Vacation rentals, the smart way

IN THE Recoleta district of Buenos Aires, the toniest in Argentina’s capital, there are multiple five-star hotels, all looking to lure in affluent travelers from around the globe. The best of these do so quite well, commanding nightly rates that can come close to approaching the cost of the flight from New York. Don’t be a sucker — did you know that in that same neighborhood, you can rent an apartment for less than $300 a week?

You can; I did it just last week. For $260 (and no security deposit!), I landed a beautifully renovated junior one-bedroom in a 24-hour doorman building with a complete kitchenette, cable TV, amazing water pressure and speedy Internet.

Getty Images/Imagezoo

TENANT'S TENETS: Simple rules to live by for renting overseas.

My block was a cross between Paris’ Right Bank and New York’s Madison Avenue — sharp-looking home-design shops like Roche Bobois, a gourmet market, a florist, a Bodum boutique. I didn’t need any of it, but it sure looked pretty. (Then again, I’m easily impressed. At home, my corner’s star attractions include a vacant lot and a bad Thai restaurant.) Being just steps from the city center, I walked everywhere. Did I mention I only paid $260 for seven nights?

So you’re thinking, win-win, and you’re right. But before you check out of hotels forever, you should know — while renting apartments may save you a bundle, you’ve got to know what you’re getting into. They’re not hotels. Hotels make things easy. Renting an apartment takes work. Sometimes, a lot of work. Here are five tips on how to be a smart renter.

1) TRUST THE SOURCE

Remember those poor girls from Europe earlier this year who poured all their vacation cash into a Theater District rental that didn’t exist? All they got from their New York vacation was their names in the newspaper. Stories like that have turned me off the likes of Craigslist forever, at least for vacation rentals. It’s not a great loss — there are too many other sources out there these days. Currently, I am a big fan of Flipkey.com, a Tripadvisor spinoff. It does its parent one better by only posting reviews — which range from scathing to worshipful — from verified renters. Though there are plenty of other sites you should know about — see the sidebar, below — Flipkey is easily among the best.

2) DEPOSIT THIS

So you’re super impressed by that $1,500/week one-bedroom you found in Rome? You want to bet they’re going to want that same amount as a deposit, and they’re going to want the whole mess in cash? Trust me, there’s nothing quite as annoying as starting your vacation standing on a foreign street corner holding thousands of dollars in cash, waiting for some disinterested agent working on behalf of an absentee owner to show up. This is a common scenario, but it can be avoided. For instance, in Buenos Aires, with much persistence, I have found landlords (I encourage people to work with reputable individuals with one or two rental properties, rather than massive agencies that can often be disappointingly sloppy and impersonal) who either accept credit cards or do not require immense cash deposits. Be patient — it’s worth it in the long run. Many people require payment in advance; I tend to avoid such scenarios, and so should you. (Again: Never, ever consider wire transfers or money orders.) This may not be a popular viewpoint among owners, but with all the lodging alternatives out there these days, if someone is going to demand payment in advance, they should at least offer the use of modern conveniences such as credit cards and PayPal. Both can be used, by the way, when you book through a site like the popular Airbnb.com, which handles all payments directly, meaning you never have to even talk money with the owner.