Despite a long history of the owner renting this unit out, prior reviews were not available because the owner switched companies and they were lost or deleted (?). We asked more than once. We requested local friends pop in but it was not possible due to a scheduled maintenance in the unit. We viewed over SKYPE but they did not show the are of the ceiling where water came in or even mention it. It would have been good if someone we trusted had seen (or smelled) the unit. We took a chance. We got burned. This unit is not appropriate for long stays or for folks with mold or strong odor sensitivities. Our nasal passages were irritated the entire stay. Without the windows open or the very aggressive scent diffusser provided in the unit the smell was notable and may irritate you. We were not told before we arrived about why maintenance was done on the unit. We would have definitely chosen another place had we known about the mold issue. Not sure what law is in Cape Town but it seemed at the very lesst unethical. A month in a place with a strong odor was a distraction from our experince. When we expressed our displeasure with the smell and that we were not told about the mold issues in advance we were told we could leave if we wanted but with the owner keeping most of the money of course. Our concerns were glossed over and were told the mold was not a secret. The suggestion was that we should have asked i advance about the mold. Make sure you ask lots of questions. If you do not ask they won't tell you.
With regards to amenities, the kitchen was under resourced and had low quality kitchen tools. We had to get creative using the steamer as a strainer for cleaning vegetables and using forks in place of spatulas. There were also no wisks or oven mitts either. The unit also had no dining room table and chairs, and did not have bedroom or office furniture in the second bedroom. We asked for both and although we were offered two different small tables they were a stopgap we were offered after we raised issues about the mold and not a real solution. Yes we could have worked separately at the small tables but having dinner with a group of friends from the building was not possible. We had to go elsewhere. We had to live in just the living room, kitchen, and bedroom. All other spaces were unusable.
There is a level of trust that we all expect when using Airbnb. You (the renter) promise to be a good house guest (in our case we cleaned, locked doors and windows, got to know neighbors-carried groceries for elderly folks and gifted remaining alcohol to people we got to know, we also greeted front desk staff daily and occasionally bought them coffee) and they (the owner) promise to provide a space that allows you to feel like you are in a home away from home. I would not treat my guests this way in my home. Sadly our trust in this situation is so low (due to mistruths from the day of inquiry) that we videotaped the unit on our last day in case in their rush to cover their misdeeds they claimed we broke something.
Given the location and the warmth of this sunny unit this could have been incredible but unfortunately it smelled on our first day and it also smelled on our last day a month later. On a positive note the building is great and the location fantastic. We expect to stay in another unit on the property next time.