We selected this place after reading past guest reviews. Our visit to Austin was going to be very busy and we weren't going to spend too much time doing anything else. The size of the rental was very small which we knew but when, you are actually inside you realized how limited the space is. That wasn't the problem unfortunately it was the strong musty, moldy smell that seemed to be penetrated in everything inside. The bedding was to say the least old and worn out. Same with bathroom towels they looked more like cleaning rags. The structure has two doors front and side that leads to a very small area that is also in need of better furniture.
Small windows that do not open which is a big reason why the place doesn't get much air inside. You have to leave the fan and air and side door open if you want to be inside for any extended amount of time. We slept with our sweater covering our faces so that we could not smell that unhealthy smell. Discovering a cockroach inside the coffee cup that we were about to use was very disgusting. We alerted the hosts about these issues which Herb tried to help by bring in a humidifier which did not make a difference. He told us that they had never had any complaints about any of these issues before from past guest. How do you respond to that when he himself admitted that he could smell it. We requested a partial refund from them but they denied it stating that we did not follow up with airbnb right way to request another alternative. At this point it isn't about the refund, they seriously need to make sure that these issues are taken care of for future guest. From this experience we aren't going to rely on past reviews to make any selections. If possible you are better off asking the host important questions about the places before deciding to book it.