Not a Family-friendly or Pet-friendly Property:
We were caught in the middle of a feud between the host and the neighbor. The neighbor made it clear that she does not enjoy being next to an AirBnB. On multiple occasions we caught the neighbor enter the property. The neighbor would frequently message the host with photos of our living situation, and in turn, the host would message us with more rules and fees. By the end of our stay, we were confined to the indoor space out of fear of further harassment.
We brought two dogs with us, a 35 pound Golden Retriever Puppy and an 11-year-old Yorkie. We would let the dogs outside to use the restroom but were required to pick up after the dog every time they went. Though we regularly did this, sometimes we would be in a work meeting (we were working remotely) and would let the dog out to use the restroom. when this would happen we would clean up the feces after the meeting would conclude. However, the neighbor would come over and photograph any unattended feces, and send it to the host. Early in our stay, the host came over unannounced when there was one single piece of feces on the ground that I was in the process of picking up. The host ridiculed us, forced me to pick up the piece of feces in front of her, and then proceeded to say that she would be requiring a deep clean of the interior of the house for $125.
The host informed us that she would be requiring a deep clean of the interior of the house to take place 10 days after our initial check-in date. This was inflicted without ever looking at the inside of the property to see what condition it was in. As the date grew close, the host informed us that the housekeeper would come by and we were to vacate the house for 4-6 hours. This was a bit of a challenge for us, considering my wife and I were traveling with two dogs, were working fully remote, and concerns around covid.
We ultimately had to bring in AirBnB support to mediate the remainder of the stay. Every day we had to take photos of the property and the unannounced/unwelcomed visitors. It was a huge inconvenience and at any moment we felt the host would kick us out of the house.
On multiple occasions, the host would allow strangers to access the property.
- on two occasions she allowed the housekeeper to enter the unit, only once was this announced
- on one occasion she allowed the cable person to enter the unit
- on three occasions the host entered the property, only once was this announced
- on several occasions, the neighbor would enter the property and taking photos of our living area
Not all bad:
- The location is really great. You are half a block down from a gated and dog-friendly park and a 15-minute walk to the beach
- The unit has really strong wifi which is great for remote work. (This is not the "Entire Place". The unit takes up half of the exterior photo. The back half of the house is rented to other guests and there is a full-time tenant living above the garage)
Extrinsic Factors that will impact your stay:
- The host made it clear that they are concerned about losing the AirBnB due to a law that was passed in San Diego. As a consequence, the host is overly intrusive and will do anything to appease the neighbor to avoid being reported to the city. Unfortunately, guest satisfaction is not a primary focus and it barely makes the top five.
- The neighbor does not like AirBnBs. We received the brunt of her hatred towards AirBnB, but we also witnessed her yell at the tenants staying in the shared unit.
- The host and I discussed these items at length and the host made clear that the unit is best suited for the guest who gets up early, enjoys the city, and is back in bed by 9pm. Guests who choose to hang out at the property during the day or entertain at night, our subject to the neighbor.
In summary:
- Stay at this property if you are ok with interacting with other people and plan to strictly sleep at the property
- Don't stay at this property for any other reason, aside from the one I mentioned just above.