Ilona's place is located near the city centre and the bus/train station, that are just a few minutes far away. The bus stop is just in front of the house. The neighborhood is safe and full of supermarkets, cafés and other shops.
Regarding the smell in the entrance: yes, you can smell cats but it not from the apartment.
The stairs are steep but not too much to be a problem.
You pay for what you get and it is a basic room plus a bathroom. And both of them clean!
For using the shower: just push the big knob UP and turn it right/left to have hot/cold water mix.
We stayed in Riga just for a short time and the place was perfect for our needs!