tl;dr: Great price for location and Tong was an excellent host in regards to communication.
Last minute I decided to extend my trip in the bay area and booked a stay at Tong's.
I appreciated the easy booking and am very gracious that he was willing to accommodate an uncertain and ultimately late-evening check-in.
On the night of my first stay, a guest in the next room whose snoring I thought (and later verified via youtube) sounded like an angry walrus prevented me from sleeping, however upon notifying Tong if there's was anything to be done (keep in mind this is after midnight), he quickly responded and moved me to another room.
I'm a laid-back traveller, and I am very happy with how Tong responded to my requests and believe I got my money's worth.
Other things to note:
1. The beds are *very* firm, I thought I was sleeping on a pillow-top on top of plywood but it turns out the springs are just very stiff. I actually slept great but if you're a soft-bed sleeper, be warned.
2. If you're staying in one of the two smaller rooms, there is little to no sound dampening between the rooms. Bring earplugs!
3. Each room has it's own lock and key, so you can feel safer storing your stuff.
4. The house is older and not been updated in some time, but you're getting what you paid for...if you think you're going to get hotel-level accommodations at this price in this location, this is not the listing for you. If you're looking for value, just a place to sleep and store your stuff in central Oakland with a gracious and available host, then you could do a lot worse than Tong's place.
ps. I'm completely unfamiliar with Oakland, but several colleagues and even an uber driver expressed concern about this location. Anecdotally, I saw nothing concerning during my stay and aside from the walrus, it was without incident. I did not walk around the area by myself though, and the only time I spent outside was to get into the house or an uber, ymmv.