What Christmas or New Year gift do you give to your doorman/woman (Portero/a) in Buenos Aires?

[FuturoBA]

What I do when I buy a new property is I will ask for their birthday and I will give them a decent gift on their birthday and also Christmas. You do have to be careful wish cash as it can get tricky if they are expediting cash all the time. I have some apartments that I go use when I am in town visiting or for work and sometimes I will give some cash at the end of the visit. But more times than not when I am ordering food or something, I'll ask if they want something or I will just order a few extra for them. The security guards at some of the buildings where I own love this.

My properties that I own, I rent them out on Airbnb so there is extra incentive for me to keep these guys happy as they are always helping guests out. A happy doorman goes a LONG way with short-term rental guests. Typically doing this keeps the doormen/women really happy and they go the extra mile to help my guests out.

I have made good friends with various doormen in Buenos Aires when I first moved there. For example, in one of the first apartments that I purchased in Recoleta in 2002, I really liked the building and I offered all the owners in the building to buy their units. The doorman would help me with owners and see if they were interested. We ended up buying about 8 units in the building that way and it sure beat paying a realtor a commission. I just gave the doorman some cash.

Although it got to the point where it was annoying as he asked for a loan to buy a new car. LOL. So it is probably good not to get TOO close to them as well. Ha. Call me a sucker but I did help him buy the new car. He paid me back over 3 years.

100% Never hurts to treat door men and women well.

Although the last part made me think of this lol

 

[Digital Nomad]

What I do when I buy a new property is I will ask for their birthday and I will give them a decent gift on their birthday and also Christmas. You do have to be careful wish cash as it can get tricky if they are expediting cash all the time. I have some apartments that I go use when I am in town visiting or for work and sometimes I will give some cash at the end of the visit. But more times than not when I am ordering food or something, I'll ask if they want something or I will just order a few extra for them. The security guards at some of the buildings where I own love this.

My properties that I own, I rent them out on Airbnb so there is extra incentive for me to keep these guys happy as they are always helping guests out. A happy doorman goes a LONG way with short-term rental guests. Typically doing this keeps the doormen/women really happy and they go the extra mile to help my guests out.

I have made good friends with various doormen in Buenos Aires when I first moved there. For example, in one of the first apartments that I purchased in Recoleta in 2002, I really liked the building and I offered all the owners in the building to buy their units. The doorman would help me with owners and see if they were interested. We ended up buying about 8 units in the building that way and it sure beat paying a realtor a commission. I just gave the doorman some cash.

Although it got to the point where it was annoying as he asked for a loan to buy a new car. LOL. So it is probably good not to get TOO close to them as well. Ha. Call me a sucker but I did help him buy the new car. He paid me back over 3 years.

Oh wow that is crazy! No, I'm not buying my doorman a car!

100% Never hurts to treat door men and women well.

Although the last part made me think of this lol

Seinfeld! A classic.

 

[Larry]

Doorman is your best friend in the building. They know everything that is going on.

 

[Johnny]

Just curious if you all are giving the same amounts this year? Anything changed? The building where I bought an apartment wasn't planning to have a doorman as they have an electronic screen but they decided to hire a doorman during the day. He doesn't live in the building but I wanted to leave him a nice gift. Would love to hear if you are leaving the same gift this year?

 

[Betsy Ross]

Just curious if you all are giving the same amounts this year? Anything changed? The building where I bought an apartment wasn't planning to have a doorman as they have an electronic screen but they decided to hire a doorman during the day. He doesn't live in the building but I wanted to leave him a nice gift. Would love to hear if you are leaving the same gift this year?

I usually make cookies in lieu of cash but this year I am also going to give her some cash. Probably 100,000 pesos which is about $100 dollars. This year has been especially tough on her as inflation has been so terrible. She is wonderful and often times gets packages for me when I am not home. She has the keys to my place and I trust her completely.

 

[Wally]

Just curious if you all are giving the same amounts this year? Anything changed? The building where I bought an apartment wasn't planning to have a doorman as they have an electronic screen but they decided to hire a doorman during the day. He doesn't live in the building but I wanted to leave him a nice gift. Would love to hear if you are leaving the same gift this year?

I normally give about $50 USD and probably will do the same this year.

Just curious if you all are giving the same amounts this year? Anything changed? The building where I bought an apartment wasn't planning to have a doorman as they have an electronic screen but they decided to hire a doorman during the day. He doesn't live in the building but I wanted to leave him a nice gift. Would love to hear if you are leaving the same gift this year?

Didn't you just buy your place? Probably anything will be appreciated. If he doesn't live in the building you probably don't need to give any big amount. But a doorman is your best friend in the building. If you are going to be renting your place out the doorman is your eyes and ears so worth making friends with. They will always tell you what is going on. Probably $50 is great and maybe some wine.

 

[MikeAnton]

I normally give about $50 USD and probably will do the same this year.


Didn't you just buy your place? Probably anything will be appreciated. If he doesn't live in the building you probably don't need to give any big amount. But a doorman is your best friend in the building. If you are going to be renting your place out the doorman is your eyes and ears so worth making friends with. They will always tell you what is going on. Probably $50 is great and maybe some wine.

$50 bucks? That's it? That seems like it is too little if they are always helping.

 

[earlyretirement]

100% Never hurts to treat door men and women well.

Although the last part made me think of this lol

Ha! Good old Seinfeld.

$50 bucks? That's it? That seems like it is too little if they are always helping.

Anything is appreciated by them. No one will complain over $50 USD. In some buildings where I own with a doorman/woman I not only give them a gift at Christmas but also on their birthdays and help out throughout the year. In my apartment in Recoleta the same woman has been there for 22 years that I've owned it. I hire her to clean my apartment and pay her husband to do handyman type stuff for my other units. Also, when I get new TV's or furniture I always donate it them.

None of this is required but appreciated by them. Lots of people living in buildings are struggling so they probably won't give the doorman/woman 50,000 pesos. That is a good amount. I give them in all the buildings that I own in Mexico or Argentina $100 USD and they are thrilled.