BEWARE: “Landlords” are Absolute Nightmares
Pros
The space itself seems really nice, especially at first. The kitchen is lovely and there is plenty of living space. You only pay for internet access; all other utilities are included in the (suspiciously low) rent.
Cons
You can hear everything from the floor above and most noise from the basement where the kids play. This living situation is very weird— you’re basically living in a family’s basement and it’s really awkward and uncomfortable. The owners’ kids are worse than you can imagine: extremely bratty, loud, unruly and spoiled. They scream and SPRINT on the (obviously uncarpeted) floor above you or right outside the locked door to their house that’s in the apartment. The owners won’t do anything to control their kids… no attempt whatsoever (this completely baffled me). They also have a dog that they don’t take out for walks, so the dog just barks continuously several times a day when they let it out in their disgusting, poop-covered back yard. The owners might seem nice but any attempts to fix these issues won’t last long. On top of that, you’ll be asked to hold onto the online-shopping-addicted landlady’s packages (if you agree to do it, you’ll end up with a shocking amount of boxes crowding your space). What’s more, the landlady is super nosy; we caught her peeking into our windows several times before we rushed to buy curtains, which blocked out all sunlight.
Advice to the owners
You really shouldn’t be renting out this space. Also, maybe consider walking your dog and taking your kids outside to run around. It’s not so hard to implement a “no running in the house” rule. Sorry if this all sounds personal, but living here will drive anyone crazy.