I feel terrible about not being able to rate this listing at 5 stars. What attracted me to this listing were all of the great reviews from previous guests. It's unfortunate that my experience was so different.

In August, after reviewing the ratings for this listening, I reached out to the host to inquire about the string of cancellations posted on his reviews. He advised that the apt had a leak but should be fixed by the requested date. Based on this, I moved forward with booking the listing. I didn't hear anything else from the host.

The night before my trip, I reached out to the host to confirm my stay and to thank him for hosting me. At this time, he informed me that the apartment still had a leak and was uninhabitable. He graciously offered to help me find another place or stay in a room within his home with his family. Because I didn't need the room long (due to the event I was attending and my early flight), I agreed to accept the room in his home.

I don't think that I ever got to meet Mr. Subhash himself. However, his family was very nice and accommodating. I was directed to sleep in someone else's room (a woman). I felt bad about displacing her but she insisted that it was ok. I communicated to her that the party I was attending was scheduled to end at 10 PM; so, I was likely to return around 10:30 PM or 11 PM. I also communicated that I had an early flight and would likely leave around 5:30 AM. Based on these late and early times, I asked how I should enter/exit the home. She advised that she or her kids would let me in and help me exit.

Once I returned that night from the party, I knocked on the outside storm door for 5 minutes (doorbell inoperable) before taking a chance and opening the storm door & outer door, then knocking on the locked inner door (within a foyer). A young man then came from outside and advised me that I had to enter through the basement because the front door is barred at night. I also exited the home the next morning through the basement.

For this stay, the hospitality was certainly there. This is an extremely nice family that really went out of their way to ensure my stay went well. However, communication was the issue. I should have been advised about the leak and the need for other arrangements well before I reached out the night before my trip. What if I hadn't reached out and arrived the next afternoon in NY thinking I had a place to stay?

It would have been nice when I proactively set expectations about when I planned to exit and re-enter the house, to have entry instructions given. To avoid future misunderstandings, I believe this listing should be removed until the leak is fixed.