THE CONS: THIS IS NOT A PRIVATE UNIT, although it is listed as private. The washer and dryer located in a closet in the living room of the unit are NOT private, they are shared, which means the host/her visitors will be allowed access to the unit to do laundry during your stay. Host allowed her niece access to the unit to do laundry in the washer/dryer during our stay. Had we known ahead of time that strangers would be allowed inside of the unit (with us and our belongings) to use the washer/dryer, we would not have chosen this Airbnb.
Host does not maintain consistent contact for issues that impact guests. While we were staying, the deck (that led to the entrance of the unit) had been painted during the day. When we came back, the deck had wet? dry? paint. The only other way to access the unit is to go all the way around the block as this is a row house and there is not space between the homes to pass through to the front of the unit. Since we were carrying in groceries, it would have been helpful to know about the paint beforehand.
Many of the hosts belongings (household items, shoes, paint cans, etc) are stored throughout the unit (in the laundry closet, in the only storage closet in the unit, in one of the two wicker storage chests available in the unit, and in the television stand cabinets). For long term stays, this makes storage for clothes and other items difficult.
The noise. The noise from upstairs is very loud and almost constant. You can hear everywhere people upstairs are walking, when they are walking up and down the stairs, when they open/close a door etc. There was a particular situation where the host was moving furniture from her home down the stairs late one night and woke us up. The noise often continues into the night, despite the hosts request for quiet hours after 10pm.
The neighborhood. If you are not familiar with DC, you should research the Anacostia neighborhood ahead of time to determine if the Metro route, bus route, and access to dining and entertainment will suit your preferences.
THE PROS: The unit is spacious, clean, relatively affordable, and the backyard/deck is nice and well-maintained.
ORHER INFO: This unit consists of a living room with a washer dryer in a closet, a bedroom, and a bathroom. When we stayed (mid May 2019 - end of July 2019), there was a mini-fridge, microwave, toaster oven, toaster, panini press, coffee maker, blow dryer, and several kitchen utensils in the unit. The unit is shaped like a long rectangle: one room is the living room and the other is the bedroom/bathroom. There are doors to the main part of the home in both the bedroom and the living room.
Due to concerns with privacy, communication, and the neighborhood, I would not stay again.