Lynn’s place was quaint and is as represented in the photos. The property is right near a train station and just minutes from the downtown area.

The one problem that I did have was that after receiving a tour of the place she asked me for a security deposit ($30) in order to receive the key. I was taken back as this was never mentioned during our communication and after reviewing the listing profile, its not mentioned there either. Moreover, off-site exchange of money is in violation of airbnb’s policies. See: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/140/how-does-airbnb-handle-security-deposits

This made for a very awkward and uncomfortable moment as I didn’t have any cash on me. I was traveling from the US to Toronto and hadn’t had the opportunity to go to the ATM. This was also a bit of an inconvenience as I had to go to a currency exchange in order to get US dollars (she said she would accept either US or CAD) as I didn’t want to be stuck with CAD when the security deposit was returned to me (at the end of my stay) as I would not be able to do anything with that currency back home. While I have no problem paying a security deposit, I just wish I was notified earlier. Moreover, I think the larger problem is that this is an actual violation of airbnb’s policy, which aims to limit or rid hand-to-hand exchange of money. I’ve rented through airbnb quite a bit and have never done any type of hand-to-hand exchange of money! The security deposit should be done through airbnb where both the host and visitor are protected. Yes, I did receive my money back, but I was very leery handing over money to a complete stranger with no documentation or way of ensuring that I would get it back. Charming place and decent host, but the discomfort of the security deposit situation was very off putting.