FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Rentals that are not an exact number of weeks or months

Q. I would like to rent for 10 days. Do I have to pay for 2 weeks?

A. No, there is a 1-week minimum, but beyond that you pay the prorated daily price based on the weekly rate (until you reach the rate for 1 month, after which you don't pay more until you pass one month). Similarly, once you have passed the monthly rate, additional days are based on the pro-rated monthly rate.

Daily Rentals

Q. If there is a gap of less than 1 week in the availability between two other rentals, and it happens to fit my schedule, can I rent it by the day? It would be lost time for you anyway otherwise.

A. Yes, in this case you may rent by the day for a rate of US $70/day. There is still a 3-day minimum owing to the overhead of cleaning, etc., involved with a change of guests.

Checkin and Checkout

Q. Are check-in and check-out times flexible? My flight arrives several hours before check-in (or leaves several hours after check-out). Is there a place I can store my luggage at least?

A. If there is no one vacating the apartment on the same day as your arrival, you may check in early (as early as 10 am). If there is no one renting the apartment the same day as your departure, you may check out late (as late as 8 pm). This cannot be guaranteed in advance since other reservations may be taken for days adjacent to your rental after yours is confirmed, but we'll do our best to accommodate you. And yes, upon request, we will provide a place to store your luggage after check-out till later in the day.

Security Deposit

Q. Why do I have to pay a security deposit (hotels don't charge a security deposit) and why is it as much as it is? How do I know I will get it back without a hassle (I have heard some "horror stories" regarding security deposits)?

A. We charge a half-month security deposit for all rentals (we used to charge a one-month deposit for longer rentals, as many places still do, but have reduced it to 1/2 month for all rentals). This is fairly typical of most apartment rentals in Buenos Aires (some always charge 1 month, some charge the entire rental amount upon confirmation of the reservation, some take an open-ended credit-card imprint, etc.), and the nicer the apartment, the higher usually is the security deposit. Unlike a hotel, which typically has your verified credit-card number, and laws allowing speedy evictions in case of trouble, apartment owners typically do not have such recourses and often have their own "horror stories." There is usually several thousand dollars worth of furnishings and fixtures in a good-quality rental apartment, and a security deposit covers just a fraction of that. In addition, an apartment rental has a low turnover and a no-show or late cancellation means that the space will probably go unused and is permanently lost.

Having said that, what about being hassled about getting your security deposit back? Unfortunately, a few bad apples amongst landlords and real-estate agents create some "horror stories" for renters as well (exaggerated costs for minor or pre-existing or invented "damage," etc.). We can only provide our own record of how security deposits have been handled based on renters' comments on rentals to date:

Q. How do I pay the security deposit and how do I get it back?

A. There are four ways to pay the security deposit (and three ways to get it back):

1. Cash. If you know someone in Buenos Aires (or happen to be in Buenos Aires at the time you are making the reservation), you can pay the security deposit in US dollars in cash at the time of making the reservation (coordinated locally). This will not be practical for many renters (hence the other options below) but the advantage is that you will most likely receive the security deposit back in cash at the time of check-out after inspection of the apartment.

If you wish to confirm the reservation before arriving into Argentina (as is usually the case with most renters), you may pay in one of the following ways:

2. PayPal. If you have a PayPal account balance sufficient to cover the deposit, you can pay with PayPal. Alternatively, you can write a PayPal eCheck (USA, UK, Canada and Australia bank accounts only) and pay the amount from your bank account. Check http://www.PayPal.com/ for details. This is the recommended option for most renters (and for all renters who are neither US- nor Argentina-based). PayPal-based credit-card payments are accepted for a non-refundable fee of 5% of the amount paid (no fee if paid with a PayPal balance or a PayPal eCheck).
3. Bank Wire Transfer. You can transfer the money with a wire transfer to a US bank account. This generally incurs a wire transfer fee by your sending bank (often about US$25) and by the receiving bank (US$15). It may be the only option for non-USA-based renters who do not have (nor wish to create) a PayPal account nor a contact in Argentina. If you wish to use this option, we will send you the relevant bank transfer information.
4. Mailing a Cheque. This may be an option for USA-based renters (although it adds several days' delay to the confirmation). We will send you an address in the USA to mail the cheque.

You can receive the security deposit bank in one of the following ways:

1. Cash. If it was originally paid in cash, and an inspection of the apartment can be scheduled at the time you check out, and there are no problems, you can choose to receive the refund in cash.
2. PayPal. Regardless of how the payment was originally made, you can choose to receive the refund into your PayPal account.
3. Cheque. Regardless of how the payment was originally made, if you have an address in the USA, you can choose to receive the payment as a cheque mailed to your USA address. The cheque will be mailed within 48 hours of termination of your rental, and may take an additional 5-7 days to reach your address.