The location was great - central to Toronto, shops and cafes at either end of the street and was close to great parks and playgrounds for the kids.
The street the property is on is a one way, narrow street so parking is an issue. Essentially all of the parking is taken up by local residents. Accessing the garage at the rear lane way was tricky for a larger car and takes multiple turns to get in. The roller door to the garage is faulty and does not shut making the rear of the property exposed at all times (this to us seemed like a security issue which we were always conscious about).
The fact that there were no proper curtains or blinds was an issue - there were light weight sheers on many of the bedroom windows which made mornings hard (morning sun shining in)... and one of the primary bedroom windows didnt have any window coverings at all. This meant that privacy was an issue too.
We were also told we could not check in prior to 4pm because the cleaner had to clean the property. We were late arriving... and she was still there at 5:30pm which was an absolute hassle as we couldn't unpack and settle in until she arrived.
The fact that the garage door did not close and was faulty was an issue - we didn't feel completely secure. There was a lot of graffiti and damage along the rear lane way which indicated suburban crime etc. So having the rear of the property exposed was not a comforting feeling. Also the door between the garage and rear yard had no handle/lock so anyone could have simply walked through to the courtyard. For a family home, this seemed strange that there was not a secure and closed off area for kids to play.
The property at face value seemed clean but on closer inspection was actually quite dirty. Allot of the cups, plates and cutlery were dirty. Baseboards, floors, surfaces were dusty.
The guttering at the rear of the property above the rear door was faulty/rusty - meaning on the days that it was rainy - wherever we would access the property through this door, as we were unlocking etc. we would be dripped on... even if the rain had stopped.
The fact that we had that overnight with the upstairs toilet being clogged was annoying however we were grateful that Julie came and fixed it the day after.
The dining chairs were filthy and very uncomfortable (they seemed the wrong height for the dining table.
There were some great kids toys and books which was great for our son.