Unfortunately, this was my first bad experience on Airbnb, and I can't help it but be honest, especially after the host wasn't honest with me.
The good first:
- Very nice flat, well decorated, with quality furniture
- Amazing location: nearby Bondi beach + Bondi junction, many shops around, but also in a quiet street
The bad:
- _Very_ strong bad odor everywhere in the house. Letting the windows open all-day every day did not help.
- Very dusty everywhere, and dirty carpets that have not been cleaned for quite a while.
- 2/3 towels smelled bad. No toilet paper on arrival, no kitchen towel, no litter bads, no pesticides for cockroaches which are common in Bondi.
- *Extremely* bad communication with host. She took unreasonably long to respond (time-zone difference is not an excuse when the delay is days). I had to ask multiple times the same questions, she never gave clear answers and it seemed like she did not care. Had to send 3 booking requests, as she missed the 24-hour deadline for the first 2.
- I made it clear from the beginning that I was looking for a place to stay long term. Hanna's reply reads: "I would actually be interested in long-term." She only revealed to me that the place is not available long-term 4 days after our initial 2-week arrangement finished, quoting that "I have arranged for some other guest a _long_ time ago".
- West facing apartment, gets _really_ warm in the afternoon during summer
I did not complain about all these problems at the beginning as I was hoping to stay long-term. This is why I asked to bring in my own cleaner.
Unfortunate, as this could have been another amazing Airbnb experience. When charging such a high rate, at least take care of your visitors, irrespective of whether you are on another continent.