My girlfriend and I had a wonderful experience staying in Heidi's Bungalow. Heidi was a great host, very friendly and generous, offering plenty of useful tips about the area, without being overbearing. Though the Bungalow shares a yard with Heidi and her mother, this wasn't a problem since they both respected our privacy and were a pleasure to speak to when we happened to bump into them. The bikes, by the way, turned out to be extremely useful. I don't think I was anticipating how large Venice & Santa Monica are, so it was great to have access to some bikes to get around, and the area is a very easy one to cycle in, with plenty of cycle paths. It also means you don't have to rent one if you want to cycle across Venice beach, which I would definitely recommend. I would definitely stay here if I visit the area again.