Tiny but Homey
Pros
I prefer living in smaller buildings like this with two units, it feels more like a home. We also have fostered a good relationship with our neighbors in the downstairs unit because of the smaller group of people in the building. The super does a good job of cleaning up trash/leaves in the front of the building and sorting trash for curb collection on schedule. The landlord, Andrew, is an older Italian man who lives outside of the city. He is fairly responsive, though his communication can be lacking in clarity. When we moved in, there was a miscommunication with the broker about a washer/dryer being installed and we were told by the broker it would actually not be installed. After getting back part of our broker fee, we talked with the landlord and he said he would work on getting one. One day without notice, about a month after moving in, he showed up with a washer/dryer that was in his storage unit from one of his other buildings all along - so great...but wish there was better communication. The building has a good amount of outdoor access - a patio overlooking the backyard of the unit below us and all surrounding backyards and several trees within our block. we also have private access to the roof where there is also a built out platform to use for seating/laying. I've had movie nights up there before using the white wall of the building next to us and it's perfect. In the summer it's a nice spot to get some sun during the day or hang out in the evenings. The layout of the house (though VERY small) is nice because it allows for a window in each room and none of the bedrooms share walls with each other for a surprising amount of privacy. Before we moved in there were a few new windows installed which is nice, as well as a makeshift central AC that does a decent but limited job. It's really nice to not to have window units in the way and making a ton of noice though.
Cons
The landlord sends over this man who often causes more harm than good when addressing an issue. He once came to fix our clogged sink and unscrewed the pipe underneath the sink filled with water without having anything underneath to catch the water...and several gallons of dirty sink water went all over the apartment. That is just one example of his generally messy approach to everything. We have had a fair amount of issues with mice in the winters, and the landlord sent him over though we requested an actual pest company, knowing that he would likely not do a good job. We had to take matters into our own hands for the most part and buy traps and poison and stuff any holes we could find. Every time the maintenance man comes over, there is always a mess to clean up and occasionally some damage to the apartment that could have easily been avoided with some more care. When the washer/dryer was installed, they swapped the hot/cold water hookups, which we found out after several loads of messed up laundry that were being washed on hot even though we were selecting cold. And the unit is causing condensation that is messing up the wall behind it because of the way they installed it. All in all, the landlord does not highly value to upkeep of the apartment as his own team mistreats it. This apartment is also VERY tiny and in my opinion overpriced for what it is. We were desperate at the time to find a place, but I often regret agreeing to that price. In the warmer months I can rationalize it because of the outdoor access, but without that it is an extremely small space. We have 3 people living there, but one room is only big enough for a queen bed and a dresser. There is also no ventilation fan in the bathroom, so we have to leave the window cracked at all times. There was no screen on the window, and after asking the landlord's maintenance man for one he said they don't make them in that size. I again took matters into my own hands and built my own screen. The broker advertised this apartment as having a 'gut renovation' when in reality it was just a few renovations (per my pro list). There were several sloppy paint and patch jobs and uneven surfaces. Almost every corner of the house has splatters of caulk/grout/paint. There's no peep hole on the door, which I don't love for security reasons (I installed a camera).
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