Pros:
- host was very responsive and checked-in multiple times during our stay and asked whether we had any requests;
- host was very patient as we were hours late and he had to wait for us;
- host provided additional duvet, bed sheets and pillow;
- location is very good - near to metro, very close to the Taksim square and Istiklal street;
- mostly quiet during workdays;
- comfortable bed and sofa;
- fully equipped;
- washing machine, kettle, fridge, fan, TV working;
- host booked us a taxi as our flight was early in the morning;
- nice Cihangir neighbourhood very close packed with small cafes and restaurants;
- rubbish was collected daily, we had to leave it behind our door;
- WiFi speed was good;
- good price per night.
Cons which might be deal breakers for some:
- water pressure is low and water temperature unstable in the bathroom, not an issue in the kitchen;
- apartment gets heavy drain smell when the washing machine is on (this might be normal, just be aware);
- we did not find our bed linen clean enough and used spare sheets that the host left us (this might be a one time error);
- bed linen were smelly but we got used to it after few nights and did not ask for new ones, I believe host would have provided other ones had we asked;
- apartment is not as light as the pictures show;
- street above gets noisy during the weekend;
- there was a lense container under the batroom sink which might indicate that the room was not cleaned thoroughly;
- A/C cools slowly;
- apartment is on 5th floor and the staircase is narrow.
After all, if you are looking for the place with a good location in the center of Istanbul and you do not plan to spend too much time in the apartment, this is your place! Host is great, location is near to many touristic areas. :)