I am traveling to the area for work and got sick right before my arrival date and unable to arrive on my scheduled day and time. I wanted to ensure the safety of myself and others around me. I communicated the reason for my delay to Sean as soon as I could. Unfortunately, I was not able to receive a refund. Sean communicated frequently asking if I was able to come and if I wanted to cancel my reservation with a possibility of getting some of my refund "if" people booked at the location during the dates I had scheduled. I declined after waiting several days and feeling better to travel. I ensured it was safe for me to travel and to be around others. I was bummed to have lost so much money due the illness but understand why I wasn't able to receive a full refund of cancellation or partial refund for the days I was not there.
Once I got there, it was late at night due to constant flight changes and delays at the airport. The walkway to the Airbnb was dark once I arrived but I was informed of this ahead of time which I appreciated. Sean still greeted me at my late arrival which was nice of him. The Airbnb appeared exactly how it was in the pictures and the host(s) left me drinks in the refrigerator and pizza in the freezer which was also was very kind. The appearance and cleanliness was top notch and I was very impressed.
Although, my lower score is due to small encounters that happened while I was there. I did not feel as comfortable as I desired. The area is not the safest and walking to the back of the home to the Airbnb late at night made me very uncomfortable. I began to walk to the other side of the home that had more light but Sean informed me to not walk on that side to give him and his wife "more privacy." I was limited to the other side of them which was a small alley on the other side.
It startled me when I sent a message one evening in concern of where to put the trash and he knocked on the door a minute later. When he came to the store he asked me to walk only on one side of the home for their privacy and then took the trash. That startled me because he was more attentive and present then I am use to at an Airbnb. He showed up so quickly to the door. I am use to more independence and privacy at a location. If I knew this earlier regarding the limitation of walking on one side of the home, I probably would've considered booking some where else. The reason is the walkways are dark and I had to come in late frequently due to work.
Due to the Airbnb being above the garage, I frequently had gnats in the bathroom and the living room area by the door. I was able to tolerate this and it did not impact the cleanliness of the home.
Also, I was at the Airbnb due to being off work one day and had to jump down from the earlier section of the stairs due to the sprinklers running and being directly at the bottom of the stairs. I did not understand that due to my reservation still being active at the time. I assumed the sprinklers would've been placed in another area of the yard that was not directly in the way of the steps.
Next, I felt rushed to leave the Airbnb and pressured to clean more thoroughly due to a message I received the night before. I was asked to leave earlier due to someone booking that afternoon and it would make the turnover process easier for them. As well as, I was asked to "tidy up" the place and take the trash out to the bins further down the side of home. I am a clean person but I felt more pressure to do more of a thorough cleaning despite already having to pay a cleaning fee. I was only able to leave 30 mins earlier due to awaiting the availability of my new housing which wouldn't be until later.
Right after I left, I sent a message to Sean that I had "tidy up" the place and loaded and dried my dishes in the dishwasher, washed my towel and wash clothes, gathered and took out all the trash in the rain. Also, I informed him per request I left 30mins earlier. He responded with a nice message stating "that is above and beyond the call of duty, thank you so much." Each airbnb is different and I am learning sometimes the personalities or fit of one place may not match your expectations/preferences. The inside of the Airbnb was beautiful but the smaller encounters I mentioned is the reason for my score. It wasn't the best fit for me but I am sure it might be for someone else.