Big Bob 7
10-31-06, 17:38
I just rented my fourth apartment in Palermo from a company that I have been really happy with in the past called ByTargentina. The second day that I had been there I left at about 7PM to go around the corner and buy some Chinese food. I have a door with 2 locks. The top lock was broken according to my rental agent so I was not supplied with a key for that one. The bottom lock was typical of BA with the horizontal key slit and to prongs acting as a lock. The door automatically locks when it comes to a close but, of course, that is no real protection. When I left I closed the door and locked the lower lock. When I returned about 15 minutes later the door was open and the bottom lock had been unlocked (to enter) and re-locked so that the prongs would keep the door from closing all of the way. I was really reluctant at first to even enter the apartment but I did and discovered that no one was there. I can only guess that they had only enough time to get the door open and case the place when I returned. They had either left the door that way so that they could come back and take my stuff or the had a lookout watching the front door and fled when the saw me returning. Thank God they didn't have time to get their hands on anything.
I didn't feel safe sleeping there that night knowing that strangers could come and go as they pleased so I called a locksmith with the intention of changing both locks. It turns out that the top lock really was broken and they were only able to change the bottom. I think that this has done the trick because I have had no further incidents. Unfortunatetly, the locksmiths raped me by hitting me for $440 pesos to change a lock that I know cost $50 pesos TOPS claiming that I was paying the emergency after hours rate. As far as the thiefs are concerned it could have been anyone from the maid to the doorman or a previous tenant. Actually, it could even be a neighbor who somehow copied the key. I am only mentioning this to suggest that maybe it would be a good idea to consider changing the lock as a precautions on a short term rental property when you arrive. It is a little bit of a sticky situation because you will be, in effect, locking the owner out of his own property and he could also claim that you are damaging his property or that his lock was special in some way and should not have been changed. I would recommend buying a screwdriver (which I didn't have at the time) and changing the lock yourself. It is really easy. There are only 2 screws and you can buy a lock at any hardware place in town. I would have done this myself if my situation had happened during business hours. You wouldn't have to spend more than 100 pesos and you would have a lot more peace of mind.
I didn't feel safe sleeping there that night knowing that strangers could come and go as they pleased so I called a locksmith with the intention of changing both locks. It turns out that the top lock really was broken and they were only able to change the bottom. I think that this has done the trick because I have had no further incidents. Unfortunatetly, the locksmiths raped me by hitting me for $440 pesos to change a lock that I know cost $50 pesos TOPS claiming that I was paying the emergency after hours rate. As far as the thiefs are concerned it could have been anyone from the maid to the doorman or a previous tenant. Actually, it could even be a neighbor who somehow copied the key. I am only mentioning this to suggest that maybe it would be a good idea to consider changing the lock as a precautions on a short term rental property when you arrive. It is a little bit of a sticky situation because you will be, in effect, locking the owner out of his own property and he could also claim that you are damaging his property or that his lock was special in some way and should not have been changed. I would recommend buying a screwdriver (which I didn't have at the time) and changing the lock yourself. It is really easy. There are only 2 screws and you can buy a lock at any hardware place in town. I would have done this myself if my situation had happened during business hours. You wouldn't have to spend more than 100 pesos and you would have a lot more peace of mind.