Under normal circumstances, I would have evaluated the experience with four stars. The apartment has a great location (close to De Pijp - one of Amsterdam‘s most vibrating neighborhoods and far from the city center turmoil) and is very close to a metro station. It takes you about two minutes to walk to the Amstel. However, the place is located on the ground floor and you need to close all curtains to assure full privacy. The apartment is well-furnished and nicely decorated. Nonetheless, it is not in its best shape anymore and a little bit run-down. Overall cleanliness is ok, but if you look into the corners you may find some dirty spots (i.e. hair in the cupboard / closet).
In our particular case we faced some issues with the owner who we never met during our stay (key handover was handled by an agency). One day after our return we received a request to pay an additional amount of EUR 1.200, as we supposedly damaged the floor in the kitchen (allegedly greasy spots, wine stains). Ironically, during our 3-week rent we cooked once (in the first week) and never had wine (only water, beer, milk, juice and tea). I called a cleaner (recommended by the owner) twice to keep the apartment clean and tidy and at no point in time I received any complaint. What annoyed me most is that the owner sent us an immediate payment request without contacting us in advance and trying to understand whether we were really responsible for the dirty spots. After seeing the pictures I am very sure that they were already there and that by no chance we caused the damage. I am actually well-insured and I am sure that my third party liability insurance would cover this incidence. However, I feel very offended and assaulted, as this was definitely not our fault.
We paid quite a lot of money, but were happy to spend it to be located in a cozy apartment in a great area. Notwithstanding, the incidence and the way it was handled is quite shocking to me, as I would respect the opinion of my clients and not randomly assume that they are responsible for something without hearing their opinion.
It’s a shame - but unfortunately I would not recommend anyone to stay there anymore, unless you are looking for a financial surprise afterwards.