Apartment Security

[AkBill]

wow scarey shit that people are coming into your ap when you arent home

catch them in the act...then have no mercy

 

[starlucia]

catch them in the act...then have no mercy

Sweep the leg, Johnny.

 

[hannstew]

any thoughts on why the portero would repeatedly enter and not stealing anything?

This may sound disturbing but not totally absurd, he could be coming in to check out the lady of the houses' ropa interior, or even put a spy cam on you guys. There are any number of reasons to go in and not steel anything..

 

[citygirl]

Sweep the leg, Johnny.

Bwhahaha - love the KK reference

There is a lot of reasons, including legit ones, that a portero might need to enter your apt. To check out pipes, repair things, maybe just to check on the general apt. I'm not sure how the poster "knows" that the portero is entering? If you just suspect, mention to the portero next time you see him/her that you're installing a security camera (even if you're not). That make cut down on any unauthorized entry

 

[perry]

Giving portero keys to your property can be fraught with difficulties especially if you are not in Buenos Aires or not managing it correctly with a trusted contact . Many porteros use foreigners apartments as bulins to meet their lovers.

I have caught a few in the act myself and it was not a pleasant experience

 

[2GuysInPM]

Keys are too much of a problem (and a hassle to carry around). We use digital locks and only issue a PIN code which gets changed when needed. Some of these locks can even keep a log of who comes in and when.

 

[jenandj]

Sweep the leg, Johnny.

For me, the question is how to sweep the leg. So, say I catch the portero through a security camera, what then? I know better than to reach out to the police as I don't want to invite them in and then shortly thereafter find my laptop missing...

I can't figure out if the portero is just some kind of perv, or if he's just really concerned about us using too much electricity and comes in to turn off the lights and to sort through our food to make sure none of it has gone bad (this was a weird one - searching for money in our kitchen, I guess)...

Nothing has gone missing, but it makes me really uncomfortable since I have a little girl and want to feel secure in the apartment.

Has anyone had any success in dealing with a portero who stops in uninvited and repeatedly when you're not around?

 

[starlucia]

For me, the question is how to sweep the leg. So, say I catch the portero through a security camera, what then? I know better than to reach out to the police as I don't want to invite them in and then shortly thereafter find my laptop missing...

I can't figure out if the portero is just some kind of perv, or if he's just really concerned about us using too much electricity and comes in to turn off the lights and to sort through our food to make sure none of it has gone bad (this was a weird one - searching for money in our kitchen, I guess)...

Nothing has gone missing, but it makes me really uncomfortable since I have a little girl and want to feel secure in the apartment.

Has anyone had any success in dealing with a portero who stops in uninvited and repeatedly when you're not around?

Yeah, I don't know what the best course-of-action is for short-term renters. In my partner's building, all of the property owners joined forces twice, once to fire a thieving portero and once to fire the insane mafia administradora (all of the neighbors divided the severance and legal fees equally.) Maybe you should share your concerns with the apartment owner -- s/he might be motivated to correct the situation if they think the portero's actions could affect their ability to rent the place.

 

[AngelinBA]

As far as changing the locks go, you can take a leaf out of my Argentine husband's book "it's better to do it then ask forgiveness than ask permission and be told no". You're not talking about being paranoid about safety, you've got genuine reasons for doing this - your own safety and security, especially with a little girl in the house.

Tell your landlord you had your bag stolen with your keys in it and as it was just outside your apartment building you decided to change the locks just in case. Promise to get them copies of the keys (and do it when you hand over the apartment) and apologise for any inconvenience. Make it sound like you're doing them a favour - preventing thieves from entering.

The other idea someone else posted of telling the portero you're installing a security camera is also a good one.

 

[mini]

As far as changing the locks go, you can take a leaf out of my Argentine husband's book "it's better to do it then ask forgiveness than ask permission and be told no". You're not talking about being paranoid about safety, you've got genuine reasons for doing this - your own safety and security, especially with a little girl in the house.

Tell your landlord you had your bag stolen with your keys in it and as it was just outside your apartment building you decided to change the locks just in case. Promise to get them copies of the keys (and do it when you hand over the apartment) and apologise for any inconvenience. Make it sound like you're doing them a favour - preventing thieves from entering.

The other idea someone else posted of telling the portero you're installing a security camera is also a good one.

If you say you had your keys stolen in front of your building you will be responsible for changing the locks to the front door as well.

When we moved in to our place (not a temp rental) they suggested we change the combination. Someone already mentioned how to do that. That is your best bet. Tell them only when you leave after you have the deposit in your hand.

"Oh and by the way, we changed the locks. Here are the new keys."