Unfortunately, after our recent stay at Toby's place, I cannot give this listing 5 stars because of the following:
- Upon arriving at our check in time specified on the listing (3pm), it appeared Jay was not aware our group was checking in on that particular day (and seemed disgruntled at first). As a result, we waited an hour outside with our luggage for his partner to arrive with the keys to let us in.
- There is an exposed light fitting in the shower that has not been covered up. On one occasion, someone in the group noticed the light sparked due to the moisture coming from the shower.
- Rattling windows in the living room from the wind made it difficult for the person who had the sofa bed to sleep.
Further, the following cleanliness issues resulted in the group having to tidy up before being able to use the place comfortably:
- Glass tables appear to have been wiped with a dirty rag, resulting in sticky and cloudy streaks across the glass.
- Half-eaten and opened ice cream tub in the freezer and other miscellaneous expired items in the cupboards left over from previous guests. Provision of basic cooking staples such as oil would have been nice, considering the length of our stay.
- Hair and crumbs in several drawers in the bathroom and kitchen.
- Towels and sofa bed blanket provided had a damp smell and had to be washed and dried.
- Coffee machine not cleaned.
Toby provided us with Jay's contact details if we needed any cleaning to be rectified, however, we did not have a good initial impression of the place and decided not to pursue that option. I believe any Airbnb listing should be clean and presentable from the get go without requiring any follow up cleaning when guests have arrived.
Toby was however, accommodating of our group size, which is a plus. His place is also close to public transport and a supermarket so if you're only looking for a place to sleep at night, this should suffice.
Overall, I would not recommend anybody who is in Melbourne for an extended period of time to choose this accommodation.