Staying at this place felt a bit more like crashing a friend's spare room than my other Air bnb experiences. Nothing was really manicurednthe way airbnbs usually are: just something to be aware of.
PROS
The apartment is cozy, the host is amicable. The main reason I went for this place is because I was bringing my cat so my options were pretty limited so I was just glad to find a host who was open to that and seemed pretty enthusiastic about it to boot. He even gave us some cat food he happened to have, which was very sweet.
THINGS TO BE AWARE OF
Firstly, your room has no door. Like another guest said in their review (this was after I'd booked, unfortunately) there is just a curtain draped over the doorframe. This is awkward because there's no feeling of privacy if you're trying to say, talk on the phone and I even felt awkward sleeping or changing when there was no ability to lock the door - especially as a single woman. I really wish this was pointed out in the listing as it's a pretty major thing. During my stay it was also an issue when the host would get up some nights to make midnight snacks at 2am/3am. There's no sound barrier so it was impossible to sleep through. I also had trouble sleeping because the provided pillow was brick-level firm, which I'm sure is great for some folks with specific back issues but caused me a lot of head and neck pain. Also be aware that there is no AC in the room and the curtain does a surprisingly good job of retaining heat inside. The host was kind enough to give me an old fan to keep in the room which was something, but because it's so old it was requested that I turn it off overnight. I hope in the future he'd have a modern fan or an AC unit that you'd be able to run through the night without worry for summer rentals.
Not within control of the host there was also a neighbor who kept pumping bass as late as 5am. So if you're a light sleeper like me or don't plan on staying out late, that's yet another consideration.
ISSUES
The host's internet went out a couple of days after I arrived and he didn't get it back. Not sure if he was trying to get it back, but it was a big issue for me as a freelancer and as I was there on business that required internet access. I wish there was a way to get a partial refund since this "included amenity" wasn't included.
All in all, it was a place to exist while I was on personal business and I am eternally grateful that I could keep my cat with me without having to book a whole apartment. It was by no stretch of the imagination a "nightmare airbnb", but it wasn't a comfortable haven either. The place has a lot of potential to grow though, and almost all the issues are fixable for future guests.