Overall, this stay was alright. It served my basic needs and fit my budget. Comfy bed, good shower.
I didn't have a smooth check-in experience (had to wait to be let in, then wait longer while the place was cleaned) which I chalked up to having only made the reservation that morning. But then during my stay I heard two other troubled check-ins (at the host's neighboring listing) where they also didn't find the key in the place it'd been promised, so it may be an ongoing issue.
The place was pretty clean except for some of the dishes that had been poorly washed by previous guests, a sticky cabinet, and a dirty sponge. Rugs/carpets in the unit and whole building smell like cigarette smoke. Don't be fooled by the thermostat in the unit as it doesn't control anything - the host controls the heat for the whole building. Judging by the messy grouting job in the bathroom and the two patches of plastic covering bits of the ceiling, this place has been pretty minimally maintained over the years but that's a budget NYC apartment for you.