Good:
Good location; close to beach and town
Our dog loved the back yard, which was secure, but could do with a little TLC
The place was ‘neat’ and the outdoor deck was nice to sit out on.
So-so:
Originally kitted out smartly, but a few things are starting to wear, like the living room couch
Didn’t seem as though it was thoroughly cleaned before our stay - some mildew in the shower door, the floor was a bit sticky, felt like cleaning had been done ‘around things’. We didn’t use the bbq, but it didn’t look great
After booking, received ‘follow ups’ from Dave, the property manager:
o	Firstly, there was a question about my ‘age group’ and what ‘are your plans for your stay.’ – a bit intrusive – probably better to instead include some comments in the listing about things you will not host (e.g. hens/bucks 21sts, parties…) like some other AIRBNBs
o	Secondly, there was advice that pets needed prior approval, followed by a message outlining a $200 security bond for pets (not listed in the description). I agreed to the bond and have since received this back (due to my dog’s impeccable behaviour!)
o	But it would be better for all this to be listed in the description rather than presented in a ‘slow reveal’ fashion in a series of probing emails.
Not good:
Turned the patio heaters on and one didn’t start. We noticed its power cord was cut and had exposed wires. This is a potential safety hazard and is part of some broader general maintenance that needs to be done around the property
Fuse blew that rendered all power points (and hence, fridge and appliances) in the living room and bathroom inoperable
o	Contacted the owner, Rob, who responded and said it couldn’t be fixed that night
o	Appreciated the response, but was bemused that, in a later text, he suggested moving the fridge to the house’s rear. When you stay at an Airbnb for a break, you don’t expect to move fridges around! Rob assured me that Dave had a key and would fix the issue the next day
o	Dave messaged me the following day and asked me to troubleshoot the switchbox. I advised I could do no further troubleshooting, as we were out for the day
o	When I advised Rob that it was lunchtime before Dave had been in contact and that he had asked me to troubleshoot the issue myself, Rob replied he ‘was most disappointed in the lack of action’
o	Someone eventually attended the property later that afternoon, who supplied us with a bar fridge to use for the rest of our stay and restored the power. This was appreciated, but nonetheless, Dave’s initial reluctance to engage with the problem was palpable.
So, a slightly less than average AIRBNB stay. However, if the initial communication was a little warmer and clearer, the description had listed more things upfront, there was a bit more attention to cleaning and maintenance, and finally, if there hadn’t been the seeming reluctance to address an issue when one did arise, things would have been better, and it would have been a decent place to stay!