When staying in Buenos Aires for longer than a week, and specially when more than 2 people are travelling together, renting an apartment might end up being a better choice!
You will probably lack the social aspect of backpaking hostels or the local advice you can get at the front desk of a hotel but you win privacy, the opportunity of cooking your own meals (specially for those that have been on the road for a while and are starting to get tired of restaurant food) and it might even work out cheaper!
Now the hard part comes to finding the right place. There are so many rental agencies that the whole process can be very stressful!
I have put together some of the main details. Not all agencies work the same, but do be suspicious of the ones that don’t offer or include any of the points I am talking about on this article. These are basic specifications that any agency should be able to comply with.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
First I would recommend you choose an area of town. Don’t be that specific either. Of course each area has it’s own charm and style but remember that wherever you are, you are never further than a 10 dollar cab back home.
Agencies will also recommend their areas of expertise. Sometimes this means they will insist on a flat they need you to rent, so do your own research. Agencies won’t usually give you the exact address before making a deposit (this is so that you don’t go on your own trying to find the same property on a cheaper website or contacting the owner directly) but you can use travel forums and interactive maps to check out the coordinates they should be able to provide.
When talking about location think about your personal interestest and needs: Would you be buying lots of groceries to cook at home (you need shops near by)? Partying? (bars and restaurantes), Writing? Resting? (quiet, avoid avenues!), not much time in town and doing sightseeing only (look for polaces nearer to the city centre), etc.
AMENITIES
If you have never rented an apartment for your holidays, you might be pleasantly surprised. Short term rentals are “ready to use” . The apartment comes with all the furniture and utensils you will need.
Most rentals include a TV, DVD player, microwave, stereo and in some cases even a computer.
Internet and cable services are, in most of the cases, included as well.
Most of the time a once- a-week cleaning service would be included too. You can usually book more cleaning if you need to (for an extra price)
All your utility bills are paid for, no matter how much A/C you use.
Local phone calls are also usually included. In a lot of caes, though, you would need to buy a local phone card with credit to put on your phone, but that comes pretty easy too.
Don’t forget to ask your landlord/ agency how to use the voice mail service! You will need an access number an d a PIN code…Don’t think you won’t have much people calling you…You might be on a stand by list on a flight or waiting for an available place to book an activity and if anyone calls would assume you’ll have access to your voicemail…Don’t miss out on this detail!
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Agencies will ask for an advance deposit. That’s usually anything between 5- 15 % of the rent.
Upon arrival, a representative will meet you at the front of the property and together, you will go through the “inventory” of every little thing inside the apartment: From amount of forks to whether the DVD player works or not.
WATCH OUT! I know that after a long flight or bus ride the only thing you want to do is lay down and relax BUT it is very important that you pay attention to this moment!
A lot of times apartments are rented to two or more different agencies. The agencies don’t usually have communication between each other so, let’s say that the last person staying at the flat broke the DVD player, the new agency, if not doing a proper “check in” process will assume it was working and at the end of YOUR stay will make you responsible for it!
Go ahead and feel free to test everything yourself…Go around the house and turn on and off fans, A/C, DVD players, TV’s…Check on the kitchen stove, the microwave, the phone…even the bell at the door! It just takes a few minutes and you might not only save a few dollars they might try to keep from you after “check out” but you will also make sure you get what you are paying for instead of spending your whole stay claiming every little detail!
After you have “checked in” you shouldn’t need to hear from the agency again. Do make sure that you arrange a convenient “check out” time before the agent leaves. You will need a good hour to go through the whole inventory again to make sure you get your full deposit back (if applicable).
Most agencies will ask you to bring CASH (dollars) to the “check in”. This can result quite inconvenient because the last thing you think of when getting on a plane, is taking out 2000 dollars to have ready upon arrival in Buenos Aires.
The other problem is that most ATM’s won’t give you more than a specific amount of money and currency per day (in some cases you cn only take up to 300 dollars a day!)
Do plan ahead about this point! If you are already in Argentina, start taking out money a few days before, and if you are flying from home, it might be worth it taking out the money at a local fee and carrying it with you.
PRICES
Don’t expect prices to be any cheaper to what you are probably paying back home! Short-term rentals are EXPENSIVE compared to what local people pay for their places.
Locals rent cheaper because they commit to a 2-year contract, they are backed up by some sort of guarantee (another property, larger deposits, payment in advance), the apartment doesn’t come with furniture or any services are included.
Short- term rentals exist to make this easier. The idea behind it is not having to worry about paying any bills, cleaning, getting furniture…and you pay for that!
Prices can be anything from 200 to 2000 dollars a week! It could actually still work out cheaper if you are traveling with more than 2 people together but don’t be fooled with the “I’ll save on restaurant money”: Eating out in Buenos AIres can be REALLY cheap (as cheap as 5 dollars for a full meal) and even though groceries are pretty cheap themselves, after a long day walking around the city you might just find it easier to stop at a small cafe for your dinner.
And now to the links…It’s really hard to recommend specific rental agencies. Most of the times, they all do offer the same properties, the same amenities and services are included…So do look for customer service. Check the internet for feedback and look for rasonable prices.
I am listing some of the most popular, or most affordable or with nicer customer service ones…I have even personally tried some of them! It might be a good idea to stick to just a few agencies, contact them asking them what you want and study the options. Too many agencies with too many options usually ends up in disaster: You get confused and end up making a sudden decision!
And last, do remember that you are renting in Argentina…Some things might not work as efficiently as they do back home. Don’t expect them to come fix something as soon as you claim it, don’t expect everything to work 100%…This way you won’t crash your expectations! 
