Nicely laid out Ceviche. Good information.
But I would comment on #3 and #4 a little bit.
I've not had success with #3, personally, though I know one person who has. I have another friend right now who is searching for a place (his first long term lease) and he has been turned down from 3 different owners. the problem is that at the end of the two year lease, having paid that first year or even the the second year in quarter-long payments, when the end of the lease comes the owner has no additional recourse of a guarantee to force the occupant out if they don't want to leave. It also doesn't help with damages that exceed the initial deposit. This is feedback I've gotten from a few of the owners with whom I've tried to make such a deal. Although admittedly, it's been awhile since I tried this because I got all negatives the first two times I tried this. It could be that things have changed a bit as owners try to rent their places out in this economy. But foreigners (though most likely not from other South American countries) would have more luck with this than Argentinos.
On #4 - All of my brothers-in-law work in the while, except for one. They have approached their banks and have had pretty much no luck. At first they didn't even want to give them a guarantee. After pushing, the amount of money that they are guaranteed for is a percentage of their income and it wasn't enough to rent a hotel, much less an apartment which they could have afforded to rent. It may be possible to do this, but I don't think it's easy. Kind of like a mortgage - they exist here, but they are expensive and very hard to get approved for.
Not paying the rent for the last month si a possibility, but one I found I couldn't do, personally. It's not right, although it would have saved my deposit in each of my situations. I know it's something that is done here often, but so are other things that are unsavory and I'd rather be on the right side of things than stoop to their level. but you're right, it is one way that people do things here.
My buddy who rented for 9 years tried for a month before he was going to leave his apartment to get the owners over to inspect it. He had moved out early and cleaned the place and taken care of any incidental damages well before he asked them to come look at it. They never did come. 4 months later, after he's been trying to get his deposit back, he gets a bill from the owners of $45,000 pesos which included painting (the walls were nearly immaculate when he moved out - 50 sm apartment and only two walls in the living room and three walls in the bedroom had to be painted - the bathroom and the kitchen were tiled and one wall in the living room was glass doors, the other tiled like the kitchen with a bar between kitchen and den) and the replacement of an electric stove (no oven), which from the day he moved in hadn't worked (he had the communication to prove it), but he didn't worry about it because the only things he cooks, he bakes in the oven - mostly he ordered out. he thought about not paying the last month's rent, but thought he had such a good relationship with the owners that he didn't need to stoop to their level. Maybe he should have.
But I would comment on #3 and #4 a little bit.
I've not had success with #3, personally, though I know one person who has. I have another friend right now who is searching for a place (his first long term lease) and he has been turned down from 3 different owners. the problem is that at the end of the two year lease, having paid that first year or even the the second year in quarter-long payments, when the end of the lease comes the owner has no additional recourse of a guarantee to force the occupant out if they don't want to leave. It also doesn't help with damages that exceed the initial deposit. This is feedback I've gotten from a few of the owners with whom I've tried to make such a deal. Although admittedly, it's been awhile since I tried this because I got all negatives the first two times I tried this. It could be that things have changed a bit as owners try to rent their places out in this economy. But foreigners (though most likely not from other South American countries) would have more luck with this than Argentinos.
On #4 - All of my brothers-in-law work in the while, except for one. They have approached their banks and have had pretty much no luck. At first they didn't even want to give them a guarantee. After pushing, the amount of money that they are guaranteed for is a percentage of their income and it wasn't enough to rent a hotel, much less an apartment which they could have afforded to rent. It may be possible to do this, but I don't think it's easy. Kind of like a mortgage - they exist here, but they are expensive and very hard to get approved for.
Not paying the rent for the last month si a possibility, but one I found I couldn't do, personally. It's not right, although it would have saved my deposit in each of my situations. I know it's something that is done here often, but so are other things that are unsavory and I'd rather be on the right side of things than stoop to their level. but you're right, it is one way that people do things here.
My buddy who rented for 9 years tried for a month before he was going to leave his apartment to get the owners over to inspect it. He had moved out early and cleaned the place and taken care of any incidental damages well before he asked them to come look at it. They never did come. 4 months later, after he's been trying to get his deposit back, he gets a bill from the owners of $45,000 pesos which included painting (the walls were nearly immaculate when he moved out - 50 sm apartment and only two walls in the living room and three walls in the bedroom had to be painted - the bathroom and the kitchen were tiled and one wall in the living room was glass doors, the other tiled like the kitchen with a bar between kitchen and den) and the replacement of an electric stove (no oven), which from the day he moved in hadn't worked (he had the communication to prove it), but he didn't worry about it because the only things he cooks, he bakes in the oven - mostly he ordered out. he thought about not paying the last month's rent, but thought he had such a good relationship with the owners that he didn't need to stoop to their level. Maybe he should have.
