury · 08/08/2015 14:27

I'd hate that too. But to be fair you must have known that the smoking thing would be an issue? It sounds horrible and for the smoking alone I would never have asked them to do it.

Fishwives · 08/08/2015 14:34

Yes, annoying, but you presumably know these people have lower cleanliness standards than you, so it's hardly a surprise - plus, tbh, having four people, including a smoker and a young baby to house sit, was never going to end in pristine-ness...? I guess set it off against kennels/chattery fees?

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 08/08/2015 14:37

Annoying, but they were doing you a favour. So YABU. Time for an official house sitter or kennels?

Binit · 08/08/2015 14:37

4 people, a big dog and a cat in a 2 bed house is overcrowded. I think you should probably make different arrangements next time.

sticklebrickstickle · 08/08/2015 14:38

What is their house like? Are they normally this messy in their own homes. If so you probably should have expected this and should have chosen tidier pet sitters. If however they are usually tidy in their own home I think you'd be reasonable to be annoyed they didn't treat your home with the same respect.

That said they have done you a big favour do you'd probably be unreasonable to bring it up. I guess next time hire a professional house/ pet sitter as they should leave the house in the same condition as they found it.

Username359185 · 08/08/2015 14:39

I understand why you're annoyed but I think the only thing you can do is not ask them again.

jacks11 · 08/08/2015 14:47

I would be really annoyed too, although as they were doing you a favour I probably wouldn't say anything. I wouldn't ask them to help out again and I might be less keen to help them out in future.

I don't think the OP was expecting to come home to a pristine house, just a reasonably clean one. I cant believe anyone would think it appropriate to leave behind dirty dishes and work surfaces, or not dispose of rubbish properly or to leave empty bottles and mugs/glasses lying around in someone else's home- even if you are house-stting as a favour. I think it's really thoughtless.

rollonthesummer · 08/08/2015 14:50

That would really piss me off! Use kennels next time?

ChocolateTeacup · 08/08/2015 15:38

I do agree they were doing me a favour, and no I don't want to say anything because I know they were doing me a favour.

I will follow the suggestions and use kennels in future :)

OP posts:

ImperialBlether · 08/08/2015 15:43

Not much of a favour if you have to spend a day clearing up after them. It wouldn't have hurt if one of them had taken the dog and baby for a walk while the others cleaned up.

ChocolateTeacup · 08/08/2015 15:45

Whenever I have seen there house it is fairly tidy

OP posts:

OTheHugeManatee · 08/08/2015 16:07

Find a pet sitter next time. Lots will look after your dog in their home so it gets fuss and company. It's a small price to pay for not having swarms of people messing your house up.

Andylion · 08/08/2015 16:32

Do they come as a set? Could your MiL not have house-sat by herself? Not relevant, just wondering why they all came. Do they live together?

bobthetomato · 08/08/2015 16:36

Totally get why you're irritated. I'm not the world's tidiest person, but I'd be ashamed not to leave the house in as pristine a condition as I found it.

But why did you single out SIL in your title? Surely the other two adults were equally to blame for failing to clean up?

LazyLouLou · 08/08/2015 16:53

Sod who you hold most responsible. Get your DH to have a quiet word with his mum and sister about how much he was disappointed with the mess they left, how he feels they have little respect for him to leave his home in that state, for him to come home to. Should work well, and put him on notice that, regardless of how much he feels he can forgive, they haven't really acted pleasantly.

And then make alternative arrangements for any future holidays.

BackforGood · 08/08/2015 17:17

Maybe you could use some of what you saved on kennel fees and the cattery, on a one off cleaner?

PuppyMonkey · 08/08/2015 17:34

Those saying you need to suck it up as it was a favour... Well, ish, not a massive ordeal though was it? Quite nice having a little holiday at someone else's place. Your DH should say something IMHO.

Did you perhaps come home unexpectedly early before they had a chance to do the cleaning?

temporarilyjerry · 08/08/2015 19:33

Why is SIL getting the blame? Surely there were adults involved.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 08/08/2015 20:26

puppy when we go away we have a house/dog sitter. As long as my dogs are happy I'm happy. I care fuck all about the state of the house; it'll take one or two days of my getting it back to normal. Big deal.

mom2twoteens · 08/08/2015 21:29

I put my dog in a dog minder's house if my friend can't have him. It's not cheap but comparable to a kennel and he gets looked after and no one's in my house. It's strange the smoker didn't use an ashtray or a pot of some sort. Some people are messy. I'm not a neat freak but fag ends lying around and unclean kitchen surfaces would have bugged me. I wouldn't expect them to clean, but I would have expected them to be tidy and clear up after themselves.

It's done now, plan something else for next time. I wouldn't make a fuss over it as it'll only create an atmosphere and wouldn't make anything better.

Hope you had a good break. :-)

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