I was moving back to L.A. in March and had planned to look for an apartment starting March 1st. Well we all know what happened in March (Covid Pandemic aka government overreaction) and it was impossible for me to view apartments. I decided to use Airbnb for a couple of months until I could find an apartment, but that was tough too as hosts were also panicking. This is where Eric came in and was a lifesaver.
Eric was a terrific host. Friendly, but gives you your space. I ask a lot of questions, but he never showed impatience with me. Great communication and replied to all my questions quickly (before I confirmed my booking and during my stay). He welcomed me and my dog no problem. I stayed in Eric's unit for 2 months and no complaints. He is a five-star host. His unit has everything you will need. It meets all your needs. Now everyone is different and has their own quirks so I'll touch on some things that matter to me, but they may not matter to you. Regardless, they do not take away from Eric being a five-star host and his guest house a five-star rental.
Cable/Internet/TV - Strong, consistent Internet. I never had any issues with it during my 2-month stay. The TV provided is big and mounted to the wall. Eric has a cable package that has about every channel which came in handy during this stay at home order nonsense. Figuring out the remotes takes a few minutes, but once you got it you are good. Tip: You need to press the reset button on the cable box if the screen displays no signal.
Kitchen - Has all your basics. I'm not much of a cook so I never used the oven, but the unit does have one if you are a cook. I mostly used the microwave and fridge and both worked well. Great water pressure in the sink. Plates, cups, silverware, etc. provided. I brought my own Keurig machine, but Eric does provide a coffee pot as well.
Sleeping/Lounge Area - Bed is big and comfortable. There is also a nice, comfy couch and coffee table. There wasn't a dresser, but there is a nightstand with 3 drawers and I used the entertainment cabinet to store my clothes. The bed also has 2 drawers. I could have definitely used more storage space, but I was also there for a couple of months. If you don't have a lot of stuff or it is a shorter stay this probably won't be an issue for you.
Outdoor Deck - Such a great touch and nice set-up. I sat out there a few times, but not as much as I should have. Host has a nice couch, 2 chairs, and a table out there. Be sure to take advantage of it.
Bathroom/Closet - The bathroom and closet are small. Again, because I had a lot of stuff due to a longer stay this was a bit tough for me. Also, the shower is really small. It is a nice shower and the water pressure and shower head are excellent, but if you have long hair like I do or just a person in general that likes spacious showers it is a tight fit. Due to Covid I didn't need to be at work or on set so I made do, but if I had to be at work it would have been tough. If you don't care about shower size or don't have a massive head of curls then this probably won't be an issue for you.
Parking - No dedicated parking space. Street parking only. I never had an issue finding a parking spot nearby. Be sure to read the street parking signs. I think they are going to start ticketing again soon. I know during Covid street sweeping was suspended.
Laundry - No laundry on site.
Neighborhood - I have never lived east of the 405 freeway in my life, unless I lived in a completely different city (like San Diego) or state so you can take my opinion on this with a grain of salt. Also, I want to make clear I had no issues regarding my safety during my stay. With that said I recall why I will never live east of the 405 freeway; the neighborhood was not to my liking and I didn't feel safe walking around at night. I only walked around at night to take my dog out or to go to/from my car. There is a homeless problem in L.A,. and you will encounter them in the area (especially by the freeways). They never bothered me, but they are there. I encountered nearby residents that walked their dogs off the leash and when I politely asked them to leash their dog they cussed me out (better than calling the cops I suppose and saying I am attacking them....). Also, for the last month of my stay every night there were loud bangs. I thought they were gunshots at first, but turns out they were most likely firecrackers. If you have a dog be aware of this. As all dog owners know, firecrackers scare dogs and make them very anxious. They seemed to set them off every night when the sun set until about 9/10pm. Again, I grew up by the beach in the southbay and Culver City so my take might have a slant. I want to make it clear that I felt safe inside Eric's guest house and he has plenty of lights around the perimeter of the house. Door to guest house has two locks as well.
Misc. - I think this unit is best for one person. A couple could probably co-exist in it as well. I like that everything looked new and clean. I also liked it had hardwood floors as I hate carpet. The unit was sparkling clean when I arrived as well.
I am back in my own apartment