Everything You Need to Know about Renting an Apartment in Buenos Aires

Only the sadistic few take pleasure in the moving process. Apart from the physical labor of carting boxes to and fro, there is a precluding mental strain of where, when and how, regardless of your final destination. Many a gringo have suffered hardships, rip-offs, and the like when moving to Buenos Aires. The truth is that the abode renting process here can be pretty complicated. But never fear my fellow foreigner!! I will now spill forth every drop of my veteran knowledge upon the subject so that you may arrive truly aware of all the legal and technical aspects of getting settled in Buenos Aires.

But first thing’s first. The process will look quite different depending on if you’re planning on staying less than a year or more than a year. If you don’t quite know yet, it’s better to play it safe and go for a short-term rental, lest you land yourself in a 3-year lease in a city you don’t end up loving.

Two tips that apply to everyone. Unless you have an income in dollars or euros never agree to a price in in dollars or euros. Thanks to inflation, the price converted to pesos will go up (possibly significantly) every month. A cruel reality that is simply not sustainable if you’re earning in pesos. Secondly, this is a colossus of a city and each barrio is unique. Figure out your priorities, and make sure you like the neighborhood before deciding to live in it. There are some great deals to be discovered outside of the typical tourist areas, but a good price may not be worth the inconvenience or lack of subte line.

Rent an apartment short term

Furnished short term rentals are the most expensive option, but tend to be the best way forward for people planning to stay less than a year for three reasons. You can save a lot of time and effort not needing to furnish a place from scratch. The contract is usually month to month offering more flexibility. And, it can be signed by foreigners without an Argentine garantia (more on that below).

One of the best ways to find a great short-term rental is through Airbnb, but you can usually get a better deal by arranging this with the owner directly. So rather than organizing a 3/4/5/etc month stay at the Airbnb up front, book it for a few weeks. Then, after arriving, if you like the place and the neighborhood, you can try to organize a better deal for a month by month contract. Some owners prefer to keep their property on Airbnb, but many will take you up on it. A longer-term tenant is certainly easier on them than a weekly rotation.

Another great resource for short term rentals is Facebook. Buenos Aires Real Estate is a very active group that receives daily posts on rental opportunities. If you choose to go this route, it’s still a good idea to start off in an Airbnb/hostel for at least the first week so you can visit place before agreeing to anything. Facebook groups don’t have the same oversight as Airbnb, and the pictures can often be quite misleading. There is also often room for some negotiation, so make sure to not come off too interested right off the bat.

Finally, make sure to ask a lot of questions. Some amenities that would be a given in another country aren’t guaranteed here. Does the place come with Wi-Fi? How is the connection? Is there hot water? Air conditioning and heat? Does the oven/washing machine/microwave work? Who is responsible for the bill if an appliance breaks?

Unfortunately, many landlords see foreigners as an easy target. So, if a price seems too good to be true, there’s probably a reason.

Rent a room in an apartment

For a less expensive option that still offers a lot of flexibility, consider renting a room in a shared house/apartment. This option has two main benefits, one of which is that you’ll likely save quite a bit of money. The second, that this also offers a good opportunity to meet new people, especially for anyone traveling to Buenos Aires alone.

Same deal as above, Facebook is a great resource for finding these types of arrangements. Just make sure that in addition to the place and neighborhood, the roommate dynamic seems to be a good fit. For example, there are many international students here and therefore many shared houses mostly comprised of students. If you’re an older professional that doesn’t want to live in a party house, you probably want to avoid one of the big student houses.

Rent an apartment on a long-term contract

Ok, now for those of you that are in it for the long haul. Maybe you swung through BA on your South American backpacking tour and are coming back for a second helping. Or you’re fed up with your coffee and cream corporate job and want a fresh start in the Big Apple of the South. Whatever the reason, you are not alone. The revelation is mutual brothers and sisters.

During the gloomy days of the 2001 economic crisis, the government took several precautious measures that still linger today. Due to the rather high possibility of tenants ditching out on the rent and disappearing overnight, the law requires a “garantia”. Someone with hefty pockets living in the city must guarantee to vouch for you if you or your money run out. Unless you have a tia or abuelo here, these folks are hard to come by. Secondly, the law states that the contract must be drawn for a minimum of three years. And if you don’t have a DNI (the national ID card here and Holy Grail for foreigners), that’s one more setback. If this trio of requisites just ain’t your cup of tea, then join the club and consider yourself a maverick.

The poor economic status of this country and their ever-present worship of the dollar does have its advantages. If you can muster up dollars, euros, or other coveted foreign currencies, and if you’re willing to pay several months upfront, this pretty much nullifies all other prerequisites. Most likely you won’t be given a standard Argentine price, but it won’t be an ignorant tourist price either. Paying in three-month lump sums is almost standard among gringos and makes for a solid negotiating proposal.

Then there’s the deposit and commission. Unfortunately, a two-month commission and a one-month deposit (which they will milk until the well runs dry) are the 2020 norm. This is not gringo exploitation, it’s good old-fashioned real estate bravura. Whether it’s 3 months or 3 years, dollars up front will allow you to bargain the length of your rental as well as forgo other legal requirements.

Zona Prop, and ArgenProp are great websites for apartment rentals. They both offer filters that allow you to search based on neighborhood, price, long or short term, and furnished or unfurnished. I’d also ask around and usually somebody knows someone. I ain’t gonna lie, negotiating in dollars is a heck of a lot easier than scoring the perfect apartment in the area of your liking.

Keep an open mind in terms of location and remember that better deals can be found outside of Palermo and Recoleta. Upon arriving, bear in mind this is not a first world country. You will encounter a handful of unforeseen setbacks, but, this also means that you will be operating within a culture that’s open to bargaining with plenty of untapped treasures waiting to be discovered.