I had quite a bad experience staying at Hannah's apartment.
The three primary issues are:
1) Mold and gross conditions in the bathroom. The shower has a leaking hole above it that has evidently been growing for months and most probably has mold. This is unsanitary. No guest should have been allowed to stay here with this condition, as it may be unsafe; I was concerned for my health. Additionally, the shower curtain was also covered in mold when I moved in. When I communicated about this, Hannah was responsive in getting a new one. This can of course be fixed, but Hannah will need to take the time to do so prior to having further guests stay.
2) Disruptive and intrusive train noise. The train passed by approximately 100 feet from the main bedroom window, and goes by every 20-30 minutes. I saw this described in a previous review, so I asked Hannah about it prior to booking the apartment – she assured me that she doesn't even notice it and that it wouldn't be an issue. Lo and behold, I did not sleep the first 3 nights, which really messed me up for that week. Fortunately, by closing the bedroom door and sleeping in the interior bedroom with earplugs, I was able to sleep. But this means that I had no sunlight. And the train continued to pass through all day every day, which you can hear and feel throughout the apartment. I have no doubt that after months of staying there, you might become accustomed to it, but for a temporary stay, this was very disruptive to me. It was disingenuous to assure me that this was not an issue, and future guests should be aware that unless you can tune out loud train sounds every 20-30 minutes day and night, you may have difficulty at this apartment.
3) The kitchen utensils were in an unacceptable state for cooking. I paid extra to have Hannah set up, included a pot and pan in poor condition whose teflon was coming off and got into my food. I stopped cooking after a few days.
When I reported these issues, Hannah said she hadn't heard about these issues from previous guests. The problem with this way of thinking is that relying strictly on what previous guests have said, is insufficient; instead, what is necessary is for a host to spend time in the apartment and consider it deeply from a guest's perspective. If this had been done, the gaping hole in the shower that is leaking intermittently (and highly likely moldy), as well as the moldy shower curtain, and the disruptive train, and the unusable kitchen cooking utensils, would have been evident and addressed prior to my stay. A host who is providing a professional experience must experience the apartment from the guest's perspective and be vigilant about issues rooted in their own personal, direct experience.
For the most part Hannah is a responsive and clear communicator. She means well, and I could tell she wanted for me to have a positive experience, but unfortunately this was not the case. I moved out early and asked for a refund for my unused days, a request that she did not respond to until the day of check-out, 5 days later. I would have moved out even earlier but, given everything going on in life, between COVID-19, my work situation, and the logistics of moving my numerous possessions around, I did not have the time or energy to coordinate other accommodations and instead just hoped that my health won't suffer from the possible mold and that I would get enough sleep.