The house is just as cute as it looks in the photos. The neighborhood strikes a good balance: it's walkable to Centro in 20-30 minutes (take the stairway to Rua Andre Calvacanti, it's more chill than Ladeira do Castro), yet has a peaceful view down the hill and is relatively quiet by Rio standards. There are good bars and restaurants just 100 meters up the hill in Largo do Guimaraes. The air conditioner works well and keeps the bedroom comfortable even on hot days. Larissa was extremely helpful and generally lovely to interact with, even when I voiced some concerns about the house.
The one catch is that the ceiling leaks in a couple of places in the bedroom (not on the bed) when it rains heavily. Larissa had the gutters cleaned in an attempt to stop the leak, but informed me that leaks do happen in houses of this age and design even when they are properly maintained. She had a contractor examine the ceiling who said it's safe, although it shows clear signs of water damage.