My "Ha! Ha!" is reserved for those who don't think outside the box and pay too much attention to to laws, regulations, etc. That said maybe I've been lucky over the years in Buenos Aires. It pays to establish good relationships with neighbors, porteros, encargados and pretty much everybody. It is also important to throw a wide net when looking for an apartment. I also have avoided any apartments that have been managed by a real estate agency or anybody who struck me as an "asshole". You're asking for trouble if you don't.
I pay rent in dollars via wire transfer between banks in the USA. I no longer have a lease as the landlady and I tore it up at the beginning of the pandemic. I pay rent on time and I don't cause problems. The rent has not changed since I moved in, and if the landlady wanted to increase it we could talk about it. There's no "formula" as to "how much, how often and when".
As noted I'm sure I've been lucky to some degree but we do make our own luck as well.
Good luck out there!
