Massimo was helpful (he picked us up around the corner from the train station and gave us a ride to the apartment although we did pay him €45 for the ride) and communicated with us frequently up until the first night. After that the only time we spoke with or saw him was in passing while on our gondola ride. I had a few questions about the laundry and air conditioning which went unanswered. We figured things out but it was a bit frustrating.
The apartment layout is as advertised but it is seriously lacking some polish. For instance, the shower only had 1 shower door so water would get everywhere. Towels were provided but only for bathing. No hand towels or anything like that.
2 of the 3 beds had decent mattresses but the 3rd bed was basically a futon with a very thin mattress.
Overall, everything was functional it just took us some time to figure things out because we did not have instructions. The laundry for instance worked, but as is typical for Italy, it's a very small washing machine and there is no dryer so you must air dry your things. Massimo provided instructions to use the washer but it took us far too long to realize that the water to the machine was turned off. This was most likely because, when the water was on, it leaked all over the floor.
Another example of needed polish: the light fixtures had all but one or two lightbulbs missing and had clearly not been cleaned.
The location, in our opinion, was excellent. Not because it was close to any major attraction but because it was in a part of Venice that you never see. It's where most people live. The island of Venice is not that big so walking everywhere was perfectly fine.
With a little polish and a little more communication, Massimo could have a really great place. As is, it's just average.