It is a lovely apartment, and it was clear to us that the owner had invested considerable time and expense in setting up and furnishing it. However we would not stay here again because we didn’t feel welcome or comfortable at all. We rent A LOT all over the country (primarily Massachusetts, California, and Hawaii), but there were interactions with the owner that were a first for us and off putting:

⁃ Upon meeting the owner, she appeared to be a bit suspicious and uncomfortable with us. Hearing that we were going to be visiting my sister who lives in the same neighborhood, she kept inquiring what house my sister lived in and what her name was. Her attempts did not appear to us to be a casual inquiry to be friendly as she asked multiple times and in various ways about my family’s location nearby. I kept my responses vague for privacy sake, but this seemed to not satisfy her and she kept asking. As a renter, and as a matter of privacy, this was odd and we were uncomfortable that the owner wanted this information. I have not experienced this from other Airbnb rentals we’ve had.

⁃ After this, the owner spent 30 minutes conducting a personal walk through of the unit with us. Even though we were only renting the apartment for 4 days, she explained the features and rules for the unit (particularly around garbage, recycling, composting, use of the backyard) and reminded us of the need to adhere to them (detailing challenges with previous renters and what happened when the rules weren’t followed). Frankly, the tone of this interaction came across as heavy-handed. While these rules are common at other places we’ve stayed, there was no need to spend half an hour reviewing them with us, particularly since the rental was only 4 days. As a result, we felt like we were ‘walking on eggshells’ the entire time concerned about possible missteps. (In other Airbnb’s, the welcome book lists the rules for the unit and provides a phone number if we have questions.)

⁃ Another odd interaction took place when the owner was showing us how to open the front door. It was helpful to have her show us how to open the door, as there is a particular trick to it. However, when I failed to get it open on my first attempt, she appeared visibly frustrated. She said, “No”… (gave a frustrated sigh, paused a moment, and then gestured at the door lock and said), “Go on. Do it again.” This reminded me of an impatient teacher dealing with a student. But given I’m 52 years old and the customer, this was odd.

⁃ At the end of the walk-through while we were making small talk, she suddenly switched topics and said she had Googled my name and found someone with the same name who was a murderer. She then noted that I bore no resemblance to him and with relatives in the area she was fairly certain that I was a different person. But given the interaction up-to that point, we wondered if she really was certain. As a rental owner myself, I understand wanting to have good safe tenants. However, even if you do a background check, you should have the diplomacy and tact not to mention it lest you make your renters feel like they are somehow suspect, unwelcome or at least are under a watchful eye. (After this interaction, we actually Googled my name and found there are at least 37 people in the US who share it).

⁃ Last but not least, we were very concerned that the check-in for this unit wasn’t contactless. The other Airbnb’s we’ve rented since April have had contactless check-ins due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I appreciate that I should have confirmed this before renting, however I thought that contactless check-ins were standard with all Airbnb’s during the pandemic. Nevertheless, we were particularly concerned given that one of our group was at high-risk. We would recommend that either the owner transition to contactless check-in or note specifically on the listing/correspondence with future renters that check-ins will be in-person.

As you can see from the photos, it really is a lovely apartment. And while it is possible that the owner did want us to feel welcome, given these interactions we just didn’t. As a result, we won’t stay here again.