Airbnb strains Buenos Aires' housing market

[NomadTrader]

I think you must have accidentally gotten a little of that amnesia dust on yourself there, Anti. Finding an apartment in CABA has never been easy. OTOH, to be fair, you did say "comparatively", and I will agree that it is harder than ever.

Overall, then, this is an interesting discussion.
We all seem to agree that inflation is the root of the problem, but what to do about it? I don't see an overall solution.

I will point out that the shithead behaviour of the real estate agents is one factor that makes the apartment search process even more exhausting and difficult. They charge massive commissions, but they aren't responsive at all, and their attitude is just atrocious.

My favorite part of dealing with real estate agents in Argentina is the part of the conversation where they start talking about how complicated the rental agreement is and how much work it is to type up.

Its like they think they are the only people in the universe who know the 'secret' of the word.doc template and it must be guarded at all costs.

 

[Pat Murphy]

As the resident Democratic Socialist, I have to point out- the inflation rate in Uruguay is supposedly 8% or so. And their rents are at least double, and they have the same outcry against AirBnB. Pretty much everything in Uruguay is double or triple, and thats in dollars.
The inflation rate in NYC is supposedly 6% (yeah, right) and there, they are passing all kinds of new Airbnb regulations based on similar citizen complaints.
Of course, the rents there are more like 3 grand for a studio apartment, but sure, blame the left. Like that propolice anti separation of church and state commie mayor they have no.
You guys always have the same refrain- all problems are socialism.
But the airbnb issue occurs all over the world, because, capitalism.

You do understand, I hope, that "the Airbnb issue" itself is unrelated to the cause of "the Airbnb issue". You are conflating the two distinctions in a post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy.

 

[Pat Murphy]

But, since you mentioned it, the Peronist policies did set the stage.

 

[antipodean]

Qué hacer con el segundo departamento: alquilarlo, venderlo o esperar a que se recupere el mercado

Qué aconsejan los expertos. La polémica Ley de Alquileres profundizó la escasez de oferta en ese segmento a 3 años. La opción del contrato temporal

www.infobae.com

A timely article today.

You guys always have the same refrain- all problems are socialism.
But the airbnb issue occurs all over the world, because, capitalism.

The current issue in Argentina has less to do with often strange perceptions of what is or is not “socialism” (and its alleged consequences) and everything to do with “realism” or a lack thereof on the part of policy makers.

 

[Jay J.]

The best approach I have found is to cultivate a relationship with an inmobiliaria. At this point in Buenos Aires I don't even need to leave a deposit or to sign a contract. My word is gold and so is hers. Wherever I am, I send a request in advance and she sends me a long list of her properties. I select one and listo. I have become a part of her 'family' and go to their birthdays, quinceaneras, graduations, Christmas dinners... etc. I did the same thing when I lived in Bolivia. It's a win win all around.

 

[Ries]

The reality of Airbnb rentals displacing local longer term rentals is exactly the same in the Hollywood Hills, Lisbon, Seattle, or Buenos Aires. Landlords make more money on airbnb.
The solution, globally, has not been electing more conservative politicians, but, instead, regulating short term rentals.
NYC, for example, does not allow renting dwellings for less than 30 days if the landlord does not live in the premises.
This is not a Kirchner problem.
The "solution" of free market capitalism, in places like the USA, is average rents for a one bedroom apartment of $1876 per month. Thats nationwide. Most cities, and 80% of US residents live in urban areas, are higher.
This is great, for landlords. Its terrible for cities, most of which are higher, to make the "average" that low, the stats include low rent rural areas.
In other words, the answer to high rents in the USA is a few million homeless people, and tens of millions of people who spend most of their income on rent.
Whereas, the difficulty of evictions here has somehow resulted in, by global standards, almost no homeless.
Sure, blame the peronistas.
But the same phenomena, in NY, or Amsterdam or Paris, Palm Beach or Istanbul, somehow happen without Peronism.
Go figure.

 

[Tiluchi]

The reality of Airbnb rentals displacing local longer term rentals is exactly the same in the Hollywood Hills, Lisbon, Seattle, or Buenos Aires. Landlords make more money on airbnb.
The solution, globally, has not been electing more conservative politicians, but, instead, regulating short term rentals.
NYC, for example, does not allow renting dwellings for less than 30 days if the landlord does not live in the premises.
This is not a Kirchner problem.
The "solution" of free market capitalism, in places like the USA, is average rents for a one bedroom apartment of $1876 per month. Thats nationwide. Most cities, and 80% of US residents live in urban areas, are higher.
This is great, for landlords. Its terrible for cities, most of which are higher, to make the "average" that low, the stats include low rent rural areas.
In other words, the answer to high rents in the USA is a few million homeless people, and tens of millions of people who spend most of their income on rent.
Whereas, the difficulty of evictions here has somehow resulted in, by global standards, almost no homeless.
Sure, blame the peronistas.
But the same phenomena, in NY, or Amsterdam or Paris, Palm Beach or Istanbul, somehow happen without Peronism.
Go figure.

And your point was....? If there was one.

 

[Ries]

And your point was....? If there was one.

um- my point is that kirchner policies have nothing to do with local renters disliking airbnb, here, there, or anywhere. Airbnb inherently upsets local rental markets, annoys neighbors, and makes some people a lot of money. Its also incredibly convenient for travellers who have the money.
This is true globally.

 

[Greg M]

um- my point is that kirchner policies have nothing to do with local renters disliking airbnb, here, there, or anywhere. Airbnb inherently upsets local rental markets, annoys neighbors, and makes some people a lot of money. Its also incredibly convenient for travellers who have the money.
This is true globally.

Peronism has everything to do with AirBnB being so utilized in Argentina. If the fiscal and monetary policies of the socialists had even a modicum of responsibility and sensibility, there would not be such an absurd blue dollar rate which brings the tourists. You might invest a few minutes in understanding price elasticity and how it relates to supply and demand. Leftist psychobabble is just that.

 

[Jtee125]

um- my point is that kirchner policies have nothing to do with local renters disliking airbnb, here, there, or anywhere. Airbnb inherently upsets local rental markets, annoys neighbors, and makes some people a lot of money. Its also incredibly convenient for travellers who have the money.
This is true globally.

I have to agree. Irrelevant of politics show me somewhere where airbnb hasn’t distorted the housing market. At the very least, I don’t think you can counter the contrapositive that where it does distort the housing market could be left leaning or could be right leaning.

The core problem is inequality exists between countries. The solution? I don’t know if there is one