I stayed in this apartment for 2 months and although I use Airbnb on a very regular basis, I must say that I have never had such a bad experience. This is actually the first time I write a bad review but I think it is important for other guests to know what to expect.
The apartment in itself would be OK for a short period of time (provided you are not too picky and you don't mind pounding music from the neighbour at night), but the fact that the host is deeply unpleasant, dishonest and only interested in money makes the whole experience very unsatisfying.
First, the apartment. Despite being clean, it is full of stuff. Everywhere. Although the host knew I was staying a long period of time for work-related issues, there was only a small wardrobe available for my personal possessions. Everything else, from the desk drawers to the kitchen shelves, was already occupied. Yet, inexplicably, some basic pieces of furniture are missing, such as a coffee maker or a teapot. The remaining furniture is old, often in poor condition. The chairs are not nailed together, so they easily fall to pieces and I almost fell on the ground a couple of times because of them. The bed is very uncomfortable. The mattress is old, with a huge hole in the middle. I had to fill it with a pillow in order to be able to sleep on a relatively flat surface. Moreover, there is only one set of bed linens. When you stay two months, you expect to have at least another set when you need to wash the first one. I asked the host if another one was available but she told me bluntly that there wasn't any other choice than drying them at a launderette (never feeling the least apologetic). There is also no bathmat in the bathroom, but only old mops. The shower is impossible to regulate. I don't mind having to wait one minute or so for hot water, but in this case the water was either boiling hot or icy cold. At the end, it was simply easier to go to friends' to take a shower. The Wi-Fi is also very sporadic, going on and off all the time. I ended up having to do all my video-calls in nearby cafés. The cherry on the cake was probably the neighbour. Although the host had told me that the neighbourhood was very quiet, the downstairs neighbour listens to music all night long. And when I say all night I mean *all night*, non-stop, from 10pm to 8am. And not quiet music that could be OK to sleep with, but extremely loud hip hop, death metal or pop music. Despite my regular requests to lower it, he would start again the night after.
All these problems would have been OK to deal with if 1) the total price had been much lower, 2) the host had been pleasant, honest and not stingy. Her way of communicating is unpleasant and I never felt welcome. Not once did she apologise for missing things or ask me if things were OK. She often uses bold letters and repeats things thousands of times as if guests were dumb. She asked me to pay the oil, vinegar or rice off if ever I used them (this is also written in the "welcome" note left in the apartment – which is not welcoming at all). She offered me to buy her two-month gym card and when I asked whether it would be possible to try one month first, she answered that it was all or nothing. I ended up paying €40 for a gym I only used once because I didn't like it. She also refused that I used her mailbox, which would have been more than useful during this 2-month stay.
The final straw is when I had to pay €20 for a frying pan that she accused me of scratching, despite the fact that I never used this pan – and for good reason: it is a griddle pan to cook meat and I am vegan. When I told her that, after having already paid, she didn’t even dare replying…
All in all, a disastrous experience. I would recommend anyone who is looking for a place in Berlin NOT to book this apartment.