What to Know Before Renting a Temporary Apartment ("Alquiler Temporario") from an Inmobiliaria in Buenos Aires

In this guide I break down the costs associated with temporary rent (3months - 1yr) in Buenos Aires. In 2025 costs have increased tremendously for rent. I talk more about total travel expenses in my guide South America Cost Guide: Prices in Argentina, Chile & Brazil (2025) but as June 3, 2025 when writing this post it is save to say that Airbnb is more than likely the best route. Let's go over current prices and how to navigate the inmobiliaria.

How to get a lease with the inmobiliaria

You can search on Argenprop, Zonaprop, & Mercado Libre for alquiler temprorario (3 months - 1 year) and can contact via email or WhatsApp. Generally you can use Mercado Libre to find more direct to owner (dueño directo) leases which can cut costs significantly.

What are all the costs to a short term lease contract with an inmobiliaria?

In the listing you will see a flat rate, on average for what most consider a decent apartment in 2025 I've seen the range from $600 - 1000 USD /month. This is not the final cost. Let's breakdown all the costs to keep in mind:

• Rent Price - What you see on the listing
• Honorarios - This is the fee that the inmobiliaria charges for their services. Generally 20% of the total contract or a flat one additional month for longer leases like 6 months or more.
• Expensas - Sometimes this is included in the rent price or some of the expenses. Be sure to check the listing or ask the real estate agent from the inmobiliaria. Electricity and internet will be the most expensive. Expect to pay around $100-150 USD. Expenses can include water, gas, electricity, internet, and the building fee. Be sure to ask how much the last tenant paid in electricity as depending on the building, electricity costs can be drastically different. My last electricity bill was around 20,000 pesos per month whereas my friend paid around $90,000.
• Garantía - This is the security deposit which is one month's rent. This will be returned to you at the end of the contract. I've always gotten this back. Just don't wreck the apartment and you'll be fine.
• Western Union & Cambio House - All the lease contracts will want dollars or at least the blue dollar rate in pesos on the day you pay. Expect to add $50 - 100 in converting your dollars to pesos and then going to a cambio house (exchange house) to convert it back to dollars. It is better to pay in dollars ($100 bills) and less bills to carry around.

Recommendation on short term leases in 2025

In 2025 the prices in short term leases have skyrocketed. The same apartments are now $200-300 USD more in a matter of weeks. With the fluctuating economy long term leases (6 months or more) are now more common and three month leases are becoming less common or just much more expensive.

Factoring all of the costs for a three month lease it is either equivalent or more expensive than just booking through Airbnb. You don''t deal with the costs of exchanging currency, the places are often styled nicer, and are a better value overall. I've found that current leases in Argentina through the inmobiliaria to be older, outdated, and minimally furnished places in comparison to Airbnb. Two years ago short term leases were about half the price of Airbnb. Now as of June 2025 it is comparable.

My recommendation is to book through Airbnb and look for the month discounts. Additionally if you are staying for three months or more look to message the host and ask for a discount. 9/10 you should get a discount if not look elsewhere. I generally see great Airbnb hosts willing to drop the price by $200-300.

Is alquiler temporario with the inmobiliaria still worth it in 2025?

While you could get lucky finding a place through Argenprop, Zonaprop, Mercado Libre, be prepared to search for a while and jump on those listings fast. Good listings can get taken within a day. My recommendation in 2025 would be to book Airbnb stays at least a couple of weeks in advance for the best listings and message the owner for a discount. Also if you build up the familiarity with the host you could discuss a longer-term contract outside of Airbnb. Otherwise, look to visit other countries in South America with better prices like Chile and Brazil.

Argentina prices are constantly fluctuating so my recommendation may change. As of June, 2025 this is the current recommendation.