boardinghouse in Florence for a rented room in the city.
“Since then, when planning a trip, I don’t even consider
alternatives. It lets you feel like you belong.”
ANFITRIÃO
{ landlord }
Na lista de nomes cadastrados no site Airbnb, consta o de Lucas Rodrigues,
dono de um apartamento espaçoso e bem localizado em Pinheiros, São
Paulo. Para fazer parte do acervo do site, ele preencheu um formulário
detalhado. “De janeiro a fevereiro, aluguei um dos quartos para um
texano e com o pagamento consegui pagar todas as contas do mês”,
explica Lucas. “O próprio site avalia o apartamento – eles sugerem um
valor mínimo de US$ 50 a diária – e arrematam 3% desse valor”, explica.
E, para que o viajante não compre gato por lebre, a equipe do site vai até
o local e fotografa cada canto. Para prevenir maiores problemas, grande
parte das agências também oferece seguro, tanto para o hóspede quanto
para o proprietário. “Se acontecer alguma coisa com o visitante – ou
comigo – dentro de casa, o site paga o seguro”, conta.
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Airbnb’s list of registered users includes Lucas Rodrigues, who owns a
spacious and conveniently located apartment in the São Paulo district of
Pinheiros. He filled in a detailed form to join the website’s listing. “From
January to February, I rented a room to a Texan, and the rent made up
for all of my monthly bills,” he explains. “The website appraises the
apartment – they suggest a minimum of US$50 per day – and keep
3% of the amount.” To protect travelers, the website’s team visits the
property and takes picture of every nook and cranny. To prevent against
bigger problems, many agencies also offer insurance policies for both
tenants and landlords. “If anything happens to the visitor – or myself –
at home, the Website activates the policy,” Rodrigues explains.
EVITE ROUBADAS { dodging lemons }
• Chegue ao local no horário marcado para não provocar desencontros.
Get there on time to prevent missing out.
• Certifique-se de que o apartamento escolhido seja localizado de acordo
com as suas preferências. Make sure that the chosen property is
conveniently located for you.
• Leve anotado o contato do proprietário e da agência escolhida.
Keep note of the landlord’s and the agency’s contact information.
• Opte pelo serviço de limpeza oferecido pelo site. Isso costuma ser
cobrado à parte, mas vale a pena. Opt in for the housekeeping
service. It usually costs extra, but is worth it.
• Leve dinheiro em espécie – o pagamento costuma ser feito em
dinheiro, na entrega das chaves. Bring cash – rent is usually paid up
front upon delivery of the keys.
• Em muitas agências, o aluguel fica mais barato caso a
permanência seja superior a sete dias. With many agencies,
rent is cheaper for stays longer than seven days.
• Tente não marcar a saída para muito cedo, já que algumas agências não inspecionam o local antes das oito da manhã. Try not to
schedule very early departures, as some agencies do not inspect
properties before 8 AM.
• Em caso de problemas na estadia, entre em contato com a empresa – muitas fornecem atendimento 24 horas. In the event of problems during your
stay, get in touch with an agency representative – many offer 24/7 service.
A ROOM IN NEW YORK OR A VILLA IN TUSCANY
“Young people from 20 to 35 who want to experience
the local culture are our main clients”, says Wimdu’s
Guenther. Although most of them are looking for houses and apartments, many specialized websites also offer
castles, condos and villas. Guest Apartment Services, for
example, offers personalized service, and the nearly 50
rental choices in Paris include studios, penthouses and
houses with a view of the Seine. “Prospective clients talk
to us by email or telephone, and tell us about their preferences,” says Christophe Chastel, co-founder of Guest
Apartment Services. “Details are important so that we
can suggest restaurants and sights, and even choose the
flowers arrangements for the property.”
Looking for a cool destination for a group of friends
during their latest vacations, Juliana Freire da Costa
Silveira, marketing manager and founder of the blog
Just Real Moms, did her homework. “I wanted to spend
New Year’s with my husband, my 18-month-old son
and four other couples. Five children all told. We decided
to steer clear of resorts, but the options we had left were
impractical for several reasons. Then we found a house
for rent in Bariloche.” Less than 30 minutes from the city,
the walled community offered a marine club, restaurant,
golf course, horses and a playground. “The community’s
website (www.arelauquen.com) led to the realtor’s. We
negotiated with them all the time. It was a great choice,
the house had it all, including a cradle.”
Oceanographer Marina Santana also decided to
spend the Holidays in Buenos Aires. “My parents stayed
at one rental apartment, their friends at another, and me
and a friend at one of our own. It’s a more personal experience, you do your own programming and schedule.”
Whether your property of choice is a room in New
York or an entire villa in Tuscany, when the time
comes to rent for the season, what matters is visiting
trusted sites, making sure the chosen item is up to spec
and having the agency’s contact information at hand
for any event. And then enjoy days or months of privacy like a true local.
FOTO ANDRE KLOTZ
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