To be honest our experience here was mixed, but some of the things that I wasn’t so keen on may not bother others at all. So I’ll start with things I liked and then move onto the rest.
Things I liked:
Great location and neighborhood, especially for people who are not familiar with LA. The location gives you easy access to plenty of tourist attractions if desired, but doesn’t feel at all like a tourist trap. It’s a beautiful and quiet neighborhood perfect for evening strolls down windy lanes and surrounded by greenery. It feels very safe and private and there is street parking available. I mention this because although there is a garage (which is a plus), the size makes it difficult to fit even a compact car fully inside of it so street parking is important. The cottage itself is a decent size and worked well for us (two adults and a small dog). The decor is lovely and the original architectural style has been maintained, so you definitely have that “old hollywood” feel. Christopher and Jerry were responsive to our questions and maintenance requests, which I appreciated.
Things I didn’t like as much:
There are two holes in the ceiling of approximately 4”x4”, one in the kitchen above the stove and one above the shower. I assume they are for ventilation, but they also allowed insects and dirt/dust particles into the house.
There was definitely an insect problem during our stay. Spiders, ants, and some other moth-like bugs were a problem throughout our 6 weeks at the cottage. When we mentioned this to Christopher and Jerry, they did send their maintenance man to place ant bates around the edge of the property, but the problem never fully went away. A housekeeper (sent by Christopher and Jerry at our request) told us that because it is an old house, that is just something you have to deal with. I think that the problem could be solved if updates were made to the windowsills and door frames, allowing them to be sealed off and effectively keep insects out. Additionally, small cracks and holes in the walls and ceilings would also need to be addressed. It was unrelated to the presence of food because they were there when we arrived and were in the bedroom and bathroom, where there was no food.
There were also racoons living in the roof; my main concern was that somehow one of them would make its way into the house, which didn’t happen. Christopher and Jerry assured me that these problems would be addressed before the next renter moves in, and I really do trust that they will make ever effort to solve the problem.
The kitchen is very small, which is somewhat clear in the pictures, although it was smaller than I expected. The fridge is also smaller than a normal fridge (certainly not a mini-fridge, but about 3/4 the storage capacity of a regular refrigerator. The selection of cookware/kitchen items is also somewhat odd. For example, there are 4 silicone mixing spatulas and several mixing bowls, but no whisk. There are 4 pots but only 1 pan. There is a dishwasher, but no dishwashing detergent. Dish soap, but no sponge. If you want to roast or bake something, you will need to make something that requires an 8” square pan because there is no sheet pan because that is the only piece of cookware for oven use.
Other notes/FYIs:
You should bring your own bath products and cooking basics (like olive oil, salt, pepper, etc.). We also did not find any extra paper towels or toilet paper so purchased our own (although may be worth asking).
Laundry machines are coin operated and are on the property but not in the unit.
There is no microwave (again just an fyi).
Overall, we had a nice time, but because of the insect issue, I wasn’t able to feel truly relaxed.