First, let me say that the apartment is in a nice area near the Gare Austerlitz, across from one of the most beautiful botanical gardens, the Jardin des Plantes, which is a wonderful garden to explore, first thing in the morning, as you set off to find a cafe for breakfast.
The apartment, has old French character and with a few improvements could be a very charming option to stay in. If you book this place, be advised, it is very hard to open the front door. You have to push and pull on the door at the same time you turn the key. It took us almost 1/2 hour to get in and then, we arrived to a very dark, "dismal" apartment, our immediate impression. The apartment surprisingly brightened up to look very cheerful, after we opened all of the shutters in the apartment. So that has to be your first activity upon arrival, if the host hasn't already opened them.
The kitchen was well equipped. For the guest who wants to cook and dine in, you'll have everything you need. There is a washing machine/dryer, which was a primary reason for booking this accommodation, however, there were no instructions on how to use it, requiring an hour of searching online for instructions that particular model and what modes of wash/dry to select. A simple step by step instruction sheet in a few different languages, taped or near the machine would have gone a long way.
The bathroom, although stated in the listing that it includes soap, make sure to bring your own, as we found no bar of soap in the shower or anywhere else in the apartment. There was only a bottle of liquid hand soap by the sink. Didn't find any shampoo, as stated in their listing, either, but we had our own, anyway. We did find 2 towels. You'll need to dry your towels in the living room, over chairs, because there is no ventilation in the bathroom that allows the wet towels to dry. Not a big deal, but keep it in mind. The bathroom has a faint smell of mold. In the USA, we'd want to check that out, as a possible health hazard. We think it was just because there was no ventilation fan in the bathroom to get the moisture out. The listing stated there was a hairdryer, however, the hairdryer provided kept overheating and eventually sparked, smoked and died. I had notified the host of the problem with the hairdryer, before it died. The management company representative, Francois, responded curtly, by insisting the hairdryer worked perfectly and that I shouldn't hold it close to my hair. Clearly he has no idea how women use hairdryers to dry and style their hair. While I hoped for resolution, or the pleasant offer of a replacement hairdryer, it never came. I have very long hair, and didn't feel I should have to go to the additional expense, on my own, of buying a new dryer, that I can't use in the USA, so I simply didn't. So if you have long hair and need a hair dryer, best to bring your own. Don't count on one at this apartment. When I left, I left the dead hair dryer on the sink vanity and notified them that the dryer sparked smoked and died. They never bothered to acknowledge my note or respond with apologies. Since the managment company person insisted it was working fine, it is debatable whether or not it was replaced for the next guests they said were arriving the day we departed.
As other reviewers have stated, there is the strong smell of cat in the living room. It was the couch and throw pillows, which clearly had signs that a cat had been clawing the legs. We found that if we sat on the couch, the odor transferred to our clothing. If you open the windows, it's not so bad. But it's still there. If they just replace the couch and throw pillows, with a "clean" one, it will improve the apartment smell significantly. Having had cats in my past, and understanding how hard it is to get rid of the trace of odor, in the furniture, I think the odor is just too strong for furniture shampooing to help. If they replace that couch and throw pillows it will make a world of difference.
There was no guidebook or information in the apartment, on where things are in the area, like the nearest metros, markets, good restaurants, how to use the television, etc. so be prepared to figure it out on your own. It would have been very helpful. We have been to Paris many times, but never stayed in that area, so we figured everything out on our own.
Bearing all of this in mind, if the owner, accepts my comments, with understanding, as constructive and not critical, and makes some positive changes with regard to the odors and little details that guests expect when staying at an Airbnb, and more importantly, finds a more friendly, welcoming, customer service oriented, people to manage her apartment for her, if she is unable to manage this herself, this could be a very charming place to stay.
Update:
The worst part of all of our issues, is that even when I notified Claudia, the owner, of the problems, neither she or Francois, the guy who apparently manages the place for her, never took the time to respond with any level of concern or consideration. THIS lack of communication from the owner, is without a doubt, a reason to pass on this Airbnb.