This house “is lived in”. The bell rings often and youngsters _all incredibly blond and light-eyed_ come and go. The meeting spot is the winter garden, where they have coffee and enjoy a huge lemon pie. At a spectacular apartment located in the middle of Barrio Norte, they speak a foreign language, that sounds Nordic. But they are at home. Or, at least, for a month, which is the time they will be on vacations in Buenos Aires. They came from Stockholm, but chose to live here as if they were in their native Sweden.

“Last weekend, I went to Punta del Este, and when I returned, I felt at home. This is a home”, comments Richard _now in English_ a tall, amiable chef and the group’s speaker. He came with ten friends, and instead of staying at a hotel or hostel, they accommodated in three flats. Like them, more and more tourists choose less traditional accommodation: flats, family houses, tango houses and even motorhomes.

Even if there are no official numbers (see Hostels), tracing Internet pages that offer these services, Clarín counted almost 600 flats to rent, fully equipped with furniture, electrical appliances, tableware and linen. This kind of accommodation, common in United States and Europe, has grown markedly with the tourism boom. “Before devaluation, they were rented by executives who came for business. Now, they are sought-after by tourists, as they present many advantages over a hotel”, points out Marcela Picca, responsible for BAHouse, a 100-flat net. Matías Pico, from Friendly Appartments, agrees: “It is an alternative that will work very well in the future”.

This phenomenon takes place within a framework of record hotel occupation in the City. Five-star hotels had a 60 to 70% occupation rate, the best in the last five years. Why do some tourists prefer to stay at a flat? To have more privacy and handle their times freely (without breakfast hours, for example), cook their own food, have more room, invite guests and organize meetings. Americans look for buildings with facilities (swimming pool, solarium) and Europeans opt for the oldest buildings. The most popular neighborhoods? Palermo, Barrio Norte, Recoleta and Belgrano.

Rentals vary with location and comforts. But, on average, one-room flats start at 300 dollars a month, with services included and weekly housekeeping. “For them, it is very affordable compared to a hotel. And people who rent their flats to tourists have greater profitability than doing so in the local market”, states Alberto Serebrisky, from Buenos Aires Rent. For the owners, another advantage is the short rental term: ranging from a week to six months. On average, deducting expenses and commissions, profitability is around 60% of incomes (See How...).

This alternative also generates curious relationships. With money from her voluntary retirement, three years ago Graciela Zamboni set up “Alquiler en Baires” (Rent in Buenos Aires), a family undertaking that now has nine flats. She says “this generates earnings, but is also a chance of meeting other people and creating nice bonds. One Christmas, we invited two tourists to share Christmas Eve with our family. And we celebrated other tourists’ birthdays”.

But the closest contact occurs in family houses. That is, renting a room in one’s house to a guest, and sharing common spaces: the kitchen, toilet and living room. With clear rules, to keep harmonious coexistence. “In four years, I’ve never had problems. I housed lots of people and had all positive experiences”, assures Cristina Aquino, a 55-year old professional who usually opens her three-room house in Recoleta to tourists. “Almost every month I have one person for ten days, mainly professionals or retired people who enjoy living with locals _ adds Cristina _. It is a relative source of income, but it helps”.

Economic need was also what drove Pilar Segura _a tango-loving psychologist_ to rent rooms in her large house in Almagro. But Pilar’s home has its peculiarities: it’s one of the ten tango houses in the City. Tango is listened, danced and breathed there. And it’s all people talk about. “We milongueros are very fanatic. This is a perfect environment. We take classes and go to milongas”, says Oscar, born in Parque Patricios and a Toronto resident for the last 15 years, while he waits for his Canadian wife to finish her yoga class “to stretch and make figures better”. By her side, and under the patio’s shadow, Nicolai _who describes himself as a “world citizen”_ summarizes the extreme fascination tango causes that makes people come into this “clinic” for dos por cuatro addicts. “It’s a connection with another human being through the joy of music”, comments this engineer who stays at Pilar’s for fourth time. “My visitors are all professionals, over 40”, points out the homeowner.

Yet if we speak of alternative accommodation, the most unusual ones are motorhomes which may be rented from 230 dollars for a thousand kilometers. “People ask for them to visit the provinces. No one has requested them here”, tells us Alda Laura Miccolis, from Alojargentina, that also rents flats and family houses. Lots of new options, growing at the pace of the tourism boom.