Flats, Accommodation, Rooms to Rent in Argentina
Finding Somewhere to Live in Buenos Aires
Sep 9, 2009
People need accommodation is Buenos Aires for a number of different reasons. Lots of people travel to Buenos Aires, others come to study, some come to work and lots of people who do all of those things end up wanting to live in Buenos Aires. For this reason, the following information aims to make looking for accommodation in Buenos Aires a little easier, whatever the need may be.
Looking for Rooms to Rent in Buenos Aires
The best places to search for rooms to rent in Buenos Aires are on the internet. Some excellent sites to check out (where registration is free) are compartodepto.com and craigslist.com. Both sites are easy to use, free to use and updates are sent directly to the registered email account, meaning that taking advantage of opportunities as they arise is made a lot easier.
At the time of writing, a foreigner wanting to rent a room in Capital Federal can be expected to pay from anything between US$300 to US$400 depending on the area and on how good the foreigner´s Spanish happens to be. There is usually one price for Argentines and one for foreigners and this is simply not going to change in the near future at least.
Rooms to rent are normally offered by Argentines who have a spare room or fellow foreigners who are also working or studying in the city and have rented out a large property with lots of rooms in order to save a little money on utility bills and building expenses.
Looking for Apartments to Rent in Buenos Aires
If looking to rent an appartment, it is probably best again to go through the internet. This is because, through an ordinary estate agents (immobilaría) in Buenos Aires, the normal protocol that is followed is to ask the prespective renter for a guarantía (explained below).
Studio apartments (one room with the kitchen, bed and living space all together and an a ensuite bathroom) will normally cost between US$500 and US$800 depending again on the area sought after. However, if looking for an appartment with more rooms, the price can go up to anything between US$1000 and US$1500 per month.
Renting apartments over the internet is the better way to work as it normally means renting directly from the owner of the apartment. This means that estate agents fees are bypassed and individual specialised contracts for any time period specialised can be drawn up.
What is a Guarantía?
A guarantía is the term used in Buenos Aires to refer to the person who is going to act as a financial guarantee. When renting an apartment, everyone (including Argentines) must have someone who is willing to act as a guarantía for their cause. Without a guarantía, who promises to pay any debts should they occur, an appartment cannot be rented.
This makes it very difficult for a foreigner or expat to rent out an apartment in Buenos Aires, unless they have good Argentine contacts, willing to take a financial risk. For this reason, the foreigners housing market is smaller than the Argentines and therefore the prices charged are significantly higher.
Looking for Hostel Accommodation in Buenos Aires
If a shorter stop-off is more to the point, then the hostel scene in Buenos Aires is both good and varied. However, some hostels appeal to a much younger crowd and lots of drinking with very little sleep can occur in these places. Whereas in other hostels, the prices are still as low and the accommodation offered (such as dormitories) is still the same, but the environment is a lot more conducive to a quiet time, with little to bother anyone.
Here are some suggestions for younger vibe and party-focused hostels in Buenos Aires:
- The Hostel Clan, 912 Alsina in the Microcentro
- The Milhouse, Hipolito Yirigoyen 959 in the Microcentro
- The Bait Hostel, 5115 El Salvador in Palermo
Here are some suggestions for a quieter life, that will still be as cheap and cheerful:
- V&S Hostel, Viamonte 887 in Microcentro
- Hostel Tango, Thames 2212 in Palermo
Last Resort for Finding Accommodation in Buenos Aires
When in doubt and when feeling as though finding the right place to stay is never going to happen, put an advert onto Mundio Anuncio website. Write an advert that outlines prices per month, locations sought after and any other requirements that seem important. Replies will come flooding in and the search will seem less daunting and depressing this way.
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