Good things first: check-in was easy and quick as the host provided us very fast with all the details. The Airbnb is located on Cambridge's main street which is nice. It is possible to walk to the centre of Boston (about 30-40 min walk).
The place is rather old with squeaky doors which is no problem at all. However, it is cheaply made and furnished and hasn't been renovated (properly or at all). For example (I only list some things):
- the plastic parquet lifts
- the kitchen tiles come loose
- the paint has been applied purely (the towel rail is full of paint, on other parts it comes off)
- there are unplastered holes in the wall
- the table is unstable, and one of the legs is loose
We felt like it wasn't as dirty as other people experience. The cleaning staff came once during our stay (4 nights) and cleaned rather well except for the floor (there is apparently no vacuum cleaner). But the windows and frames were a bit filthy and were not cleaned as well as the bathroom ceiling.
Furthermore, several things are broken as, for example, the trash, the stove, the shower curtain and one of the windows in the kitchen couldn't be opened.
Overall, it seriously lacks care, charm, and a personal touch. If, however, you are looking for a cheap place to stay it is definitely an option. But for us, it felt like the host/owner just wants to make money providing the minimum and doesn't care at all. This impression was enhanced by the fact that he was really rude (and why would you be rude to a client/guest?!). When we asked whether we could use the stove for making coffee as it didn't work he just replied and I quote: "No cooking No stove". I pointed out that on the main page of Airbnb an available stove was indicated (providing a screenshot) he simply replied that this wasn't the case on his backend. I thanked him for the answer and told him that there must be a problem because his settings don't match what is published, he simply answered that there was no problem from his side. I found this incredibly rude as well as his answers to some of the comments here.