I would like to warn potential renters about an awful flat in Istanbul, and a most unpleasant agency owner from Flats In Istanbul that manages it. In July 2010, my husband, 2 children and I rented a flat in Istanbul. It was in the Beyoglu district at 11 Bostancibasi, Firuzaga Mah., Apartment 3. The entrance of the building was the first shock. It was absolutely filthy, with garbage and broken glass on almost every landing, graffiti on the walls, and the lovely smell of urine. Once in the apartment, we pointed out that it was extremely hot, having deliberately chosen a flat with AC. The agent told us it took time for the AC unit to work. July in Istanbul is intensely hot, particularly in tiny, poorly ventilated apartments. Sure enough, the AC was not working. We left the agency a message. Having a similar ductless unit in our own home, we knew there was likely a problem with the compressor. After a sleepless, unbelievably hot night, we looked for alternative accommodations. A wonderful manager of a nearby hotel hooked us up with another apartment. At our expense, we packed up again, and taxied over to the new apartment. We then went about trying to get our money back from the first apartment. The owner of the agency, A** G****** from Flats In Istanbul, was so rude that at one point, he stormed out of his office. He refused to believe there was a problem with the AC because his repairman didn't find anything wrong. We explained that we were familiar with these units, and that it was simply not blowing any cold air; not exactly rocket science! My husband insisted he walk to the apartment with him, where finally he admitted it wasn't working, yet never felt the need to apologize for his rudeness. He still made us pay for 2 days, even though we were only there for 24 hours, but at this point we wanted to move forward with our five remaining days in Istanbul, having already wasted the first two.

This apartment had other problems. It was in a very noisy neighbourhood, so opening windows at night for fresh air was not an option. Because of narrow pipes, we were not allowed to flush toilet paper; not uncommon in parts of Europe, but would be nice to mention on website because children do love to flush paper. Finally, I had asked the agent when booking if the flat was near a mosque. He simply said this would be a problem anywhere in Istanbul. It's not that I lack respect for other customs and traditions, I just wanted to avoid the early morning call to prayer. Sure enough, a mosque was opposite the flat, and that one evening we spent there felt like the mullah was holding his megaphone to my ear, it was so loud. The second flat we rented was nowhere near a mosque and we slept beautifully, so it clearly isn't a problem everywhere in Istanbul. Finally, if you have a bad back and difficulty walking, you should know the flat is at the bottom of a very, very steep hill. All in all, this musty little flat is to be avoided, and the very unpleasant owner of Flats In Istanbul is also to be avoided. Other than that, Istanbul was a magical place to visit.