Boy, this is a real tough one... in the end I'm going to be honest, and as fair as possible, in the hopes that I share some info I wish I'd known before committing to this place for a month.
PROS
- Location, location, location! Undeniably awesome. Stone's throw from Montana Ave. retail and restaurants. 1 mile to the beach, a walk I did nearly every day during my stay. I was even able to walk to and from a mechanic 30 mins away the day I had my oil changed. So convenient!
- It's relatively quiet.
- Ample off-street parking, though you do have to be mindful of street cleaning schedules.
- Non-offensive aesthetics, meaning a generic look and feel vs. an insane color scheme or over-crowded with knick-knacks.
- Nicole was a very responsive host. However...
CONS
- Most of the issues I raised with Nicole would not have existed had the home been better maintained in the first place. I checked in to: no hot water, a running toilet, one dresser with 4 drawers so damaged as to be unusable and the other with two broken drawers. The parking pass expired halfway through my stay and her response was, "oh, you need to apply for one from the city," (tho when I expressed surprise at this news she supplied me with a replacement visitor pass). Were these all resolved in a relatively timely manner? Yes-ish (supply chain delays meant the replacement dresser arrived just a few days prior to check-out). But should I have had to raise them in the first place? I don't think so.
- I found the home to be terribly sterile feeling and BARE BONES in the supplies department. For example, I had to purchase salt/pepper, baggies (no food storage items provided), a Swiffer, scissors, and a lighter. There is absolutely nowhere to store food (other than in the fridge) and the bathroom storage is insufficient. A few more area rugs and a couple pieces of art on the walls would go a long way to making the home feel more welcoming and reduce the echo factor.
- The yard is very small and overwatered. It's also shady almost all day long.
- There is a remarkable lack of power outlets.
- The mattress was so firm that after a week or so of waking up with sore shoulders and hips I bought a down alternative mattress topper. Pillows also on the thin/firm side.
If you look at the Airbnb listings for the Wilshire/Montana area, most of them bear a very strong resemblance to this one, so my sense is that Nicole (and her partner, Nina) have cornered the market there. I'm not going to go so far as to say avoid these places; but just go in with the expectation that you may need to supplement what's provided to make your stay more comfortable, and that there may be a maintenance issue or two along the way. And I know it can be tough to find rentals that take pets, and for that I am grateful.