Claire Fowler
It's not a coliving space. The owner has opened up his home to complete strangers. The house smells of mould and food which is cooked in the doorless kitchen. The rooms aren't soundproof. There was a water leak in a room. Some of the hot water taps don't work. There are no washhand basins in the toilets. It's not set up for adults. The house was kept clean when the live-in housekeeper was around but standards dropped when she left and wasn't replaced. The owner puts his bottom-line ahead of the comfort of his so-called "guests". He switched the heating on "as late as possible" and used culture as an excuse. He didn't provide clean bedding without being prompted even though it's included in the price. You have to pay extra in order to use the washing machine and tumble dryer in the basement. The neighbourhood is a wreck. You can smell cannabis as soon as you set foot outside. It isn't an environment that's conducive to being productive. You're not allowed to receive mail at his address, even though you might be staying for months rather than days, nor are you allowed to bring guests over. Apart from the kitchen, there are no communal spaces fit for socialising. I didn't sign up to become a lodger with a live-in landlord, who likes to hit on single female guests. I couldn't work from the "co-working office" because it smelled so badly of mould, which I'm sensitive to, because I suffer from asthma. I struggled to work in my room, which had a desk but was too small to accommodate a chair. It became impossible to work in the room because the neighbours erected a scaffold outside my window, just before a Teams call. I doubt that it's legal to make people stay in a basement room without windows, in the United Kingdom. The only saving grace was the proximity to the beach and the lovely people I met in the house. I cannot recommend this place to any of my female friends. I cleaned my room and the shared shower before using it on several occasions. I am giving an honest review because I booked through coliving.com and not via another platform.