TL;DR - Responsive Host, Reasonably Priced, & a Risk of Rats
The host is extremely responsive. She answered questions ahead of time and was able to provide an early check-in.
The house is in a great area. You can walk to multiple coffee shops, restaurants, etc.
It’s an older house, but cute and the host provides kitchen and bathroom amenities. Floors are a bit dirty, but if you wear socks you won’t notice. The place is surrounded by lots of greenery, which is pretty to look at, but palm trees attract rats.
Unfortunately, a rat ran from the main couch to underneath the fridge the second night we were there. We let the host know and her response was:
“Oh no, eek!!! I had the house all sealed up for entrances but it could have snuck in when a door was open. I’ve had to do this once before. I can come put a trap out if you’d like, they are very effective and fast. But they are not for the faint of heart because then you have to dispose of a dead mouse! Do you want me to bring it today or wait until you check out tomorrow?”
We did not have many options at this point.
We could stay in the house, knowing there were potential rats roaming around us and our belongings.
We could have the host set up a trap, and then potentially have to see and dispose of a dead animal.
We could leave the house with no where else to go.
Ours hand were tied and I chose not to push the topic with the host any further - what else could we have done in that moment?
We spent a few hours picking everything up off the floor - blankets, bags, clothing, etc. Mice and rat feces can spread bacteria and trigger allergic reactions, so we did what we could to avoid any health issues.
Regrettably, we did not let Airbnb know what happen within 24 hours, so the option for a refund or discount was not available. We were unaware of the 24-hour window to report travel issues. After begging Airbnb, we were able to get half of the cleaning fee back ($75).
Unsolicited advice for future travelers:
If you have bad experiences with rats, are allergic to them, or just don’t want to run the risk of seeing one, don’t stay here. If you’re fine with them, this is a lovely place in a great area with a responsive host!