Rental Apartment Reports

[David_33]

Just had a bad experience with this company. Got me for $120.

[Big Bob 7]

"By Alto Palermo Mall for US$58. Per nite. This was a high end apartment at a reasonable price. This location requires a little spanish as this is not a tourist area. They have upper end Recoleta apartments also."

This statement is funny to me because the first time I ever went to Santa Fe 3373 I was living in Recoleta and I thought that this area was so far out and "local". I was wondering if it was safe or not. It seemed to me to be seedy and a little bit shady when the cab driver was driving up Charcas at night. Now I have this memory of my first impression and I live here even further down Santa Fe and pass the same scenery everyday but in my mind's eye I can find no correlation between the 2 impressions that I had (Then and now) It is like the 2 memories happened in different countries. Can you image someone saying, "Be careful out there by that Alto Palermo shopping mall. You never know when one of the locals around there might pop a cap in somebody's ass." I'm not cracking on this guy because I was thinking the same thing but I just wanted to go on the record and say that this is a VERY safe and quiet area and visitors need not worry about their safety if staying here.

[Jaimito Cartero]

Ah, I love it when the Wall Street Journal uses me for one of it's reports.

This is one link, on an Argentina board:

http://www.apartmentsba.com/argentin...n-the-news-97/

[Miami Bob]

Canadian / Argentine owned. These folks are very professional.

And easy to deal with. I had a beautiful apartment 65 sqmtrs.

By Alto Palermo Mall for US$58. Per nite. This was a high end apartment at a reasonable price. When Jackson runs a special is the only way to find better value with good reliable service.

This location requires a little spanish as this is not a tourist area. They have upper end Recoleta apartments also. Saint.

Originally introduced me to these people - I still think that Saint is a good guy. His agency just is not geared to what I want or need. I would never pay double the price to sleep on the same bed linens used by Donald Trump. Saint has a nice one bedroom around the corner for US$ 150 per night.

He does have nicer linens and a mattress fit for the Queen of England and a vonage box.

Jimena or Victoria 011 5411 4801 9291

[King of Sluts]

Mongers,

Who has the best and cheapest apartments in Buenos Aires? I do not like to get ripped off my the latins, I prefer to pay more whooores with the money that I am cheap on my apartment. Can I get an apartment for 400 dollars a month that is nice.

KOS

[Easy Go]

One idea would be to stick with apartments that are fully managed by the renting agency rather than having a local owner that rents through multiple agencies. My guess is that improves the chance of a good experience.

[AllIWantIsLove]

I wanted to rent an apartment for Feb. but didn't like the way that the deck is stacked against the renter and in favor of the owner.

If the owner is what really matters, as seems to be the case, could we ask guys who post their renting experiences to include the owner's name? Then when ever one of us wants to rent a place we can ask the agency for the owner's name. If someone else has had a bad experience with that owner we don't do business with him.

These owners who screw their renters shouldn't be able to hide behind the agencies.

Just a thought,

Bob

===========================================

Hi Bob,

The problem with implementing your strategy is that there are a handful of agencies but hundred's of owners.

Thanks,

Jackson

[Stowe]

Sorry to hear about your bad experience. While I have used ByT a number of times and have dealt with Mariano, I have had nothing but good experiences.

As I posted some time back. These ByT is only the middleman in these situations and it all depends on the person who owns the apartment. While ByT and Mariano could have done a hell of a lot more for you, they, like you, are not in control of the situation, the owner is.

It is easy to be good, friendly and helpful when things are going well. The real measure of service is how a person or company responds when something goes wrong, as it did in your situation. This indicates that Mariano (and possibly ByT) are great to work with when there are no issues and the owner is great.

Otherwise, we can be screwed.

Suerte.

Stowe

[BundaLover]

RustyJones,

Great information. Thank you for taking the time to write the details. I rented once from AlojaArgentina this year. They were responsive and have about 5-6 full time agents in their office near the university medical center. They were unable to provide maid service due to bullshit and a strange event (robbery of cash within a suitcase) occured that leads me to believe somebody else had the key and enterred the apartment. This thing of not knowing who has keys to the place is a big gap in renting security that is NOT adaquatley addressed with the agencies.

[Exon123]

RustyJones.

And others, heres how to rent an apartment with out any bull shit.

But first I'll state that I give all the business I can to Roxana, we're friends and I'd rather her have my money than some stranger. But there times her place is rented such as this trip and I'll rent a temporary place until I can move into Roxana's.

Go to, http://www.homes.com.ar/servicios/serv_reubicacion.php and pick out a place you like.

Then contact Victoria at, victoria@realestate.Com.Ar , she's the short term leasing agent. Victoria will do a job for you with no muss and no fuss.

I've done this 5 or 6 times with Victoria and never a problem, plus she speaks better English than most of us.

Exon

[RustyJones]

Boy I know what I am getting into with all of the "I love BYT" hoopla. But for what it is worth with my experience they especially Mariano and Gaston really SUCK!

Now with that statement you would say that I am being VERY unreasonable, but you need to know the truth of the matter and how BYT washed its hands of a very bad situation and tried to place blame and responsibility on all other parties except for themselves.

This is in two parts. The first involves Gaston that handles the Barrio Nolte area. I started to look late for an apartment, but I found a place that may be somewhat nice and reasonaly priced but not as near as what I would like to be to Recoletta. Before I confirmed the apartment I decided to ask questions of BYT through the person that replied to my inquiry about the apartment, Gaston. Ok so here is the first negative after a few emails re-asking the questions and only getting a response from Gaston to confirm the reservation I copied the main info address too. Gee I finally got a response although not to my liking from Gaston. Now four to five days had gone by waiting for this real response. More or less I had to talk to another agent there. He could not help at all. So I called the agency. The agent for Recoletta was mad at me for not trying to rent five or more places! I only needed one! The web site showed it to be available. Gee guess what! The web site is not updated! So many of the apartments are really NOT available. So Byt wants you to ask for up to six apartments. I finally did this. Realize this is now four days before my flight. Well all of the apartments that I tried were gone! But she referred me to Mariano. Finally Mariano said he could help and sent some possibilities. Finally some one who would answer questions and help. I choose a place for 625 per week located on Suipacha and Arroyo. THis is not a bad location if you wish to go to Recoletta and or Micro Center. The good news with Mariano ends here! Yes I know everyone raves about how good he is. Sorry I do not beleive it. This is why.

Part Two - Ok everything is OK until Monday nite at three AM when I return back to the building of my apartment. Walking into the lobby of the building I see a scuzzy guy in his late 20's to early 30's talking to the nite doorman. He was almost homeless looking or a throw back to the 60's hippe junk look only dirtier. As I walked past them toward the elevator he turns and follows me. He follows me into the same elevator and presses the button for the same floor as me. I commented about staying on the same floor and asked what apartment he was staying in. He asked me to tell him first what apartment I was staying in. I figured he was a person that lived there so there was not a problem for him to know so I told him. He rudely commented back that he lived there, he owns it and I do not stay there. Of course I was JUST A LITTLE BIT PISSED. He said he could prove it and proceeded to go to the apartment in question and openned the door to my place WITH HIS KEYES. Do you think I was even more pissed now! His bike and back pack were already inside the apartment from his initial visit to it earlier. OK more pissed! I tried to keep calm and looked around to see if anything of my stuff was taken from the apartment.

OK, so the long and short of it after much heated discussions and getting even more pissed if that was even possible at that time, I heard these things: he was the owner but the responibility was awarded to his mother to manage the apartment property which he knows is rented out to people; he also has his own place in BA (he had written down a phone number to reach him which he confirmed was his home number); his opinion was that HE IS ABLE TO STAY THERE AT ANY TIME (HE DID NOT CARE ABOUT THE RENTAL AGREEMENT); the mother hired a management company to manage the rental of the property. This "sons" attitude was of a spoiled rich kid that could not get his way with me and was being an asshole. Again many things were said by him that gave me that opinion. Finally I got him to leave (with bike and back pack) It did take some trying. Both he and I commented we were going to solve it in the morning. His attitude was of course an asshole. Ok, so in the morning I finally got hold of Claudio (Mariano's assistant) Of course he assured me that BYT would take care of everything. Boy did I beleive him! After two hours of waiting Mariano called and said that the son was miss-informed and was sorry. I did not buy it. The son was a creep and an asshole. He would say any thing to defray the responsibility or to get me to stay so of course he could have access. The interesting thing is that Mariano put the responsibility on me! He repeated during my conversation with him: "Then it is your choice to move out?". I will now say again (Mariano) It is my choice to protect my belongings and my deposit at the apartment. It should have been yours also being my representative renting the apartment. Mariano shifted the responsibility to me and therefore the cost. No he did not say it at that point in time. But I knew what was coming. I had to make him refocus on taking the responsibilty. I was at that time almost screaming at him over the phone. I found out later that Mariano screamed at the apartment manager of the property. She finally came up with the idea of changing the lock. Being that I would need to travel to the BYT office to look at other posibilities with my luggage and not knowing what would become of the balance of the rent and my deposit, I decided to accept the lock changing with the manager and I to have the only copies of keyes until I leave. On the day I checked out I contacted Claudio to change to time and to talk about things that were not provided and the "son" situation. He said he would handle it and would return my call to verify. No phone call back. What a surprise! I had to call the apartment manager and verify the change of time. She also said when she arrive that Claudio was going to be there also. Guess what he did not show and his cell was turned off! Surprise, surprise, surprise!

Summation; BYT will not be helpfull in any case of problems with an apartment. They will shift responsibility to all others including the renter. They will wash thier hands of any and all situations. They only care about making thier commision that is all! If I had agreed to take on the responsibility when I asked about getting me out of there, I would have lost the rest of my rent for the week and my deposit along with having to put down the same again on another place (you don't see scam here do you? Remember everything is in CASH! Gee I wonder why!

Opposing other peoples views on BYT, I WILL NOT USE BYT AGAIN.

I realize my view will get criticism from members that want to promote BYT. I can only comment on what I experienced myself.

This is a buyer beware!

[Stormy]

I have used BytArgentina a number of times and results have been just fine.
Everything depends on the owner of the apartment and I tend to repeat where service has been good.

[Mojokpr]

Hey,

I used Alojargentina my first time there, great service, and the BYT the next 3 times, all without any problems. I've always gotten all of my deposit back, the last time the owner didn't even check the apartment out, she just met me at the door and gave me the deposit back the night prior to me leaving. I usually arrive in the wee hours of the morning and the owner and BYT rep will meet me at the apartment (I usually bring a bottle of wine or something) get the lease signed and I'm done in about 15 minutes.

I've never stayed in a hotel in BA, I'm sure they have them but the apartments are so much nicer. I've stayed anywhere from 6 days to 3 weeks several times. You can really enjoy yourself in an apartment, I feel like the girls like them better, and you get to enjoy the neighborhood differently. It seems like hotels in most cities are only in certain parts of town. I always stay in San Telmo, have stayed in some beautiful lofts there, a nice enhancement to a wonderful trip.

[MCSE]

Keep in mind that BYTArgentina is a broker, they don't own the apartments. There is nothing the agency can do if an urgent repairment is needed, or if the owner wants to discount you money from your damages deposit.

[Stormy]

I have used Bytargentina 4 times and have been very satified with their services. Sometimes things don't last here, but for now I would certainly recommend them.