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View Full Version : Warning - Apartment Robbery-IMPORTANT



Big Bob 7
10-31-06, 17:38
I just rented my fourth apartment in Palermo from a company that I have been really happy with in the past called ByTargentina. The second day that I had been there I left at about 7PM to go around the corner and buy some Chinese food. I have a door with 2 locks. The top lock was broken according to my rental agent so I was not supplied with a key for that one. The bottom lock was typical of BA with the horizontal key slit and to prongs acting as a lock. The door automatically locks when it comes to a close but, of course, that is no real protection. When I left I closed the door and locked the lower lock. When I returned about 15 minutes later the door was open and the bottom lock had been unlocked (to enter) and re-locked so that the prongs would keep the door from closing all of the way. I was really reluctant at first to even enter the apartment but I did and discovered that no one was there. I can only guess that they had only enough time to get the door open and case the place when I returned. They had either left the door that way so that they could come back and take my stuff or the had a lookout watching the front door and fled when the saw me returning. Thank God they didn't have time to get their hands on anything.

I didn't feel safe sleeping there that night knowing that strangers could come and go as they pleased so I called a locksmith with the intention of changing both locks. It turns out that the top lock really was broken and they were only able to change the bottom. I think that this has done the trick because I have had no further incidents. Unfortunatetly, the locksmiths raped me by hitting me for $440 pesos to change a lock that I know cost $50 pesos TOPS claiming that I was paying the emergency after hours rate. As far as the thiefs are concerned it could have been anyone from the maid to the doorman or a previous tenant. Actually, it could even be a neighbor who somehow copied the key. I am only mentioning this to suggest that maybe it would be a good idea to consider changing the lock as a precautions on a short term rental property when you arrive. It is a little bit of a sticky situation because you will be, in effect, locking the owner out of his own property and he could also claim that you are damaging his property or that his lock was special in some way and should not have been changed. I would recommend buying a screwdriver (which I didn't have at the time) and changing the lock yourself. It is really easy. There are only 2 screws and you can buy a lock at any hardware place in town. I would have done this myself if my situation had happened during business hours. You wouldn't have to spend more than 100 pesos and you would have a lot more peace of mind.

Monger514
10-31-06, 18:57
I've got apartments booked with them in Nov. And Jan.

Does your apartment building have 24 hour doorman?

Thomaso276
10-31-06, 19:31
Possible suspects?

How was the front door of your building accessed?

Did you see anyone hanging around the front?

Has the portero learned that you are in the apartment? Have you seen the portero since and did he appear "sheepish?"

Was anything disturbed in the apartment?

Talk to your neighbors and see if there have been other incidents, sounds like you have an internal security problem. If anyone confirms there are ongoing problems I would find another place.

Other possibilities:

Did you have a girl over the first night who could have accessed your key?

Are you sure you securely locked the door when you left? Even so, lock security is important. Good recommendation to buy a new lock as many people have gone through these short term rentals in the past and who the heck knows what their motives are? For about 50 pesos you simply replace the old one when you are ready to leave.

I remember one building I lived in and the owners did not want 24 security because the guards were so untrustworthy!

Take care.

Jaimito Cartero
11-01-06, 05:03
The majority of the locks I've seen (skeleton type keys) in BA are very low tech. Consider all the people who have rented before you, who got copies made and the list of suspects is wide open. If you had a high security system (Assa, Medeco, Multi-Lock) you'd reduce the chances of someone getting a copy, but still open to the maid, etc.