We have used Airbnb many times all over the world and this was by far the worst experience we have had.

Arriving late after travelling for 14 hours from London I found that the front door code was not working. The code issue had also already affected guests staying in the apartment downstairs who luckily arrived home and were on hand to let me in with an alternative code. I do not understand why this was not provided if the issue had already arisen.

Once inside, the layout of the flat was awkward and the standard and sizes of the spaces was nowhere near the impression given by the photographs. Also Shae had failed to provide instructions on where to find the key, this meant I felt unable to leave or lock any doors.

There was a lot of emphasis on a mysterious envelope whose whereabouts and function was never made clear, I had assumed the key was inside but this was not the case.

After contacting Shae I was told that this was in a cupboard in the hall. This information should definitely have been provided in advance.

During our stay the kitchen door failed to open and no key was available or forthcoming. It is not safe to have lockable doors with no available keys. This meant we had no access to the kitchen. Shae had offered to compensate for this but no offer has been forthcoming.

Shae never once apologised or took responsibility for any of the problems encountered, preferring to place the blame on "technical issues". These were at least partly the result of poor arrangements and communication plus a lack of due care. The defensive attitude we encountered was aggravating and unhelpful and has been mentioned in other negative reviews. I am surprised there are not more.

The area was not the greatest and a little far out and for the money being asked much nicer accommodation in better areas of New York is available. Taken together with the attitude of the the host I would not recommend this as it was not a pleasant experience at all.