We had a great experience. Grecia (Sebastiano's sister) initiated communication a few days before our arrival and gave us specific instructions of where to meet her from the train station. When we arrived, she was waiting for us and walked us to the apartment. She then gave us maps and local restaurant recommendations which were all fantastic (we went back to two of the places twice we were so impressed).
The apartment itself was clean and spacious. It is in a fantastic location just a block from Piazza San Marcos.
We were willing to pay a premium for the location and to interact with a host who was fluent in English and we were glad we did. We loved it.