The host communicated with me throughout the entire process. Everything involving host is 5 stars.
The house is an older Victorian house. It is updated on the inside with what appears to be newer flooring, appliances, beds, etc. The floors are a little slanted (i.e. not level) but likely because it is an older house (no issues there).
The only reason I gave this a 4 is because of the odor. It could be mildew odor from moisture in the basement. Although. I am almost certain there was a hint of sewage smell indicating more of a plumbing/septic issue. It seemed like the smell was likely coming up from the basement as the smell intensified close to the basement door. I’d definitely recommend some investigation in the plumbing as sometimes remodeling is done without replacing the guts or the things you can’t see on the surface. After determining what the smell is and where it’s coming from, I’d recommend looking into deodorization solutions when plumbing and mildew/moisture are all verified not to be an issue (anymore).
Personally, I’m not sure I’d bring my family back until the odor is gone because of potential of sewage gas but I may be willing to suck it up and stay with friends if the price was still good. I think I would certainly look at other listings from the host for future bookings since the host is very good with communication.