An uncomfortable rental that impacted the enjoyment of our vacation.
I have traveled all over the world and slept in conditions from 5 star hotels to a bag on a floor on artificial grass. I am not a demanding guest, and I try to appreciate that people have different standards. I have never left a negative review, other than this one.
The listing leaves out critical details that will impact your stay. At a minimum, the host should inform you of those that will impact your stay. Some of these cannot be changed, and if disclosed properly, then it's up to the renter to decide if they are acceptable. Not disclosing them is unfair.
Other problems were avoidable, could have been fixed or changed, and are unacceptable.
There are five flights of staggered stairs in the rental. They are old and uneven in spots. There is no bedroom on the ground floor, and two are located at the very top of the stairs. The host was aware we'd have six adults all over 50 staying at the rental, two of whom have significant mobility issues. The stairs a staggered such that no bedroom is located on the same floor as a bathroom, which are all located between floors. Had we known about the stairs, their condition, and their placement, we wouldn't have rented the place.
There are limited places to sit. The rental has one living area with two loveseats, and one dining area with six wooden chairs. There are no other chairs or seating areas in the entire house, nor on the patio. There are four bedrooms, and the host knew we had seven people arriving. We could not all eat dinner at the same time, nor sit together anywhere in the house.
It's difficult to sleep, loud, and hot. The host provided no fans. The rental is 100 yards from the underground line which runs about every 15 minutes until around 1 am. Even with earplugs in, the noise is enough to wake you. The lines start again around 6 am. It's also very hot in the upper rooms. The thermostat in on the second floor read 27 c during our stay on days with 20 c temperatures outside. The upper rooms were well over 30 c until after midnight. We opened all the windows every night, yet the staggered floor plan allows for very little air flow. I am guessing the roof has no insulation because the walls and roof radiate heat deep into the night.
A couple bedrooms had decent shades, but one large bedroom had light permeable slat blinds that don't cover the entire window. They simply do not block light. When we arrived, one of the shades was detached from the upper bracket and hanging across the window, which we fixed ourselves.
There are broken and uncomfortable fixtures in the house. A wall sconce in the living area was broken in half and hanging by exposed wires. A light cover in the dining area was missing. In two bedrooms lights didn't function. Several outlets were unstable. One bedroom has some sort of wall device near the floor with exposed wires. In the kitchen, there is a counter top between the oven and the fridge which is detached from the wall, loose, and moves if used. There is a toilet that has a seat that hits you in the back, held up and in place by a chain attached to the wall.
The listing reads there is a dedicated workspace, and there isn't. It's lists a garden, which is a concrete area behind the house with no seats or tables.
The place was not clean. There was medication left in the fridge, and it's simply unsafe when you have a six year old in your group. Laundry was left in the washer making the washer unusable. There were papers folded and stick under doors as makeshift doorstops. There was debris on the carpet in most every corner, yet the general center or carpets seems vacuumed. Some carpets seemed to have been replaced and were ok, but others were stained or worn. There was a broken ash tray left outside the upstairs bedroom.
I believe with proper disclosure, and addressing the many issues in the rental, this could be a good rental. It is close to underground stations, and near a street with shops, restaurants, and a small market. I liked the on demand heater in the shower, which allowed for unlimited hot showers.
The owner clearly spent money updating the kitchen and baths, which are (baring an issue or two) well done. The host was never unkind, although we received fewer messages than most other rentals, and did not receive check in details two days prior to our arrival as promised.
My hope is that this listing will be updated to include the items that should be disclosed; that the host will communicate those through direct message when appropriate; and they will fix the many fixable issues mentioned above.