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Guide for renters: How to choose the right home in a market with greater supply - Infobae
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Guía para inquilinos: cómo elegir la vivienda adecuada en un mercado con mayor oferta
Las opciones de alquiler se ampliaron constantemente desde la derogación de la Ley de Alquileres. Antes de firmar un contrato, es importante saber qué aspectos considerar y qué mirar antes de firmar el acuerdo para evitar posibles problemas con la vivienda alquilada
www.infobae.com
March 17, 2024
Rental options have expanded steadily since the repeal of the Rental Act. Before signing a contract, it is important to know what aspects to consider and what to look for before signing the agreement to avoid possible problems with the rented home.
By José Luis Cieri
With greater supply, competition between properties increased, which benefits tenants, according to the market. This allows them to better negotiate prices and contract conditions (Illustrative image Infobae)
With the growing supply in the rental market ( DNU 70, which repealed the Rental Law, remains in force despite the rejection in the Senate ), tenants have greater chances of finding the ideal home. Before signing a contract, it is crucial to consider several aspects to ensure a satisfactory rental experience.
Hundreds of properties that were previously on the temporary rental market returned and were owned by owners who previously had them on loan or vacant because they were against the repealed law. But when deciding on one, you should consider everything from the location to the amenities offered and several other features.
“One of the most important aspects to consider is the state of maintenance of the property. In several cases, owners may have expectations of high prices, but the state of maintenance of the property may not live up to those expectations,” Pablo Houghton , of Houghton Properties, told Infobae :
The truth is that, little by little, waiting lists are beginning to disappear in Buenos Aires real estate agencies. “Until recently, especially in December, (tenants) were content to rent a 1 or 2-room apartment that did not always meet their expectations. Now, they can even choose the location and save the cost of transportation. It is advisable to carefully inspect the property before signing the contract, checking the appliances, the hot/cold water supply, the condition of the heater, among other aspects, to avoid future claims,” recommended Jorge Toselli , from JT Inmobiliaria.
Scenery
With inflation slowing , in Argentina's current economic scenario, tenants face a paradoxical change of roles regarding the appropriateness of rental contracts. “In this framework, it is important that tenants carefully evaluate the contractual terms before occupying a property. The tenant's ability to pay the rent on time is essential, considering both the amount and the due date of the payment. This consideration ensures a harmonious contractual relationship, avoiding future conflicts that may arise due to financial breaches,” Houghton said.
(Pexels)
Another relevant aspect is the appropriate choice of the adjustment index for rental contracts. High inflation caused several owners and tenants to discuss not only which index to use, but also the frequency of adjustments. While some, such as the Lease Contract Index (ICL) or the Own Home Index, could be attractive to tenants because they reflect lower inflation, owners generally prefer the Consumer Price Index (CPI) prepared by the INDEC.
“The dispute extends to the periodicity of the adjustments, which can vary from monthly to quarterly, depending on the demand for the property in the market. Tenants who have income in pesos do not want to commit to contracts in dollars, so there is no alternative but to make a contract in indexed pesos,” Houghton added.
Entry barrier
Although the supply expanded, the high cost of rentals, added to the requirement for property guarantees that are often difficult to meet, complicates the situation. It is common for tenants to have difficulties offering a guarantee that meets the conditions imposed by the owners.Faced with this, alternatives such as surety insurance emerge as practical solutions, although they are not always accepted by the owners and have an additional cost of between 3% and 6% of the total contract.
Toselli highlighted: “The most challenging aspect is the requirement for a proprietary guarantee in CABA, which is usually replaced with surety insurance in most cases. In addition, demonstrable income, length of employment, among other requirements, are requested. However, the business report is the most crucial, and most more than meet this requirement.”
Moving into the rented home is also another cost that must be taken into account when making a new contract. In addition to what is necessary for the rental contract, other expenses must be analyzed (Photo: Freepik)
They also make it difficult, the costs to enter a two or three room apartment exceed $1,000,000 for the contract alone, to which moving expenses and other additional costs must be added.
What to see about the home
In cases where the tenant finds discrepancies between the agreed conditions and the actual condition of the property, such as a faulty heater, it is essential to act quickly. It is advisable to communicate any problems detected to the owner or property management within a period of 30 days, documenting the deficiencies through photographs or videos to facilitate their resolution.The regulations establish that the owner is responsible for structural problems, while the tenant must take care of damages resulting from the daily use of the home. In case of lack of response, an agreement can be reached so that the tenant assumes the cost of the repair and deducts it from the next rent payment.
“Any device that is not in perfect working order when the new inhabitant enters is resolved in a matter of days. If you notify us that the heater or stove does not turn on or does not work correctly, it is repaired and, in many cases, replaced. The same happens with water losses or other minor damages, which are mostly attended to by the manager,” Toselli added.
Tenant Advice
Representatives of groups that defend tenants maintain their critical view on the panorama of the rental housing supply, highlighting the importance of paying attention to various factors before deciding on a property.
In the event that the tenant encounters a problem when entering the home, such as the heater or water heater not heating the water, the first thing they should do is contact the owner or the real estate agency to report the problem.
Natalia Ranzuglia, from the National Tenant Movement, said that "although there is apparently a greater availability of properties for rent, dozens of these offers are inaccessible due to their prices and conditions, or due to the inadequate condition of the housing."
Among the crucial aspects, it is advisable to consider before signing an agreement the duration of the contract and its relationship with the cost of entry, the periodicity and method of updating prices, the currency in which payments will be made, and the real state of the property. along with the conditions for its return.
They argue that emphasis must be placed on the need to negotiate contracts with clear terms, preferably with a minimum duration of two years and semiannual adjustments based on reliable indices.
Thinking about housing as a social good implies designing public policies that stop real estate concentration and, at the same time, implementing compensation strategies for tenants. The semiannual update allows time to collect the new amounts.
Ranzuglia concluded: “If these are hidden defects, a communication process can be initiated to request repair. However, unfortunately, the mechanism of intimating the repair and carrying it out with discounts on future payments became obsolete. In such cases, when there is no desire to settle on the part of the owner, the only option may be to resort to judicial means to resolve the problem.”
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