Downsides:
1.On arrival, we found No. 95, (Rua da Assunção) as indicated in the address of the building. This was a shop! We tried to contact Pedro. His mother answered the phone and hardly spoke English. We tried to locate the building by referring to the photo on Airbnb. We found the building two blocks away from the address we were given. The photo in the Ad was not of the flat! After half an hour and four calls at international rates, a lady brought the keys and we were finally taken to the the flat on the fifth floor of No. 99.
2.First thing we encountered entering the building was the construction rubbish in the hallway. We realised that the whole building was being refurbished and the only apartment finished was ours. The noise from construction work in adjacent flats was horrible and would not let you take a nap in the afternoon. Also there was a very strong smell of paint in the corridors and in the flat.
3.No instructions for check-in were given (as in all other Airbnb listings we have used before). We even had to find an online operations manual for the unconventional electric cooker. No other guidelines for other operations, rubbish collection, hot water etc... The boiler pipes leaked and some water was drained onto the kitchen worktop. We could not operate the cable TV that the owner promised due to lack of instructions.
4.Nobody else was in the building except the builders, who sometimes held the lift to carry materials up and down.
5.The flat was not a one bedroom flat, despite what was indicated in the listing, it was a studio with a double bed and a large sofa.
6.The bathroom ventilator was so noisy that we preferred not to put it on and went to take a shower in the darkness (ventilator being attached to the lights in the bathroom).
7.Given the situation, the flat was really worth half the price they charged us. Maybe it would be worth more once the refurbishment is completed, but definitely not in the mid-way! Our friends were in Lisbon at the same time as us and their Airbnb flat was much cheaper and much better.
Positive points:
1.The location was very good and central; also plenty of hotels at good prices nearby.
2.The equipment in the flat were new and clean.
3.The Wifi was good without any problem and had a good speed.