[ + ] The house itself is good, and the room is nice and clean with a comfy bed. The bathroom and living space is really nice.
[ + ] There was a power cut in Surry Hills one night (no fault of the owner, obviously) and they kindly put me up in a similar room nearby for that night. The alternative accommodation was nearly as nice as the original one, and the process was smooth.
[ - ] The communication with the host left something to be desired. I asked about having a friend stay over for one night. An extra payment of $15 was taken for this. The listing mentions an extra mattress which can be put out. I messaged on AirBnB asking whether this was included in the $15, and texted the phone number provided, but received no response from either. On arriving at the room, there was no second mattress and there was also only one towel, so as far as I can see the extra $15 added nothing at all — the room was made up for one.
[ - ] A heads-up: if you would like a room key then you must let them know in advance. I was flying out to Melbourne for a night on the day of checking in, so I had to leave the majority of my possessions unlocked in my room during this time - I had not yet had a chance to even meet the other occupants, so this was not ideal. I texted the provided number in the morning asking about the key, but received no response, and then had to catch the plane without locking the room. I messaged again about the key on my way back (via AirBnB) and was told I could get one for the following day, but by then the stay was nearly over.