The space wasn't awful, but it wasn't as advertised. I expected a warm and friendly room in a shared home with a full kitchen, but instead got a dorm-style room in a renovated dark basement. I was looking for a comfortable and friendly place to be in between visiting friends, family, and doctor appointments, but that was not to be. They are running a hostel in their basement, which is fine... but advertise it as such. The bedrooms are 1/2 underground, leading to the feeling you are exiting a crypt in the mornings. The bedroom windows look up at sidewalk drainage and the trashcans of the house next door. In case you didn't get enough of those trash cans, the window in the kitchen looks up to the bottom of the trash cans to the house you're staying in.
The bed was SUPER comfortable and the rooms were clean, but I told "Kina"-- that I couldn't stay there a month on Day 2 because it was too dark and lonely, and she would not work with me to leave the place with a partial refund. After a few more days, I alerted airbnb that the home didn't provide access to a stove and oven--only THEN was I able to get out with a refund. My understanding is that the place is now flagged. But now I'm trying to book something "last minute" which is more expensive and difficult. But I've been with great friends in beautiful homes since leaving, (3 weeks early) so that's been nice.
To be fair, there is a hot plate and a toaster oven... but no dish towels... no paper towels... It just felt the kitchen was for show, rather than use. I felt the same way in the common area... a bag of stale chips from someone's take out had been on the table well in advance of my arrival...and was there when I left. I should have thrown it out myself, but there was just something so wrong about the lack of care... I took more time getting my home prepared for the pet sitter, than was granted to me for $1500 stay.
Also, I'm not sure that the woman I interacted with was actually the host listed... the description of the "host" didn't seem to line up with the hundreds of positive reviews, which seemed to refer to a different home. There were also things in the house rules that didn't seem applicable... about rolling suitcases over neighbors' bedrooms...I suspect I was interacting with an agent or tenant of whoever the actual "super host" might be. But that's just speculation on my part, I really don't know.
The "host" didn't remove the trash at my arrival and left a rotting chicken in the trash can that stank up the kitchen for three days until I brought that to her attention. The fridge was clean, but that smell permeated the fridge until the day before I left. When she asked how I was doing on day 2, I told her I wanted to leave, that I was sorry to cancel, and I asked for napkins or paper towels for the kitchen. She said she didn't provide those for the kitchen since mine was a "long term rental". How hard would it be to bring a roll of paper towels downstairs? Really, a guest should go out and get paper towels after a 5 hour drive on night 1? Should I get my own dish towels for the kitchen too? Bring my own linens? And where on the airbnb website does it distinguish between expectations of long term vs short term stays?
Also, I was quite cold on night one, until I realized the ceiling vent was shut. There are also posted notes and instructions all over the kitchen and bathroom ordering one about.... again... like a dorm. I didn't remove my trash as instructed on my departure... but I wasn't provided with trash bags. Mea culpa!
Also, there's a motion-sensitive light outside the windows, so that woke me up often. And because the basement wasn't originally designed as living space... you can hear everything going on upstairs--- That also woke me up.
The neighborhood is nice and parking is easy. But truly, I've met some wonderful airbnb hosts and fellow guests while sharing a room in a house... People I would gladly host in my own home. This was something else and should be described accurately. All in all, I felt I was an income stream rather than a person. It's an affordable place to land while interning... or a great place to be while searching for a permanent home... or if you aren't bothered by the lack of natural light... just know what you're getting into.