I rented the home for 4 nights for a family reunion consisting of 4 adults and 5 kids (4 of which are teenagers), and my overall impression was disappointing. Matt our host was great and very accommodating and communicative throughout entire process, but we were dissatisfied with our overall experience because we did not enjoy the condition of the home.
The photos show a very clean, updated and tastefully decorated space, however there are areas that were not. Some were dirty: carpeted indoor staircase, the outdoor furniture, garages, trash receptacle areas, wasp nest), some were broken or not working properly: (front entry step hazardously detached, broken or missing window screens, some towels/linens (ripped or bleach stained), dishwasher and dryer would not close without being propped), and due to summer high humidity and NO central air conditioning, the basement living area felt damp and had a musty, pet odor (there is a dog cage in dining room), and only 1 of our children was willing to sleep or stay in the basement and ended up crashing on the upstairs living room floor for 4 nights.
Before posting this review I contacted the host with a complete list of concerns, and my in-laws shared their own experience of dissatisfaction separately. I have been using short term rentals for years, and Matt has all the qualities of an excellent of host. I believe he is eager and committed to remedy the issues above. With attention to detail, clean up and fixing these problems, I think he has the potential to make his rental a great value for your Middletown/Newport experience in the future.