“Welcome to my house! Enter freely. Go safely, and leave something of the happiness you bring." Why the owner selected a quote from Dracula for the guest information sheet escapes me, but it set the tone for a weird stay.
I never actually met or spoke to any woman calling herself Julia. When I reached the front door, I was instead greeted by an Indian man who failed to introduce himself or explain why he was checking me in instead of Julia. I thought I was bothering another guest or a tenant in the building when I asked about the rental flat. If Julia is real, she's totally hands-off on this project and allows third parties to act on her behalf. What's worse, she leaves you in the dark about it.
While I'm on the subject of darkness: the entry hallway and stairway are not illuminated. Flat out eerie. And when the fire alarm went off one evening, I was advised to just reset it. How often do false alarms trigger in the building if that's the standard operating procedure?
The flat itself was fine (good value, clean and conveniently located near Mornington Crescent station), but I couldn't get out soon enough, and it was a total contrast to my first Airbnb experience in Edinburgh. Just know what you're getting into and you'll be fine.