Crowd Sourcing for Rental Wisdom

[Coco]

Hi everyone. The title says it all, so let me give you the details:

My lady and I are renting a furnished one bedroom in Palermo (close to Plaza Italia) for $800 USD per month, which includes cable, internet, maintenance, and 24-hour security. We've got approximately 45 square meters, 1.5 baths, a roomy balcony, and shared access to a common outdoor pool and small gym.

We're going to be here for another year (actually a little more), and we're wondering if it's possible (likely?) to find a nicer flat for a similar price. And by nicer, I mean better furnishings. Our kitchen is quite small, and the quality of the furnishings (minus the TV) is generally pretty cheap.

Any thoughts / recommendations / scoldings would be appreciated. Thanks all!

 

[va2ba]

I would recommend looking around on craigslist and see what you can find. A lot of owners post their apartments there. You may be hard pressed to find anything more than an old studio for $800 a month. But you can probably find a nice apartment for $1000 a month. As, since you'd be working directly with the owner (ideally), you might be able to work out a discount to rent the apartment for a year.

 

[Sleuth]

Check out AirBNB too for apartments. Most owners should offer at least 10% off the listed rent for a longer term rental.

As for prices, we have a great furnished studio in Palermo Hollywood (34 sq meters) that we have listed at $1050/mo. And a 1-bedroom (50 sq meters) at $1350/mo. Not trying to sell you, just giving some price ranges.

 

[citygirl]

Look around on craigslist and soloduenos but for a 1 BR apt with 24 hour security and a pool, I'd say you are getting a fair price.

 

[MorganF]

Try Oasis: http://www.oasiscollections.com

 

[withersdavis]

It sounds like your current deal is a pretty good one, especially for the location. If you look hard enough you can find something better though. You'll just need to spend a lot of time looking.

One other way you might be able to upgrade is if you sign a 2-year lease 'aka Argentine lease). I was able to do this without having a guarantia by paying a large deposit and/or up front payment.

 

[HeyBA]

Hi Coco, sounds like you're getting a good price, all things considered. Just to make sure, you might want to shop around on sites as if you were an Argentine looking for a two year lease at this point in time. See how much those go for, then factor in bills and maintenance, and see if you're really paying that much more than a local out looking for a lease now. You might be getting a good deal already.

I did that with a recent apartment move I made, and I realized I was probably only paying a small premium to not have to be on a long-term lease and have to deal with setting up accounts and paying bills here. Works for me.

 

[jjsto]

Yeah, that sounds like a fair price to me. In a building with a pool/gym and 24 hr security just the impuestos, expensas, cable, internet, etc. will easily add up to 1,000 pesos or more. So you are essentially paying around 2,200 pesos for rent, which sounds pretty good for an apartment in that neighborhood with amenities. Plus it is furnished and I am assuming you did not put down a garantia. If all that bothers you is the quality of the furniture, you can always shop around and buy some new furnishings and then sell them when you leave.