We loved it! We've had long-term (3 months or 6 months) rentals in many places around the world - Paris & Bordeaux (France), Porto (Portugal) , Porto Alegre & Recife (Brazil) - and elsewhere in Italy - Pisa, Bologna, Rome (Trastevere) and Cefalu' (Sicilia). I think our 3-month stay in Carla's apartment in Lecce was as good as, or better than, all of these. Of course there were only the two of us most of the time.
The location is fantastic, close to all that is good in Lecce, and as other reviewers have mentioned, the highlight of the place is the beautifully-maintained terrace, with a view up Via Templari to Piazza Sant'Oronzo, a large dining table under sun/rain cover, and a small table under an umbrella at the end of the terrace (for people-watching on the street below, or for pre-dinner drinks).
The main bedroom is spacious, and the bed is very comfortable. The bathroom is not very big, but is perfectly adequate, with a good shower, and a washing machine. The second toilet off the kitchen proved to be very convenient for the few days we had a visitor. The 2nd bedroom on the mezzanine level is accessed via an internal stairs from the hallway, and, according to our visitor, the bed is very comfortable. The couch in the living room pulls out to be a double bed, but we never tried it, so can't comment on it. The internet connection is ADSL - not as fast as fibre - but was still adequate for us to stream Netflix.
A feature that was very welcome, and that we had not expected, was the provision of a housekeeper for 2 hours on 2 days per week, who changed sheets/towels, and looked after the plants on the terrace as well as normal housekeeping work.
The apartment has efficient central heating, which was very welcome during the unusually-cold months of April and early May. All the rooms also have efficient (and quiet!) reverse-cycle air-conditioning, which was likewise welcome in the very hot days and nights of late June.
The street (Via Umberto 1) has 2 small bistro-restaurants in the street below, and it is a main thoroughfare for pedestrian traffic in the evening. Further up Via Umberto 1 is one of the main strips of restaurants in Lecce. Most activities seem to finish at midnight, so noise was not really an issue. In any case, the main bedroom is set back from the street, and with windows and shutters closed, the noise from the street is barely discernible. Once we got into the rhythm of Lecce, bed before midnight hardly ever occurred, with restaurants not really starting until 9 pm.
Access to the apartment is via a private entrance on Via Umberto 1. The internal stairs up to the apartment has 25 steps - about 4.8 m in total height - which might be an issue for some (but would be an issue for any apartment in the Centro Storico not on the ground floor). For us, it helped to counteract the effects of too much pasta!
We thank Carla for her warm hospitality, and though our Italian is rather basic, as is her English, we managed to communicate well. We would certainly choose this apartment if we were ever to return to Lecce. Grazie mille Carla!