Upon arriving at the condo, we found a used condom in the parking lot and the area smelled like dirty diapers. Though the condo itself was nice and new, the surroundings were dilapidated and concerning to someone not familiar with the area.
We never received the lockbox directions to the condo, and the host/management never responded. A supposed neighbor approached us and happened to know the codes to the building and to our condo. I messaged the host and asked who all had access to these codes and never got a response.
Upon returning to the condo after a trip to the store for necessities the condo did not provide, we saw the other scantily clad and bare-assed tenant neighbors (8-10 ladies) piling into their cars in our shared parking area. Though entertaining, not a family-friendly moment.
The condo came with basic essentials but we needed paper towels, napkins, more bath towels, wash rags, detergent—none of this was provided.
The condo itself is nicely done with new upgrades. Other than the the loud noises that started around 10:00 p.m (either fireworks or gunshots or both) and the slamming of doors and what sounded like someone moving furniture til midnight, the condo was relatively peaceful and quiet.
The area is in the midst of gentrification and will likely be a lovely place to be in the next 10-15 years. We learned the area was sandwiched between two somewhat active gang territories so felt safest not venturing out after dusk.
Because we had zero familiarity with the area, it would’ve been wonderfully beneficial to have some sort of recommendations from the host helping us figure out where to go and where not to go. Our safety did not feel like a priority. We received no contact and no guidance whatsoever. My calls and messages via AirBnB throughout our stay were never returned or responded to.
But the mission of our trip was to immerse our daughter into LA culture because she thinks she wants to attend USC, so mission accomplished.
I’ve been on both sides of the AirBnB game as a manager and tenant. The job of a host is to be a reliable and helpful presence when needed. Our “host” ghosted us, and the absence contributed greatly to our discomfort and caused us to leave a day early.
Maybe LA style property management is more of a fend-for-yourself situation. In Texas and Colorado, the hosts tend to go above and beyond with amenities and communication, and that is what I am used to.
I would rate the host No Stars.
I gave the condo 3 Stars because the building and the inside of the condo were relatively clean and new.