TLDR: if you are young/able-bodied and used to hostels, then the laundry, kitchen, and private toilet will be an upgrade. So long as you experience no issues and don’t mind things a little grubby, it’s a great deal.
If you expect clean floors/furniture/walls; flooring that is affixed safely; proper containment of live electrical wiring; appropriate concern/response to safety concerns; or have any past/present physical injuries...look for a place run by a different management company.
—-
PROS
Air conditioning
Laundry machine
Balcony with laundry line
Kitchen
Shower gel
Elevator (it’s very small but it works)
CONS
-Flooring baseboards not affixed to wall
-T-strip between kitchen tile and laminate only affixed on one end - swings wildly and we both slipped/fell
-Exposed electrical from kitchen outlet falling out of wall
-Deeply dirty/stained couch, red cover thrown over top to hide ground in stains-allergy inducing
-Sofa pillows missing - very uncomfortable to sit, could be ok for sleeping?
-Mysterious fresh sofa stains of unknown providence
-Blood and squashed mosquito from a previous tenant on wall
-dirty floors -bring flip flops to avoid blackened feet
DEALBREAKER: host response
I give benefit of the doubt here and chalk up the s**tshow that occurred to cultural and language differences.
After explaining my wife’s knee surgery last fall, Luis assured me that the space would be safe for her, which is why I booked here. When we arrived there were multiple safety and biohazards.
I can deal with a certain level of dirt, but allergic reaction inducing dirty is not ok. I hope they replace the filthy red sofa for future guests.
Most distressing was the discovery (through wiping out) that the flooring was no longer glued securely, causing us both to fall on the first evening.
Luis did not understand the how the broken floor could cause us to fall. Instead of coming up to look, I was told that “in my opinion this is not a safety issue”. After a failed attempt to speak to Luis in person (he was not there during business hours), my wife fell and reinjured her recently surgeried knee.
To be clear, I don’t think Luis acted in a malicious way - he seemed genuinely perplexed. Given the ESL aspect, his written responses were rather...gaslightingly infuriating.
To his credit, Luis eventually sent someone up to hide the electrical wiring and tape the baseboards together, but not the sliding dangerous piece. By that evening, my spouse had fallen again and her knee was the size of a melon. She couldn’t really walk for the rest of the trip, marring the last days of our vacation. Once my spouse got injured, Airbnb helped us escape to a safer place.
I do hope the falling-apart pieces of this apartment have been fixed for the safety and comfort of future guests, as it has the potential to be a solid budget rental for traveling friends/couples. You should just be aware of the risks you’re signing up for.