I was planning on staying in this room while on a long-term grant period in Buenos Aires, so my review is reflecting my nine-month visit, that ended up lasting about 5 weeks.
I would call this a private room in a house, not a private apartment. The space itself is like a small studio. A twin size bed and a loft desk space. The patio shown in the pictures is a shared space off of the main hallway and I would recommend keeping the curtains closed while you’re in the room unless you enjoy other tenants looking into your bedroom. When I arrived, the room was quite dirty. I have tried to deep clean it myself multiple times, but there seems to be a layer of grime and dust that comes with the furniture and some unsightly stains on the fridge (which smelled strongly of ham and cheese upon my arrival). The dresser provided is flimsy and small; it will not hold much clothes - perfect for someone who is only here for a few days, but not beyond that. They do provide a power strip with universal plugs which is nice. It may not be clear from the pictures, but the bathroom was a bit of a surprise to me. The entire room functions as the shower (the head is attached to the wall next to the toilet and the drain is in front of the sink), so often times the floor of the bathroom is quite wet. If you stay here, be sure to bring shower shoes or something. The toilet needs a little extra love in order to flush properly - you need to pull the chain above the bowl until absolutely everything has disappeared down the sewer otherwise it will all come back up. The sink is also very precarious - I was often concerned that it was going to fall right off the wall. The bedroom itself can start smelling stuffy quickly - I recommend leaving the window open as long as you are ok with bugs joining you in the room (there is no screen). You may get bugs anyway, though, as there are holes in the wall that are covered with peeling masking tape. This is definitely a space for someone on a budget, who does not care too much for comfort or glamour.
The listing states that there is a shared kitchen downstairs. This is true, but I found it extremely difficult to use this space. Upon my arrival, I found it completely filthy. The sink is constantly leaking and full of dirty dishes and it seemed like there was stuff growing on the floor. I mentioned this to the host, and someone did come in to clean the dishes in the sink, but did not bother to take out the trash cans full of bottles, food remnants, and old mate. As an American, I also did not realize that the stove/oven does not have a pilot light. Not a huge deal, but something to know before you plan on using the space. You will have to purchase items in order to cook anything. It also does not quite have all the utensils I would have expected from a “full kitchen,” but it that does not bother you, you won’t have a problem.
I did not enjoy the hospitality of the space. Whenever I messaged the host, I was usually met with a curt reply that did not explain the situation in full. For instance, she refused to send me any other pictures of the space before I decided to rent the room and when I asked about laundry simply said that using the machines in the building “was not possible,” with no other context. That being said, they were quick to respond. My first week here, I had a leak in the shower which was fixed within a day. They were also open to me practicing my violin in the apartment. So I thank them for that.
Despite the fact that the building has a washer and dryer, the use of those machines are not included in the price of rent. There are a few laundromats down the street, however, that can do a load of laundry in about an hour and in April 2019 cost only about $150 ARS.
I was often disturbed in the middle of the night by other tenants coming back late. Because of the position of this room at the top of the stairs, many people would stumble and knock into the room’s door when they returned. In the same vein, if someone was checking out early in the morning, I would always be awoken by the sound of their suitcases knocking into the door.
The location of the apartment itself is not bad. There are plenty of bus stops nearby and both the C and E lines of the subway are within a 10 minute walk. On Sundays, this apartment gives you great access to the San Telmo fair and there are plenty of restaurants and grocers nearby during the week. I have had people warn me about the dangers of being robbed in San Telmo, so I would just maintain your street smarts if you stay here. There have been times where people I did not recognize would be banging on the front door, and in those situations I would just walk around the block until they left. If you are looking to be near a lot of the more famous attractions or the night life/bar scene in Buenos Aires, I would recommend staying in Recoleta or Palermo instead to save you transit time.
I ended up leaving my reservation early because I was sleeping so poorly and couldn't take the environment any longer.