Pros:

(1) Location is great, in the center of Hiroo, but quiet because it is on a small street where no cars come and go. It is around the corner from the Hiroo metro stop, walking distance to Ebisu JR station, close to excellent restaurants and cafes. There are virtually no hotels in the Hiroo/Ebisu area! Because we wanted to stay in the Hiroo area, we had to rent an apartment (or house) and this one looked like one of the bigger places listed on AirBnB.

(2) Responsive host: Derek responded to all my emails quickly. He was also flexible, allowing us to check in an house before and he met us on time.

(3) If you are traveling in a group (i.e. more than 2 people), this house is a lot cheaper than staying in a hotel because there are 2 bedrooms and you can use the living room, too (there are small futons in the closet).

Cons:

(1) The house is not well insulated from noise. Like a lot of older Japanese houses, you can hear the neighbors next door and on the street talking. We had all the windows and doors shut, but still could hear them loud and clear. It did not bother us at night because everyone's asleep anyway and we did sleep well.

(2) The house looks much better in the photos (that is, it looks brighter and more light-filled).

(3) The rooms are small and divided over several levels with the bathroom on the ground floor, so we found ourselves walking up and down a lot. (Note: We hike a lot and have no objection to walking several kilometers a day.)

(3) Overall impression:
- the kitchen is quite dated (no dishwasher, old stove top, old counter tops)
- the towels and blankets could have been better
- the toilets are not equipped with the Toto Washlet which is standard in Japanese houses
- the house is geared towards people who are traveling in a group (i.e. a family or a group of friends), not necessarily to people who care about better finishes and design.