Short version - this is dirty, broken down flat, barely better than a flop house. We stayed for only two hours out of a 6-day booking because it’s disgusting, the refrigerator didn’t work, the tub was moldy and clogged, the shower only produced scalding hot water, there was no soap, hand towels, or cleaning supplies, there were bugs in the cabinet, it smelled of smoke, and more. The hosts were unhelpful and even deceitful, and offered a partial refund in exchange for a fake 5-star review.
Long version - We booked for 6 days after letting the hosts know were were traveling with an infant. No warning was given that the place is unsuitable for children (or adults who care about basic hygiene). We arrived around 7:30 pm Sunday evening and found the neighborhood trash-strewn and full of seedy, intoxicated people. The heavy front door is broken (only opens about 50 degrees) and has steps below and above. Getting a small suitcase through that door is a two-person job. The stairwell was filled with pounding music from a bar next door. There are 4 flights of stairs which wasn't described in the listing, and some stairs are broken.
The door to the flat had multiple holes drilled into it and looked like it had been salvaged from the trash. It smelled of pot smoke inside. The smoke detector was disassembled on a table with no battery. A ‘roach (butt of a marijuana joint) sat in the middle of the kitchen floor. The floor was visibly soiled. The dining table and Eames-style chairs shown in the photos were not present. Instead a rickety, narrow wall table sat in the middle of the kitchen with two bar stools (seats were at the same level as the table, and so unusable). When we went to put the baby food into the refrigerator we found it wasn’t working (yes, we checked the plug). It was musty inside with lots of broken plastic pieces. A thick layer of grunge covered the fridge/freezer doorhandles.
The kitchen sink and counters were also dirty. To try to salvage the situation we looked for cleaning supplies and paper towels or sponges, but contrary to the listed amenities there was no dish soap, no hand soap, no hand towels, no wash cloths, no sponges, nothing except a couple of paper napkins left by a previous tenant. Bugs flew out of the cabinet above the refrigerator when it was opened. The few kitchen amenities that were available looked dirty, broken, worn-out. We didn’t stay long enough to see if the other kitchen appliances actually worked, but can verify that the overhead kitchen light is broken and there is no under-cabinet lighting, so it's a dim, depressing space.
The couch was the most disgusting couch we’ve ever seen. It had layers of stains where various oils and substances have been splashed and splattered on it (note the blankets covering the couch in the photos). The few other furnishings in the place are broken or worn. The paint on the walls is literally worn through in places and cracked/peeling in others. Most of the decorations shown in the photos are absent. We’ve seen abandoned homes that are more appealing.
Because it was late we needed to bathe our child and get him to bed. We found that the tub/shower only supplied scalding or cold water, with no in-between. Very unsafe! The tub was clogged with hair and mold, so it barely drained. Mold all around the tub, and hair and dirt around the tub and toilet on the floor. The toilet seat had some crud on it. There was no hand soap or hand towels in the bathroom.
We called co-host Cristian, who was listed in our “welcome” email. He was initially reluctant to give his name, and seemed evasive and annoyed. When we told him some of these issues he said, “I guess my cleaner didn’t do a good job, I can see if they’ll come back tomorrow if you want.” When I told him the refrigerator didn’t work he said, “It must work, or someone would have complained before.” He didn’t respond about the other issues except to say that he personally "couldn't do anything." I asked if there was another flat that might be cleaner and functional, and he said no. So I said we had to go to a hotel, we didn’t feel safe with our child there, and that we wanted a refund. He simply said, “Then call AirBnB” and hung up. We never heard from him again.
We left around 9:30 pm and sent a message in the AirBnB chat to Kyle and the other co-hosts that we were very disappointed in how filthy the place was, that we had left to check into a nearby hotel, and that we wanted a refund.
Kyle took 50 hours to respond (around midnight two days later!), initially saying he’d “missed the message” and asking if we still had any issues(!). In the back and forth over the next day, Kyle claimed that Cristian had never communicated with him, and offered us a 50% refund on the remaining three days (a 25% refund) if we would leave a 5-star review. This explains the vague 5-star reviews here. He also claimed we never communicated having issues or leaving the place, despite our communicating in the same chat thread containing our initial message.
The listing describes a dedicated workspace for remote work with high-speed wifi. There is NO dedicated workspace in the flat, no desk, no worktable, nothing. The internet went out for about 15 minutes during the two-hours we were there. There are dive bars directly below and across the street. Both are very loud and the sound carries up into the flat. Toward the end of our communications Kyle tried to get us to cancel the booking, which would mean giving up any right to a refund AND the right to leave this review. Don’t fall for this trick.