We stayed here for about 6 weeks. The location is quite convenient and the 3rd floor unit is very quiet, which was wonderful because we had a baby with us. The furniture was rickety/thrift store stuff and there are some issues that the building seems to have. It looks like there might be a roof leak above the interior unit stairs, there is a leak in the bathroom that appears to have been recurring for a long time, the water will repeatedly turn scalding hot VERY quickly on you at the sink or in the shower (this would have been very dangerous if we'd had the baby in the shower, but fortunately we were using our own small bathtub for him that I filled up all at once). The stove also needs servicing or maybe replacing, as the burners don't all work, and there is a dead outlet in the bedroom that faces Seminary Ave as well as one in the kitchen on the backsplash to the right of the sink. I mentioned that the Nest thermostat indicated that the air filter needed replacing and Red said that she would contact her on-site manager about doing it, but in the following weeks nothing was done.
I did appreciate that Red had her sister bring over a sturdy baby gate to use at the entryway due to the fact that there is a stairwell not blocked by any doors. It was definitely needed.
The biggest issue that I had was the slowness of communication. She did explain early into our stay that she is a trial attorney and reminded me of the timezone difference in California, but after a couple of weeks when I made a request to extend the reservation, we were left waiting an entire week with not a peep as to whether or not this would work. It ended up that she did not accept, saying that she was waiting to confirm a different reservation. That's fine, but having a baby to care for and not knowing whether or not to look for other living arrangements (especially at short notice and with not much to choose from as far as other AirBNBs) was very stressful. I had sent multiple AirBNB messages to Red as well as a text. Regardless of being a busy lawyer in a different timezone, I can't think that it was impossible to send a quick response even just to say "sorry, I need a little bit more time before I can let you know one way or another, but I'm working on it." That would've been frustrating, but at least we would know she'd seen the request. It looks as though the host owns many properties around the country. This isn't a bad thing in and of itself, but maybe it contributed to the fact that we felt more like pests, rather than guests. The apartment does not feel homey whatsoever, but it was good for the time we needed.
One thing that any other prospective guests should know is that the stairs leading up to the building from the sidewalk are VERY steep and there is not enough room for your foot, even with an average shoe size. We were here in the dead of winter and fortunately the stairs were kept salted, but it still felt very unsafe walking up and down them even when they were clear. Would use extreme caution if you are elderly or have a physical handicap when walking. There is also a wooden bench outside the building that should be thrown away. It's completely green with moss and the wood is very visibly sagging and I think it would collapse if a cat sat on it.
All-in-all it's a kind of cool apartment in its quirkiness, very good location close to trains and Whole Foods, surprisingly quiet given the proximity to a college campus, and we were warm enough even in the Chicago polar vortex winter. However, communication is definitely subpar and the place feels like you should be getting a bit higher quality amenities for the price being paid. We were comfortable enough, but I don't think I'd return.