We traveled from Chicago and spent 5 days in London on May 12-17, 2023. We chose to stay at this property based on the pictures and several excellent reviews. Upon arrival, we were very disappointed that the reality did not match the property pictures and excellent reviews. The building is very old and located in a very congested part of London. We are from Chicago and I was astounded to find that the level of pollution was much higher in this section of London. This property does not have central air, or air purifiers/filters of any kind, so it is necessary to open the windows to get any air circulation. The issue is when windows are open, the constant din of traffic and the smell of exhaust is let in. I suffer from asthma and breathing was difficult, but if we left the windows closed then we smelled the must and mold of this property, which was worse. I could not locate any working smoke alarms or carbon monoxide detectors! The glass panes of the windows in the 3rd floor bedroom were broken and even the note left by the owner indicated they were dangerous and not to open them. The outdoor terrace was in complete disarray - several bowls and dishes with burned candles and flooded by rainwater were scattered all over, the large red transit sign with the white line was dented and rusted as if someone used it for target practice, the stairs leading to each floor are dangerous as there is only one railing and the wood is very slippery, the kitchen had dishes and utensils but it was not "stocked" with supplies like water and coffee, and the picture hanging over the bed on the 3rd floor has a huge slash through it. The best thing we can say about this property was that the bathroom was large with excellent water pressure and hot water, checking in and out was easy, we were close to multiple red bus and tube stops making it easier to navigate to multiple sections of London, and having the restaurant/jazz club next door was the one true highlight of our stay! We made the best of it, but for over $500 USD per night, this was definitely not worth the cost.
This is not the first time this has happened when using VRBO, and now that COVID is over we will be going back to booking hotels.