First, the good points.
The apartment is spacious and clean. There are great views of the canals.
The views of the canals and the surrouonding buildings are a high point. There is even a big jacuzzi in the bathroom. The area is nice and quiet, and there are some restaurants and nice little bars a few blocks away.
There is a charming little mezzanine area for sleeping reached through a trap door and a steep ladder - really fun for kids.
There were a number of things missing (enough chairs and enough cutlery in the kitchen), but our host improved this when we were there, even replacing the broken TV.
On the negative side, the beds were not that comfortable - some of the mattresses were uncomfortable, or too small for the beds. The sheets were old, and came off in the night, waking us up. My daughter's mattress turned out to be 2 old sofa cushions.
The kitchen was rather poorly equipped - no kettle, no toaster, not enough wine glasses, not enough seating.
Also, our host could be a bit difficult to contact by email - apparently he is very very busy. Although he made a number of improvements while we were there, he gave the impression he had done us a huge favour (in repairing the broken lighting and providing enough chairs). We really did see quite a lot of him, and his handyman while we were there.
The oven didn't really work - it was very complicated, and although we downloaded the manual online, it never really worked easily. Also (due to the complex stove and the lack of a kettle) we made an error and the stove was left on a low heat for a number of hours.. Our host was understandably upset about this. We were very regretful, and grateful that there had been no damage, other than a saucepan that needed a scrub.
Additionally, I was very upset myself when our host blamed me for breaking the handle on the refridgerator door - the same handle that he had shown me upon our arrival had already been broken, and was not securely attached.
It would have been very difficult for a family to open the refridgerator door with a broken handle over a period of 4 days. Once it came off, it was much easier.
Having said that, if kitchen could be a bit better equipped, and the issues with the mattresses and bedding could be sorted out, the apartment would be very nice to rent. The apartment itself is large and nice, and the views are wonderful.