These are the lessons I learned by staying at Laura’s place in Hackney. (1) Don’t stay at places that have no reviews. (2) I am not comfortable staying at places where the hosts have left their personal belongings unsecured. Laura’s listing did not disclose that the apartment would be full of their stuff. She told me only on the morning of my arrival that storage space was limited because the apartment is their home. I’ve stayed in many places where hosts have locked closets, wardrobes, or cabinets, presumably to secure their personal belongings in their absence. Laura did not. Instead, they left behind fresh food, a full bathroom cabinet, shoes, coats, full unlocked wardrobes, and a dresser full of knickers and other personal belongings. This made staying at Laura’s place an unpleasant experience for me, but other guests might not be as bothered.
Some other things at Laura’s place are fixable, and some are not. The apartment is on a busy street that leads to a hospital, so there is a constant stream of sirens. Thankfully, the bedroom is at the back of the unit, but there is no way to keep out the morning light because the bedroom blinds could not be lowered and there are no curtains. The kitchenware was dirty. There was hair in the bathtub. The building’s entryway and stairs are cluttered and grungy. The key to the second entryway door never failed, but it works only after multiple attempts.
I would not stay at Laura’s place again.