If you are deciding between this place and another, go with the other option.
I booked this stay for 1 month specifically for the fenced in backyard for my dog. Upon my arrival, I immediately notified Kiyomi that the fence latch was gone (see photos), therefore the backyard was useless as it was not a secure area for my dog to be without a leash on. Kiyomi let me know that someone would be by the next day to fix the latch. This did not happen, nor was I provided with an update as to why no one came by. Throughout the first week, I continued to follow up on the gate issue, but my concerns were only met with uncertainty on when the gate (a listed amenity on the air bnb listing) would be fixed. I also expressed my concern for the lack of cleanliness (see photos) throughout the Airbnb. Kiyomi said “thank you for letting me know” and while that is nice of her, it still didn’t change the fact that I had to immediately clean the place after a long travel day. It was never offered for the cleaning company to come back to rectify the situation.
During week 2 of my stay, I patiently waited on Kiyomi to notify me about when the gate would be fixed. This never happened. On Friday (12 days after my arrival) I reached out to Kiyomi to request a refund for the pet fee (seeing as the backyard *listed as an amenity* was not as posted due to the gate being broken). I was met with attitude and complete unprofessionalism. Kiyomi denied the refund and let me know the gate had been temporarily secured. I got back later that night to find their definition of “secured” meant placing 2 cinder blocks on the outside of the gate. Please note that this backyard is shared and the other tenant uses this gate as an entry and exit point. So please tell me how the cinder blocks *on the outside of the gate* could possibly SECURE THE GATE once you enter the gate to go inside your residence!? You can’t! The latch was finally “fixed” Monday the following week which was MORE THAN 2 WEEKS after my initial request. The latch still did not work properly but I gave up all hope on this issue and let bygones be bygones.
Kiyomi’s place is nicely decorated but you can tell it has never been truly cleaned. Tidying between guests and changing the sheets is all that occurs. The mattress was stained and yellowed from years of use. The shower had hair in it from the last guest. The Airbnb was covered in pet hair from the previous guest. Eating there meant cleaning the dishes before I could even cook. See attached picture of bowl with god knows what caked on. When I asked for the refund (and the disagreement ensued) they offered someone to come clean the place… shouldn’t this been offered when I first complained!?
We agreed on a time and I was late getting home. They let me know the cleaners would not be able to perform ANY cleaning task because the dog crate was in the way of the washer and dryer! HA HA HA! Can’t say I was surprised. You’re telling me that the cleaning people couldn’t vacuum, mop, or clean the bathroom? And if their excuse was “we couldn’t get to the vacuum cleaner behind the crate” … THERE IS A BACK ENTRANCE THROUGH THAT AMAZINGLY SECURED GATE! They said my dog was barking excessively.. it’s probably true but you’re telling me you completely abandoned the job for 1) can’t get to washer and dryer (you could if you moved said dog crate with dog inside) and 2) dog was barking too much and they didn’t want to disrupt the neighbors… i think this pretty much solidifies my point about the laziness of the cleaning company
Which leads me to another point. There are upstairs neighbors with young children that constantly run up and down the hallway of their apartment. If you are considering this place and need rest or want to relax, I would suggest booking elsewhere.
I feel like I over communicated with Kiyomi. I even informed her I would be leaving 1 week early in case she could post the listing to make additional money. I let her know about my dog, walker and any issue that came up. I’m a realistic human, but this stay and host were by far the worst I have experienced.
Positives of the stay: location close to the hospital, nicely decorated, kitchen equipment if you are interested in cooking
Negatives: not really clean, host has an attitude problem, host not a good communicator, backyard needed to be mowed, street parking is NOT guaranteed.