On my first full day, the apartment's lock broke. I messaged and emailed the host at 6pm. I did not get a response until the next day. I was locked out from my credit cards, passport, medication, phone charger, and had no jacket. I'm a woman traveling solo. I was left wandering the streets at night. I tried chats, emails, and phone calls. I had no assistance finding a hotel or response that day.
My dad was able to use his elite status with a hotel chain to get me a room. I submitted the receipts for reimbursement and the host refused to pay. The host said they won't reimburse because they had to pay for a locksmith. THEIR APARTMENT LOCK BROKE LOCKING ME OUT OVERNIGHT, AND THEY'RE COMPLAINING ABOUT PAYING FOR A LOCKSMITH. I still haven't been refunded for the day I was locked out and unable to contact them.
I no longer felt safe with this host after they were unreliable to contact, so I booked a hotel. The host said I would be refunded for those 10 nights. I haven't been refunded.
This apartment is in a nice enough area, but the amenities are lacking. The bed has a giant crater on one side and the pillows are deflated and lumpy. The shower has no pressure and water trickles down slowly and vertically from the showerhead in just a few pencil-thin streams. It's difficult to rinse shampoo and clean your body. The couch is sticky and greasy from hundreds of sweaty people sitting on it.
It's also loud. You can hear neighbors coming and going throughout the night (from the entire building). You also loudly hear activity from elsewhere on the block (training drills before 8am and sporting events.