This is the first negative review I’ve had to write for an AirBnb - we are still fans of the company as we’ve had several positive experiences.
This Airbnb allows dogs which was needed by us and we are grateful. It has a usable and fenced in backyard that dog and family could enjoy together. Unfortunately, for 5 of the 8 nights nights we were there in June, there were very loud fire crackers which really upset our dog - had I known, I would have had to seek another place. In this situation, with 4 adults and two grandkids and a dog, we stuck it out.
The owner was very welcoming and generally responsive. He apologized for the problems which I did communicate to him. Of note, the cleanliness issue has been noted by other reviewers, as well.
The hot water heater was over 20 years old and broke requiring cold showers for all in the evening after a day at Venice Beach so we could be ready to go at 7 am the next day to Disneyland! The owner was apologetic, and did send a repair person the next day who put in a new water heater.
The oven did not work - the stove top did work. We had brought with us some ribs and whole chickens to cook and then grill. Owner was apologetic, had his manager bring us a countertop oven but it was not as advertised - could not cook a small chicken - only 1/3 bag of French fries (we switched to hamburgers) and so meat went in to the freezer. The manager later got another larger oven but at that point I frustrated and so busy with the kids and plans so we pretty much did take out, and left the box unopened so they could return it if desired.
Reference was made to the fact that we were only going to be here for a week, so I provided the manage and owner with the feedback that while that was true, one of the reasons we use Airbnb places is to have the convenience and benefit of a functioning kitchen which was included in the description and what we planned for.
The kitchen did lack some of the practical conveniences that I would expect so I shared this with the owner, as well: no cups for hot drinks, no cutting board and no ice maker or tray - necessitating extra purchases at the grocery store.
Finally, cleanliness was definitely an issue, unfortunately. There was dog poop in the yard when we arrived and while we could smell the cleaning solution used, the floors were very sticky and after a few hours or walking around barefoot, my husband’s feet were black. I therefore cleaned the floors before the kids arrived and could see that they really needed a deep cleaning. Afterwards, they were not sticky.
We paid about $330/night and there was a total of $585 for cleaning and “service” fees. I agree with another reviewer that for the price, there may be other better rentals. We did not receive any adjustments for the issues we experienced.