We were met at the vaporetto boat station (after host told us which stop to take) and walked to the residence. Good thing, because I don't think we would have found it on our own. The place was equipped with maps which the host explained to us. He told us the best way to get to the airport on our departure (although we left 1.5 hours earlier than he suggested, and it was needed for the check-in process). Navigating back to the boat stop was easy 5 minute walk.
The residence is up 2 flights of stairs, so getting luggage in was difficult. It's far enough away from the tourist crowds that it was pretty quiet at night. We felt safe walking around the area at night.
Venice itself is very crowded, but we found our own personal space at this VRBO