I've never written an unfavorable review before. If I don't like something, I talk to the host and leave it at that (and that's if I say anything at all, because I usually don't).
BUT I CANNOT IN GOOD CONSCIENCE NOT WRITE A REVIEW TO WARN OTHERS ABOUT THIS LISTING.
***THIS LISTING IS NOT AS DESCRIBED ON AIRBNB. THE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE EDITED. WHAT YOU SEE and READ ON THIS LISTING, IS NOT WHAT YOU WILL BE GETTING. NEARLY EVERY INCH OF THIS PLACE IS UNSANITARY, GRIMY, MILDEWY AND FILTHY.***
The first indicator of how filthy this place is can be seen before you even enter the unit - the doorknob and key pad - Visibly dirty.
Immediately AFTER I booked the listing, the host contacted me, sending me two photos in a message: one photo was of a black mark on the arm of the couch, the other photo was of the *inside* of the bathtub. He stated that there was a dark mark on the couch arm that they had tried to get out to no avail and that the tub wasn't dirty but just looked that way because it needed "painting". He offered to cancel the reservation if I didn't find those two things acceptable.
MY GOD DID HE LIE.
In addition to the black smudge and bleach stain on the arm of the couch that the host told me about AFTER I had already booked, there are waaaay more and all kinds of visible stains ALL OVER this couch. Dark stains. White stains. All over the cushions. There were crumbs or some sort of debris on the couch. THE COUCH IS VISBILY SOILED EVERYWHERE.
And that tub?
RUST STAINS RUNNING ALL DOWN THE OUTSIDE OF IT.
Oh, how I wish that these were the only issues.
It smelled odd and very bad in there. Mildew/mold in the air. The air quality was so bad that I woke up with respiratory pain that lasted half the day the next day. I left the unit first thing in the morning because of business I had to attend to. When I returned to get my grocery items out of there, I kept my mask on the entire time I was in there. It made a HUGE difference in my ability to breathe while inside the unit.
It is not bright and light in there as the pictures make it look. There is no ceiling source of light in the bedroom or living room. The little lamps only emit very low lighting. The curtains were drawn when we came in, but even with that single window in the living room - it is dark and dungeon-like in there.
LIVING ROOM -
In addition to the soiled couch, there are big, long open cracks in the wall. Wall literally split open.
KITCHEN -
In the kitchen area, the walls are VISIBLY filthy. BROWN, ORANGE STAINING AND DIRT KIND OF FILTHY. ALL OVER THE ENTIRETY OF THE KITCHEN WALL. BIG, HUGE BROWN AND ORANGE AND RUST AND GRIMINESS EVERYWHERE. There appears to be mold and/or mildew. The pots and pans are thrown around on the shelf horribly, not lending itself to any confidence that they are clean well at all...especially considering the general filthiness of the place. It does not feel safe or sanitary to use them.
And one of the stove eyes is missing.
BEDROOM -
In the bedroom, the walls and ceiling are visibly dirty. BIG BROWN AND ORANGE NASTY SUBSTANCES ALL OVER IT SOILED. The low ceiling is particularly gross and stained and uncleaned. There's a scuff mark on the floor. And amidst the visibly dirty baseboards, you've got peeling and such on the wall.
THERE WERE STAINS ON THE WHITE BED COMFORTER.
We could not even stand to sleep under the covers of the bed. My God, we were just surrounded in filth.
BATHROOM -
Crossing the threshold into your bathroom, you've got stained and soiled door frame, someone's hair still stuck in the substance staining and having apparently dripped down the door frame before drying there. The ceiling is visibly stained and soiled with a substance. Other areas of the wall, above the window, etc. This kind of thing is easily removable and sanitized with soap, water and a little bleach. None of this has been cleaned in the slightest.
The toilet seat was disgusting and had the appearance as if whatever substance was all over the ceiling had dripped onto the toilet from the ceiling.
The toilet paper roll was pretty much out when we got there, so I opened the bathroom cabinet to get another roll of toilet paper. There were two rolls there.
BOTH ROLLS OF TOILET PAPER WERE VISIBLY STAINED AND FILTHY, TOO!
I couldn't believe it. NOTHING was safe or sanitary to touch or use.
THE FRONT DOOR -
The front door - cracked, tattered, grimy dirty and pealing - DOESN'T EVEN COME ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR. THE FRONT DOOR LITERALLY STOPS APPROXIMATELY 3 INCHES OFF THE FLOOR!!! Anybody could put anything living or otherwise under the tattered front door to the apartment.
I have never seen anything like that door to this place in my life.
There's a main door to the building that doesn't even close fully all the time. So literally, anyone off the street could walk into the building and put something as big as a cat under the door to the unit in which you are sleeping and living if they wanted to. That's how high that grimy, raggedy door sits off of the ground.
FLOORS -
The floors are newer floors and look pretty. Only problem is that they too are...you guessed it! FILTHY. We don't wear shoes in a home. Let's just say our feet went from clean to dark with filth and crud in a matter of hours of walking around in there. And we didn't do that much walking in there.
IMMEDIATELY AFTER OUR ARRIVAL, I SENT PHOTOGRAPHS OF THIS DEN