Our check-in was not great. I had asked in an earlier email if it would be alright to drop our bags off before the check in and was told this would be okay. However, when we arrived we were about to call Filipe when she came out of the apartment next door. She made it clear that she did not want us to leave the luggage because the apartment was not ready. She finally agreed but was clearly not happy. When we returned later that evening the staircase was completely dark. I messaged her to let her know and she replied that the light comes on automatically! So I guess the lack of light was our imagination.
The apartment is perfectly located for many of the sights in Alfama. The front of the apartment is nice, bight and comfortable but the kitchen area is rather dark and dismal. However, be aware that the second set of stairs are treacherous, narrow, shallow and winding.