Unfortunately, we were very disappointed with the poor condition of this property (especially since the online reviews we read were so positive, though the most recent review was apparently in March 2019 and a lot may have changed from two years ago and especially considering how much we paid during what didn’t seem to be a particularly busy time in Austin).
To begin with, the property needs a deep cleaning and some basic upgrades - the carpet was extremely dirty and heavily-stained (there were black stains on the carpet on the stairs and in the bedrooms), the place was dusty (especially on top of the refrigerator and taller furniture pieces that were visible to average-height adults), the floors were dirty (the bottom of our socks were filthy after walking around without shoes on there), some of the dishes (most of which were mismatched and/or chipped) and mixing bowls were dirty and needed to be washed before using, the flatware was extremely lightweight and seemed cheap, there was only one wine glass, there was soap scum on the bottom of both bathroom tubs, and there were white marks (possibly paint?) on the downstairs bathroom’s dark, slate-colored floors that we initially thought were small toilet tissue pieces. The downstairs vinyl floor was uneven (it sloped downwards toward the balcony) and creaked when we walked across it.
When we tried to put away the groceries and supplies we bought for the week in the kitchen, we found the entire left side of the refrigerator completely full of used/opened condiments and other food items, and the kitchen cabinets were full of pantry items. This made it difficult to find room for our own food. Although the owner Shane invited guests to share the foregoing condiments and food items, much of it was old, expired, and/or stale. We also didn’t think it was a good idea to share such communal food items during a deadly pandemic anyway.
Most of the few available kitchen dish towels had holes in the them, and there was only one sponge and no kitchen washcloths (the towels in the kitchen and bathrooms were mismatched as well). The kitchen scissors had a broken handle that made them almost impossible to use.
The master bedroom bed had a torn dust ruffle that exposed the mattress box spring, and other upstairs bed didn’t have any type of cover at all over the box spring (and I don’t believe the downstairs bed did either). The available clothes hangers were mostly mismatched and included the cheap wire hangers that you generally get from the dry cleaners. The master closet was cluttered with the owner’s miscellaneous items, including dusty boxes of what appeared to be old items you’d expect to find in an attic.
The upstairs master bedroom had a TV dangerously sitting on top of a small round stool that had no sides or back, and the other upstairs bedroom had a large, thin mirror leaning precariously on top of a tall, narrow dresser, both of which posed a safety risk to children and adults alike. Speaking of TV, when we tried to use the other TV in the living room, there were only very limited low-definition, local channels available and no way to watch Netflix or another streaming platform on it.
Much of the furniture and lamps were outdated and mismatched (they looked like hand-me-downs from an elderly grandparent) and awkwardly placed, such as old coffee tables placed at the foot of both upstairs beds where they could be easily bumped into, especially at night. In addition, we did not feel safe using most of the various mismatched stools in the kitchen area because they were quite rickety and/or broken.
Early on during our stay, the hand-held shower head in the upstairs bathroom broke off completely upon normal usage. The owner Shane promptly agreed to replace it, but asked if we wanted to install the new shower head ourselves or have a handyman do it. Although my husband is very handy, he did not want spend his vacation time doing any repairs at someone else’s property, especially since he didn’t have the necessary tools to do the work.
The water pressure in the upstairs bathroom sink was extremely low, which I reported to the owner when I reported the broken shower head. However, the owner did not respond about that particular issue at all. Also, there was no plug in that sink.
Although we knew this was not a high-end, professionally-decorated rental property from the listing photos, we didn’t expect to feel like we were borrowing (for free) the property of a family member or friend while they were away and didn’t have much time to clean or otherwise prepare for our stay.
Based on the foregoing, we would definitely NOT stay at this property again or recommend it to others, despite its very convenient location. Having both owned and rented various vacation rentals over the years, we do not believe this property met the minimum standards of cleanliness and quality that is generally expected of a rental property at this price point.