Lovely 2 bdrm Sydney apartment

Our experience hosting Sean and his party was disappointing, particularly as they are vacation rental hosts themselves, with only one review on their own rental property. Having hosted guests for over 20 years, we understand that accidents happen and that guests have different preferences. When we stay in someone else's property, we treat it with the same care and respect we would give our own home. Unfortunately, we did not feel that same consideration was extended to ours. Throughout their stay, numerous complaints were raised, including concerns about the uneven floors of our approximately 200-year-old home, whose age and quirks are clearly disclosed in our listing. Other concerns involved the heating, hot water and apartment door. Upon inspection, the heating and hot water systems were functioning properly, as was the door's locking mechanism. A minor gap around the door was identified and has since been remedied. Despite repeated attempts to contact the guests to address their concerns, our calls went unanswered. Following checkout, we discovered that the electric baseboard heaters had been turned to their maximum setting of 30°C and left operating, despite the apartment having two fully functioning heat pumps. The heaters remained on until our cleaner arrived two days later. Most concerning, a window blind had been knocked down onto one of the electric heaters and had melted. This created a serious potential fire hazard that endangered not only the safety of the rental apartment but also the lives of the tenants residing upstairs. Had a fire started, the consequences could have been devastating for innocent people living in the same building. The damage was never reported to us, leaving us unaware of the potential danger until it was discovered after checkout. We certainly do not suggest that the damage was intentional. Accidents happen, and we ordinarily absorb the cost of minor breakages without charging guests. However, leaving damaged material against an electric heater without notifying the property owner is a serious safety concern, particularly in a building occupied by other residents. As fellow hosts, we would have expected better communication, greater consideration for the property and the courtesy of reporting damage, especially when the safety and lives of other people could potentially be affected. Our concern is not the cost of replacing a window blind. It is the lack of communication and the failure to report a potentially dangerous situation that could have resulted in a devastating fire. Unfortunately, based on this experience, we would be reluctant to host Sean and his party again.