Renting an Apartment in Buenos Aires: Tips from a Reputable Agent
Want to know the most the most common problems encountered when renting a furnished apartment in Buenos Aires? How about which neighborhoods to stay in and which to avoid? Or the best time of year to visit the city?
To get answers to these and other questions about renting in BA, I interviewed a local expert.
Adriana Perillo (center) is a popular, highly regarded agent who helps tourists rent furnished apartments in Buenos Aires through her company RentinBANow. She also arranges city tours, tango shows and excursions. I interviewed Adriana and she offered some fantastic tips for anyone planning a trip to Buenos Aires. You can read her tips below.
Adriana, what’s the best neighbourhood to stay in while vacationing in BA?
First, Palermo/Barrio Norte, second Recoleta, and third San Telmo/Montserrat. However, the choice will depend a lot on what you are looking for during your stay.
Downtown, which is also called MicroCentro, is best for those people who are going to be in BA for a short time and want to be near many of the major tourist attractions. It’s also good for tango lovers since many tango studios and milongas are in this part of the city. However, it does have its disadvantages. It is an extremely busy area. There’s a lot of traffic, the streets are narrow and there is also pollution. So if travellers are more concerned about going out and jumping right in the middle of the action and want to enjoy nightlife, this may be a good option for them. On the other hand, if they prefer a more serene experience, they should stay away from MicroCentro.
Travellers who want to stay in a more upscale part of the city, they may have to consider Retiro, Recoleta and Barrio Norte. Renting here will be a bit more expensive than other neighborhoods. Here visitors will find a lot of the expensive and upscale restaurants, shopping malls, nightclubs, art galleries, and parks. Barrio Norte is better than Recoleta and Retiro in the sense that there are more bus and subway lines which makes it faster and cheaper to travel around.
The largest neighborhood in Buenos Aires is Palermo. If travellers are looking for a laid back trip, this is a great place to stay. There are a lot of beautiful green areas to go for a walk or to go jogging, as well as the Japanese Gardens, Rose Gardens, and Botanical Gardens. What’s more, the City Zoo is also here, making it an ideal place to stay with kids. In addition there is a great range of bars, restaurants and nightclubs, if visitors are interested in the city’s nightlife.
Palermo Soho and Hollywood are also part of Palermo. Soho is the place to shop, eat and drink. There are nice designer shops, exotic restaurants, and cool coffee shops on every corner. Time can also be spent walking around, sipping coffee in book stores, visiting many of the independent art galleries or just taking it easy. Hollywood is ideal for party animals who want to go out and have fun through the night.
San Telmo and Montserrat are good options as well. These are the oldest parts of the city and are much more interesting architecturally. Great colonial buildings, as well as art nouveau and art deco ones can be found. In this part of the city there are lots of tango clubs and shows. You can take lessons in the many tango schools or just see street performers. Staying in this part of the city can be an exciting way to experience old world Buenos Aires. There are also many bus and subway lines. Downtown and Puerto Madero are within walking distance. Montserrat is famous for its excellence in Spanish cuisine, whereas San Telmo boasts the charm of its Sunday Flea Market, antique shops, and independent art galleries.
What’s the average price that tourists can expect to pay for a furnished apartment in Buenos Aires for two weeks?
Between USD$500 and $900 for a one bedroom apartment. Price will depend on apartment characteristics such as size, services and equipment, quality, maintenance, as well as building amenities. Other factors are location, whether it’s on a high or low floor, whether it faces the street or the back of the building, if it’s sunny or a bit gloomy, or modern or old.
What are the most common problems or complaints that someone might have with their apartment?
The most common complaints are generally poor broadband connectivity or lack of it due to server problems. Noise level is another complaint. Argentineans are fond of meeting friends, or having parties on weekends.
Older apartments may occasionally experience maintenance issues, so electricians or plumbers might have to be called, and they do not always come as quickly as we would like. Renting a modern apartment reduces the chance of having a problem.
Are most apartment owners Porteños or foreigners?
Most of the owners are Porteños.
When’s the best time of year to visit Buenos Aires?
A good time to come would be September to mid December. January and February can be really hot, and then March to May are in my opinion the best months to come — sunny, warm days, clear sky, very pleasant indeed.
Any other tips?
When renting an apartment it is always best to do it through an agent or owner who has been recommended to you. Many times it is hard to find good apartments available directly from owners since most owners list with agencies. All major rental agencies are roughly equal in terms of service.
Writing email or phoning will give travellers the chance to get to know who is behind the holiday accommodation. Many apartments may look fabulous in pictures but what they have to know is whether or not the street is on a major bus route. It won’t matter how great the colonial French style architecture is in their San Telmo apartment if they can’t sleep at night. I, personally, take time when answering mails, trying to satisfy all customers’ doubts.
It is important for travellers to know they are going to have someone who can be of service, speaks the language, and cares about their experience during their stay. For example, who do you contact if you lose the keys or need extra sheets or pillows?
I feel that my responsibility starts with the first e-mail or phone call and finishes at check-out. At check-in my colleagues and I do not just drop off keys, or simply have a contract signed, but we spend time showing things on the map, explaining where things are and how things work in the apartment as well as the neighborhood, and the do’s and don’ts of the new city. We are also in close contact with customers by mail or phone.
As a bonus, we regularly send our clients information about what is going on in Buenos Aires, which places to go to, shows, plays, exhibits to see and concerts not to miss — tips not found in any guide book. Since we work with a wholesaler tour operator we can arrange a trip to any part of Argentina without the customer leaving the apartment. We also can get tickets to tango shows, some football matches (the ones we consider safe), a day or weekend at an authentic Argentinean estancia, city tours, or other interesting tours in the city. We want travellers to feel at home and to share the special tips that will make their trip and stay very enjoyable.
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If you would like to contact Adriana about an apartment, or to get more information, her contact information is below:
Adriana Perillo
Rental Manager
www.rentinbanow.com
rentinbanow@gmail.com
Skype: rentinbanow
Mobile: (54) 911 51 74 14 99
June 4th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Adriana Perillo is more than a great rental accommodation specialist. Adriana far exceeded my expectations and anticipated my every need while I enjoyed my 15-day stay in BA.
I would describe her service as “warm and gracious hospitality with a flair for fulfilling your most unexpected needs.”
June 5th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
Adriana is amazing! She has been managing the rental of my apartment for almost 3 years. I trust her completely. She treats my apartment as if it were her own home and I know that everyone that rents my apartment gets the best treatment around. Because I live in the United States, it is such a relief to know I have someone wonderful that I trust taking care of my home away from home. I think every foreigner that owns an apartment in Buenos Aires should hire Adriana as their caretaker. And if you use her services to find an apartment to rent, you will not be disappointed.
June 6th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Adriana is a wonderful resource to have in Buenos Aires. She is dependable and knowledgeable. Her command of English is excellent, which is useful for many tourists. She will go out of her way to answer a wide range of questions you may have, in addition to the actual apartment rental. If she doesn’t know something, she will take the time to do the requisite research. She is an outgoing, enthusiastic, friendly professional who has traveleld extensively herself…
June 7th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
I am a little reluctant to write this as it might cause a stampede to Adriana’s listings. The apartments that she represents, her knowledge of the city and her understanding of people make her the perfect rental agent. We were lucky enough to see her on two occasions and her recommendations were invaluable. She made recommendations that were not contained in any of our guide books which were perfect from my wife and I. The apartment in Palermo was close to Salon Canning a great Milonga and was surrounded by great little shops and eateries. My wife and I loved our stay.
June 7th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
I’ve been to BsAs twice, now, and both times I was lucky enough to get accommodations through Adrianna. She has been a gracious hostess and the apartments I’ve stayed in have been charming and in wonderful locations. Absolutely unbeatable value. When I go back for the third time, I’ll count on Adrianna’s place being the charm again!
June 8th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
For the past four years Adriana has been of invaluable assistance in renting my apartment in fashionable Recoleta in Buenos Aires. She is dependable, knowledgeable, polite, hard worker, and above all, very honest. She accompanies the client (tenant) from check-in to check-out, she provides taxi service to and from the airport if required, as well as tours in and out of the city. She knows exacty what kind of tenants I like for my apartment and has never disappointed me. The tenants have been good and respectful of the property. Adriana is still my agent and I would recommend her highly.
June 8th, 2009 at 11:46 pm
Dealing with Adriana Perillo is a great pleasure. She is very professional and her commnad of the English language is excellent so communication is no problem.
Since this was a tango trip that I was on, she was very knowledgeable about the milongas as well as the whole city and more.
She is very trustworthy, caring and friendly and I would certainly use her services again!
June 9th, 2009 at 2:07 am
This agent sure seems to have a lot of satisfied clients willing to write nice things about her. I’ve never tried her services. The agents I’ve used in BA were ok, but nothing special. That is, they did their job but didn’t really go that extra mile. But as a general observation I would say that Argentines are less professional than people I have seen in similar positions in Europe or North America or Asia. Maybe they are not quite as driven to succeed. I don’t know. Just an observation…
June 10th, 2009 at 6:32 am
Adriana has been managing my apartment in Palermo Soho for almost 2 years in a better way that I could do . She is very professional. I live in Barcelona and I´m sure that my old clients and the new ones will reicieve the best treatment. I would recomend Adriana´s services to take care of a foreigner staying in Buenos Aires , not only to rent an apartment.
June 11th, 2009 at 1:08 am
Two years ago I rented an apartment through Adriana on Santiago del Estero. The apartment was quiet, and well-located. I found Adriana to be most helpful and very dependable. She is a great contact to have, and if anyone is interested in renting an apartment in Buenos Aires, I would definitely recommend you contact Adriana Parillo. By the way, she speaks English fluently.
June 15th, 2009 at 7:33 am
Do you want to enjoy your stay in BsAs at a 100%? Then get in touch with Adriana! She’s the one who knows the best places in town, the milongas for tourists and the ones for insiders… Get the insider informations that never appear in any tourist guides – so get in touch with Adriana… and you’ll be enjoing your stay! Believe me.
June 18th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
Adriana made my stay in Recoleta extremely comfortable and worry free. She is a very personable lady with a lot of knowledge of her country, her city and local events.
The apartment in Recoleta was very ocmfortable and affordable. I would not hesitate to recommend Adriana to anyone looking for accommodation in Buenos Aires.
Clarry ….
June 19th, 2009 at 3:40 am
A friend and I rented an apartment through Adriana last November, in Recoleta. We loved the area and the apt was great – very quiet. Adriana proved to be fabulous – she knows the city incredibly well, speaks perfect English and was very helpful. I would happily rent an apartment from her again.
Ainslie
June 22nd, 2009 at 7:24 am
Adrian is amazing, her flats are great and she will bend over backwards to make your stay worry-free… Plus she’s a really lovely person…
I warmly recommend her!
June 22nd, 2009 at 11:15 am
Adriana was a reliable and trustworthy professional in a more personable way than others. She matched the apt for my son and I that meet our economic and touring needs, and it was exactly as she portrayed it. I would recommend her for anyone unfamiliar with BA as I was when I visited in June 2007. If you wanted more attention, she was only a phone call away, and yet she didn’t overdo the welcome either. I would definitely use her services again!
diana
July 1st, 2009 at 8:08 pm
Hi Anslie and Abel, we spend a great time last month in Buenos Aires, we had rented a furnished apartment in Recoleta, Buenos Aires, near the down town. I suggest that service called ForRent Argentina: Buenos Aires apartments For Rent
Cheers
Billy
July 2nd, 2009 at 5:49 am
When we didn’t where to stay in Buenos Aires Andriana was there to help us.The accomodation was excellent and the appartment had plenty of space and comforts.We were on Avenida Corrientes.It was really worthy it!
July 14th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
I run a similar business on the other side of the world and I wish Adriana worked for me!
Integrity, knowledge and compassion aptly describe Adriana’s approach to business.
In my own business I am very careful about whom I recommend and after renting through her service for two years in a row I will without hesitation recommend Adriana Perillo and Rent In BA Now!
August 6th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
I have been tour guidng in Buenos Aires for many years, I love this blog and often direct my clients here. I have most contact with Buenos Aires Stay Apartments, Hotels, Travel, Tours & City Guide to Buenos Aires, Argentina run by a very knowledgeable Scot, they are top of my list for apartment rental in Buenos Aires. All my clients are always very happy with their service.
August 20th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
For those who haven’t yet seen this post, you should really check it out – well worth the read…
Also you can find great properties in: Buenos Aires Apartments
Thank you!
January 8th, 2010 at 2:40 am
My friend has allergies to mold, smoke and chemical smells. We are staying for a month and do not want to rent an apartment and then find she has an allergic reaction. What to do – what to do. Any suggestions as to where to go.
Thanks, Forbes
May 30th, 2010 at 2:07 pm
I had to travel to Buenos Aires for ten days at a short notice. A colleague of mine who had been using Adriana’s company for years recommended I contact her. I was desperate and Adriana was an absolute life saver.
I was completely in the hands of Adriana since I had never been to BA before. She found me a great apartment -which was clean, quiet and safe- in the Palermo area, she gave me helpful info about the city and kept on checking-in on me during my stay. I felt safe and at ease my entire trip.
Since my return I have already passed her name on to friends who are interested in traveling to BA without hesitation.
In the end I cannot speak highly enough of Adriana. From her initial speedy responses to my e-mails, to the moment she met me at the apartment in BA and to her friendly- and helpful!- check-ins, she did everything with professionalism and kindness. I ‘m already looking forward to the next time I can travel to BA and experience the city more and spend some time with Adriana, who has now become a friend.
September 9th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
I work in a real estate company too and I know what turist and travellers feel when they get dissapointed because what they rented is not what they wanted. I think that a supporting and reliable team is one of the most important things to look into when selecting a place to stay. If you are interested in looking for nice apartments in Buenos Aires you can check our website
http://www.casa34.com
or write us to
info@casa34.com.
However, besides of the place where you are staying, make sure to enjoy all the things the city of Buenos Aires has to offer!
February 23rd, 2011 at 6:04 pm
If you are planning a stay in Buenos Aires, Adriana Perillo is the person you’ve always been looking for! Besides of being a profesional and reliable agent who finds you exactly the apartment to match all your needs, she is also a very warm and helpful person with an outstanding knowledge about the culture of the city. From her you will get information which can’t be found in any travel guide! I can highly recommend her services!!
August 4th, 2011 at 5:58 pm
i’m here to share my experience with adriana! i found her contact here and without a doubt she was the best choice for my stay in buenos aires. i spent 3 weeks in a beautiful apartment in palermo, close to everything i needed… subway, supermarkets, shoppings, cafes…i am definetely recommending adriana for friends and anyone who is going to buenos aires!
March 26th, 2012 at 4:55 pm
We spent 3 months in a great little apartment in Palermo. Adriana is and extremely helpful and trustworthy person. Any problems that cropped up were immediately corrected. Any questions I had regarding any subject, she was more than happy to answer for us. She is extremely knowledgeable about tourist scene, retaurants etc. in BA. She made our stay truly memorable.
March 28th, 2012 at 7:00 am
My wife and I stayed two weeks in one of Adriana’s Palermo apartments in Nov-Dec 2011.
As perhaps a bit older persons (I’m in my early 70’s) and non Spanish speaking, it was our first time to Buenos Aires with a tango group. We had the usual travellers’ concerns.
Adriana Perillo provide much more than we expected.
From answering my many emails when booking – she helped us to make the eventual apartment selection in Palermo; personally greeting and receiving us when we arrived; helped us to convert our US funds to $Arg; dealt with the usual small apartment problems (the water heater pilot light went out and she personally came over and re-lighted it); one vitally important service was that she bailed me out (helped me to contact my Canadian bank to cancel my credit cards) when I got pick pocketed the second time; suggested excellent sightseeing and attractions to consider; and put together suggestions of the current most popular restaurants. She allowed us to seek her advice and to access her at almost any time. We cannot thank her enough. AND, she was cheerful and professional throughout. She made our trip highly memorable.
April 17th, 2012 at 8:10 pm
We booked our winter accommodation with Adriana. We were 3 months in Buenos Aires. The accommodation was comfortable and central to shopping, restaurants, subway and buses.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and will do it again one day. Adriana was a wealth of knowledge about tourist sites, restaurants, entertainment and more. She was always available to help. We would definitely book with her again.
May 12th, 2012 at 3:54 pm
Dear Adriana,
After searching the web for 5 days I am satisfied and believe I have the correct person to help me. We are four ladies coming to BA in November the 7th to the 17 th. We need an luxuary apartment just of Florida street with at least 2 to 3 rooms and two bathrooms. Something that will be safe . Please what can you suggest or offer me.
Regards
Lynette Whitehead
May 12th, 2012 at 3:58 pm
Dear Adriana,
After searching the web for 5 days I am satisfied that I have the correct contact and hope you can help us. We need a two to three room luxuary apartment near Florida stree for 4 ladies in November the 7th to the 17th.
Thanks
Lynette
July 22nd, 2012 at 9:22 pm
Any nice apartments available in August during tango month. Valerie
September 3rd, 2012 at 2:20 pm
Dear Valerie
Just by chance, I was looking at the BAtips page when I found your email,it never got to my email account. Sorry!
Are you still in BA Now? Did you enjoy the tango week?
Any questions, or anything you need, just write me!
Next time write me at rentinbanow@gmail.com & I will get you an apartment that will suit you needs.
You can also find me in Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/www.rentinbuenosairesnow
Cheers
Adriana
RentinBAnow
http://www.rentinbanow.com
rentinbanow@gmail.com
September 3rd, 2012 at 2:25 pm
Dear Lynette
I have been looking the BATips site just by chance when I got your request. Never got it to my mail box. Sorry!
Have you found a place to stay? If not, let me know & I will see what I can do for you.
Thanks for your understanding.
Regards,
Adriana
RentinBAnow
http://www.rentinbanow.com
rentinbanow@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/www.rentinbuenosairesnow
September 7th, 2012 at 10:55 pm
I wish to sincerely congratulate Adriana on her efficiency in every way. My son and I have had the golden opportunity to have been referred to her on our last visit and again this time, enjoying Buenos Aires in particular. Adriana is without doubt reliable, and super-efficient. She takes her work very seriously and extremely competent, and has a lovely welcoming attitude to all. We will always rely on and definitely recommend her to others. Without any doubts her knowledge and understanding of travellers and their needs is just amazing. I wish to heartily thank her on behalf of my son and I. I take this opportunity to congratulate her personally, and I am sure she is a great asset to colleagues and all who work with her, for the benefit of all who seek her services.
Gwen and Joe of Australia.
January 7th, 2013 at 3:57 pm
My girlfriend and I stayed in the apartment in Palermo Soho for 2 months. We loved the place! Very close to all the best of Palermo Soho and Adriana was very helpful and friendly… Also the kitchen was very well-equiped, which I liked very much 🙂
January 22nd, 2015 at 7:44 pm
Paraguay 4438, Palermo.
My wife and I spent three months in the apartment in Palermo.
The apartment is bright, comfortable, safe and well equipped. It is ten minutes walk to the Subte(Plaza Italia-Linea D). It is also close to large parks, the BA zoo, the Planetarium, Palermo Polo grounds, the racetrack and numerous museums e.g. Evita Peron Museum on Lafinur. Shops, boutiques, bars and restaurants e.g. Don Julio, Janio are only a 5 minute walk from the front door in Palermo Soho.
Adriana was always cheerful, most accommodating and informative regarding events happening in Buenos Aires and her website details events and places to visit. She speaks perfect English and she is a pleasure to deal with.