Let me first say I see a lot of positive reviews and I can only think this is because most of the stays were for very short term. The TLDR is that the place is great for short term stays, but there are some clear areas of improvement for longer term stays. We stayed a month, and have stayed at many Airbnbs in the past, so we have more insight than most folks, and we tried to be as objective as possible.
The Good:
- Excellent location, heart of midtown next to the subway.
- 10 minute drive to downtown, located close to highways.
- Easy check-in and out process. Host allowed us to check-out later as well, which was nice.
- Hosts were good communicators during our stay (after our stay, well, thats a different story).
The Bad (and the Ugly...):
Privacy: Many people pointed out privacy issues and the host claimed that you wouldn't be able to see the space from the outside. We tested this by looking through the windows from the outside of the space it everything was clearly visible from the outside. We were hard-pressed to find any part (including the bedroom of all places) which wasn't visible from any angle even with the curtains fully drawn and at any time of day. We were forced to create our own curtains using blankets.
The Space: One of the biggest drawbacks is that the place does not have separate temperature control. We had no ability to change the temperature without constantly messaging the host. Throughout our stay, we were absolutely freezing. We had to dress in three layers sometimes, I literally had two layers of socks, three layers of shirts, two layers of pants, because it was so cold. We tried opening the windows, it didn't help too much. This may be okay for a few days of a stay, but try living like that for an entire month - not fun.
Everything was pretty basic, furniture, minimal upgrades (in cabinets, counter, floors), no exhaust in the washroom with the toilet (yes there are two different washrooms, one with a toilet, another with a shower and laundry), tiny storage-closet-washroom (where you can barely fit your legs in between the toilet and the cabinets under the sink, no oven, no real stove (it was an electrical pseudo-stove), bed didn't have a proper frame, low ceilings, exposed pipes in some areas (giving it a unfinished feel), we saw several bugs including millipedes, large black spiders, but this may be a given, considering its a basement unit.
The fridge was very small and did not cool any food well. We could only store 1-2 days of groceries (as a result, we had to go grocery shopping almost every other day), and if we left anything longer than a couple days it would always go bad (milk, yogurt, meat, salad, etc). The freezer did not work at all (the first day we put ice cream in the freezer it turned into a soup).
Another note is that there are one (or two) dogs living upstairs. Despite what the host claims about not ever hearing the dogs, or only hearing them for a short time, this is simply not true. Even though this doesn't bother us, I can see how others could be annoyed. We can hear the dogs running upstairs, fighting together, barking, playing with their squeak toys throughout the day occasionally. And no, it is not a rare occurrence. At one point the dogs even came into our space when the hosts came down to do laundry and left the door open. Every time we enter the dog would bark like clockwork.
Communication: Good at communicating when we were there, but awful communication when we wanted to retrieve our package after the stay. We had asked explicit permission to order a package, which was supposed to arrive in the first few days of our stay. Canada Post severely delayed the delivery (due to COVID-19), such that the package arrived a day after we left. We had to text the host every day for over a week, asking them when to come to pick up our package, and the host would simply respond with "not today" or "check tomorrow" without offering any times. All the host had to do was leave the package outside and I would have picked it up any time of day. Sometimes I would simply not get any response for several days at a time.
We were finally able to pick up the package, but not after being berated by the host, claiming we were the worst guests they had in two years in terms of cleanliness (we cleaned the entire space before we left, took out the garbage, cleaned the dishes, swept, vacuumed, put everything away, etc). We were a bit confused because after a month long stay, what does the host expect? There were even signs throughout that told us what to do or not to do. One sign said we weren't allowed to use any of the cleaning equipment. They also said that they had no responsibility take care of or to give us the package (even though we asked and were given permission to do so). We were polite and said nothing to prompt such responses. It was very disappointing to hear this, since I've had nothing but excellent reviews by other hosts.
Cleanliness: The bed sheets, cover, and pillow cases had white hair possibly from a pet such as a dog or cat on it. The bathroom floors had hair.
Spacious?: The reviews and listing led us to believe the place was spacious. The reality is that the ceilings are low and this makes the space feel cramped or claustrophobic. Anyone over 6 feet will have trouble standing in some places. The bedroom door does not close.
Parking: The parking space was tight and also located right next to garbage cans. This meant we had to battle dozens of flies just