Wow, staying here was so stressful. Like the exact opposite of relaxing. The night I arrived, I found that the space was in quite bad condition and furnished very cheaply with low-quality materials that were often unfunctional. The pictures don’t do justice to the particle-board cabinets falling off the walls, the flickering lights, and the non-operational window blinds. I am a big fan of well-loved spaces, but this one seemed well neglected. The host was very hostile and demeaning when I asked any questions and told me to find a butler to help me because I was from America. I’m not quite sure why she responded this way to a simple question about a location to dry the dishes (spoiler alert—there is none) and a cabinet she knew was already broken. I ended up taking every opportunity to stay with friends, pet-sit, and house-sit just so I could have a comfortable place to live elsewhere.
From the beginning, I had the feeling I was about to be scammed. The day before I arrived (I booked 6 months in advance), the host surprised me by demanding that I deposit 500 Euro into her bank account outside of AirBnB policy, and then she told me not to message her on the AirBnB platform. She also sent me detailed messages complaining about AirBnB and her past guests, all of which really confused me. AirBnB told me not to give her any money outside of our agreement, but on one day’s notice I couldn’t find anywhere else to go. I tried to cancel my reservation but was unable to as I made a long-term reservation, couldn’t get any of my money back, and am a student on a student’s budget.
On the upside, the neighbors were generally lovely, and Berlin is such a cool city. Maybe you will have a better experience in the flat than I did—I certainly hope so.