Finding an apartment in Buenos Aires can be somewhat of a challenge, especially as it’s the second largest metropolis in South America. There are a ton of things you should know before you rent an apartment in Buenos Aires, and we’ve tried our best to help address some of those here.
Here are some tips on how to rent an apartment in Buenos Aires.
1. Pick a neighborhood in Buenos Aires
There are tons of barrios in Buenos Aires, some cheaper than others. Do some exploring on your own before you commit.
Many expats enjoy Palermo, with its trendy vibe and plethora of pricy boutiques, while others feel more at home in San Telmo, which is less expensive, full of artisans, students and locals.
We also love Recoleta, which reeks of old-world aristocratic Buenos Aires with large green parks and a famous cemetery.
Grab a map, hit the streets and wander until you find a neighborhood where you’d want to rent an apartment.
Creating a budget will also help narrow down your list of options – people I knew in Buenos Aires were paying anywhere between $250 – $600 USD a month to rent rooms.
The peso has not been very stable over the years, so depending on what year and what month you’re trying to rent an apartment in Buenos Aires, expect the price to oscillate from $600-$1200.
2. Check Craigslist Listings
Aside from meeting a local Argentine who knows of an open apartment, Craigslist – Buenos Aires is your best bet.
It’s much easier to move into a shared apartment with people looking to fill a room than find your own place, and if you’re traveling alone, this can be a great way to meet people.
Almost every expat I knew found their apartment on this forum. Crazy right?
This makes it easy to start your search before you land in B.A. I also found my job on Craigslist while I was living in Buenos Aires… just sayin’.
3. Ask around at your hostel
Chances are you will be staying in a hostel or other shared living situation before moving into your apartment. If you’ve backpacked before, you know that people who work in hostels usually have inside tips on all kinds of topics.
Pick their brain. Ask around.
And if that fails, join the BA Expats Forum and post the question to those knowledgeable folks.
If nothing else, you will discover tons of information about expat life, events you can attend and lots of other interesting stuff – like where to get the best Brazilian wax or which is the best live music venue in the city.
4. Try to Live Close to a Subte Stop
Living close to a subte stop is ideal for navigating B.A. It would also be beneficial for you to get a bus route schedule and learn how to use it. The buses run often and are more pleasant to ride during the humid summer months.
5. Make friends with your landlord
Make nice with your landlord, even if you have to get a translator. When I first moved into my apartment in Palermo, there was a crack in the bathroom tile. I made a note of it, but my landlord tried to take it out of my deposit.
After much haggling and detailed emails in Spanish, we came to a civilized agreement on how to repair the damage, though this wasn’t easy.
Speak to them on move-in day about what repairs need to be taken care of. They hold the purse strings when it comes to your deposit, and I’ve heard many-a-horror story about getting that money back!
6. Pay in Pesos
Many renters will require that you pay your rent in US dollars rather than the local currency. It’s not impossible to find an ATM or caja that will let you take out dollars, but it is annoying, especially if your bank has a cap on how much money you can withdraw a day.
7. It might be more expensive for you
If you can’t speak Spanish, I highly suggest you learn before trying to move to Buenos Aires. Speaking the language is a critical part of how to rent an apartment in Buenos Aires, and will help you to get a better deal. Unfortunately, if you are foreign and your landlord knows it, the price will be more expensive for you.
If you can’t speak Spanish, try to ask a local friend to negotiate on your behalf. If you can prove that you are earning income in pesos, you might be able to land a better rent deal.
If you are earning income in dollars, then you should expect to pay in dollars.
Suerte chicos!
10 Comments
Great tips! I never thought about Craig’s List in other countries before.
I’ve heard Craigslist is the way to go, I’ll remember that next time.
I think that is a picture of la Boca, which (to the best of my knowledge) is not a place you would want to rent a room. 🙂
We have rented several apartments in BA. In our experience, we have found sites like VRBO and BA4UApartments.com to be good options. You will likely pay more than Craigslist, and will likely HAVE to pay in US dollars, but these places tend to be very nice.
As for location, we tend to stick to the more upscale areas – Palermo Soho, Palermo Hollywood, Palermo Chico, Las Cañitas. These are all very upscale, but the priced are reasonable and the apartments tend to be very nice.
One last tip – ask about noise. BA is notoriously loud and notoriously late. This little detail has made a huge difference in our experiences.
Ditto what Ayngelina said. I rented 3 different places in Buenos Aires and am looking for another. Going to try out Craigslist this time.
great tips! if i were to move there, i’d probably contact my ex in-laws (porteños! 🙂 ) but agree that craigslist is the way to go if you don’t have family or friends there. 🙂
Stephanie– how did you find the apartments you rented? Did you go through an agency? Curious to know! I think I remember reading a post of yours about a horrible landlady! Eek! I think BA is still a pretty incredible place. I’m planning on living there for a few months in the next year.
The best you can do is renting an apartment directly to the owner. No agency involved, so no agencies commissions (between 20% to 30% of the total cost) and no agency’s “administrative fee” (yes, they feel taking 30% of the amount is not enough) of U$30 to U$50.
I am a direct owner and has been for the last 6 years. I rent directly or via agency so I have dealt with a lot of them and excluding a few that are honest, the big majority are totally pirates: They’ll just get the commission and wont know of them any more (not even in the check out). If there are problems the agency will pass it to the owner so the risk of dealing though an agency or with the direct owner is exactly the same.
great tips! Good to know when i finally get to B.A.!
We’ve had some luck with craigslist in the past, but lately as we’ve been searching for apartments in Europe (notably Amsterdam), we’ve run into TONS of scams. The hard thing is that it’s more difficult to tell if it’s a scam – broken English is common and customs are different. Of course I think it’s sketchy to send a deposit beforehand… but maybe that’s what they’re used to?
Anyhow, be very careful…. and money transfers are never legit. Only pay using a credit card (which can always be contested if it turns out to be a scam) or cash in person when you arrive. That seemed obvious to me for the U.S., but I was willing to be flexible in other countries. Which I discovered isn’t a good idea.
Now we almost exclusively use Airbnb, 9flats, or housesitting.
Useful tips! Looks like prices are very reasonable in Buenos Aires. (Also, didn’t know there were Craig’s lists outside the USA).