We spent over 3 months here. Its a lovely little place with a very sweet fenced-in backyard. This was nice both for us and for our small dog. The location can't be beat - walk to everything. Situated between Montana Ave and Wilshire Ave, so it's quiet, but we were able to walk to restaurants, stores, etc. in either direction. Parking on the street is easy, except for Tuesday and Wednesday 3-5 p.m., street cleaning days, when finding a spot is a little more challenging. However, we figured that out and it was only minimally inconvenient.
Nina and her team are VERY responsive to questions and any small problems that arise. We always got a quick response and they were happy to deal with whatever was necessary.
Although it's a small 1-bedroom, it functions very well, and is sunny and cheerful. The office desk in the kitchen is great - I work from home and was very comfortable there. The kitchen is adequately furnished with pots, pans, dishes, utensils, coffee maker, toaster, oven, stove & microwave.
The queen-sized bed is VERY comfortable, and my husband and I, who thought we'd have a problem adjusting from a king-size bed, had no trouble at all. The Heat/AC unit in the living room works perfectly and kept the entire apartment comfortable, although the weather in Santa Monica is so nice we often didn't need it.
Our only complaints were: (a) combination washer/dryer for laundry never works well and this one is no exception, as laundry never really gets dry. We ended up mostly using the "quick wash" function (which rinses well and semi-dries the load) and hung stuff outside to finish drying. Also, "Big Waves Laundry" is nearby and is an excellent laundry place, so we did drop-off fluff-and-fold for major laundry days, or I went there myself and used their large machines. It worked out well and was quick and convenient; and (b) nitpicky thing - I find sitting on naugahyde (sofa and chair) uncomfortable. I understand why the landlord uses it (easy to keep clean and sanitary). But I recommend if you are staying for a month or more and don't like the feel of naugahyde, spend $30 get a set of stretchy furniture covers from Amazon or BB&B to make the sofa and chair a little more comfortable. That's what we would do next time - and we would absolutely stay there again!