Who is responsible for the monthly (expensas) on a rental? Landlord or Tenant?

[Betsy Ross]

Yes Nordelta looks amazing, however Escobar is also very nice. This is from our initial search online. Question. Do you live there? How do you like it? How much longer from Escobar to CABA (vs Nordelta)? .. say to Belgrano for example? Looking at google map the travel time seems to be the same even though Escobar is much more north. Wondering if this is correct or just the way Escobar has better access to the highway?

As for the maintenance fee, I guess renting houses in this area will be the responsibility of the tenant? TBH We like the north of the capital but do want to be less than 1 hour drive to the capital. There are some groceries stores in Barrio Chino that we want to go to regularly. What is your opinion on Pilar?

@Oatmeal I read this article this morning and thought of you.

Everything you need to know before buying or renting a house

April 8, 2024

buysellba.com

 

[Pink Panther]

My monthly expensa went up 30% from last month. And my electricity bill jumped up about 170% from last month and I used about the same amount of energy. Not sure how people are going to cope with all these increases.

 

[Oatmeal]

@Oatmeal I read this article this morning and thought of you.

Everything you need to know before buying or renting a house

April 8, 2024

buysellba.com

Thanks for the link.

 

[Sunny]

@Oatmeal, I just got my monthly HOA expense for an apartment that I own in Recoleta. Here you can see what a typical HOA fee is for a one bedroom apartment with no building amenities (no pool, gym, etc). [...] Something interesting is in US dollar terms my HOA fee is less than I paid 22 years ago when I first bought the apartment. It's about $87 US dollars per month for the HOA fee.

Did your expensas go up in April? Our building (one of the lovely old ladies from the '60s, beautifully maintained, but with no amenities) has 20 units. Expensas for December were 140K and now they are 215K. We took possession a couple of weeks ago and still have to get acquainted with the administrator and the presidente de consorcio - thankfully, there are no extraordinary expensas scheduled for the foreseeable future. Still, I wonder what we'll be paying by the end of the year. Not complaining, we got a great deal, bought at the right time, and this will most likely be our forever home.

 

[earlyretirement]

Did your expensas go up in April? Our building (one of the lovely old ladies from the '60s, beautifully maintained, but with no amenities) has 20 units. Expensas for December were 140K and now they are 215K. We took possession a couple of weeks ago and still have to get acquainted with the administrator and the presidente de consorcio - thankfully, there are no extraordinary expensas scheduled for the foreseeable future. Still, I wonder what we'll be paying by the end of the year. Not complaining, we got a great deal, bought at the right time, and this will most likely be our forever home.

Yes, I just asked my wife who pays the bills and she said that the expenses jumped up about 35% for this month. I think it will be a tough next couple of months. Everything is more expensive now. Utility rates have jumped up, insurance, and salaries will also go up as well. Almost all employees are a part of some union and typically there will be raises in salaries. This should cause expenses to go up as well.

@Sunny did you negotiate with the owner on extraordinary expenses? I don't think that you as a tenant should be responsible if something major in the building goes out and there is a huge expense but of course that should be negotiated with the owner ahead of time.

 

[Sunny]

Yes, I just asked my wife who pays the bills and she said that the expenses jumped up about 35% for this month. I think it will be a tough next couple of months. Everything is more expensive now. Utility rates have jumped up, insurance, and salaries will also go up as well. Almost all employees are a part of some union and typically there will be raises in salaries. This should cause expenses to go up as well.

@Sunny did you negotiate with the owner on extraordinary expenses? I don't think that you as a tenant should be responsible if something major in the building goes out and there is a huge expense but of course that should be negotiated with the owner ahead of time.

I am the owner. Just bought the place a month ago. You gotta stop scanning. JK 😂 Edit: this is a thread for tenants but I was answering to you, an owner, that's why. Funny how we can get things mixed up sometimes. 😆

 

[Betsy Ross]

Did your expensas go up in April? Our building (one of the lovely old ladies from the '60s, beautifully maintained, but with no amenities) has 20 units. Expensas for December were 140K and now they are 215K. We took possession a couple of weeks ago and still have to get acquainted with the administrator and the presidente de consorcio - thankfully, there are no extraordinary expensas scheduled for the foreseeable future. Still, I wonder what we'll be paying by the end of the year. Not complaining, we got a great deal, bought at the right time, and this will most likely be our forever home.

Mine also went up about 50% since December. In my building some owners are paying late. There is a big interest penalty for late payments but people really seem to be struggling lately to cover all of the increases like prepago, condo, utility, et al.

 

[Stan]

Yes Nordelta looks amazing, however Escobar is also very nice. This is from our initial search online. Question. Do you live there? How do you like it? How much longer from Escobar to CABA (vs Nordelta)? .. say to Belgrano for example? Looking at google map the travel time seems to be the same even though Escobar is much more north. Wondering if this is correct or just the way Escobar has better access to the highway?

As for the maintenance fee, I guess renting houses in this area will be the responsibility of the tenant? TBH We like the north of the capital but do want to be less than 1 hour drive to the capital. There are some groceries stores in Barrio Chino that we want to go to regularly. What is your opinion on Pilar?

@Oatmeal it looks like the guy that created Nordelta is creating many gated communities all over Argentina. It sounds like everyone was waiting for someone like President Milei to starting investing in Argentina.

Real-estate mogul eyes ‘city-towns’ from Patagonia to Paraguay

Eduardo Costantini, Argentine real-estate mogul who popularised gated community concept, plans to spend up to US$1.5 billion developing more in new areas.

www.batimes.com.ar

 

[Larry]

@Oatmeal it looks like the guy that created Nordelta is creating many gated communities all over Argentina. It sounds like everyone was waiting for someone like President Milei to starting investing in Argentina.

Real-estate mogul eyes ‘city-towns’ from Patagonia to Paraguay

Eduardo Costantini, Argentine real-estate mogul who popularised gated community concept, plans to spend up to US$1.5 billion developing more in new areas.

www.batimes.com.ar

He is going to develop these communities in Paraguay also. Paraguay might be a good destination once Argentina is too expensive for everyone.

 

[Sunny]

He is going to develop these communities in Paraguay also. Paraguay might be a good destination once Argentina is too expensive for everyone.

Why do you think Argentina will become too expensive for everyone? What do you call too expensive?

 

[Digital Nomad]

Why do you think Argentina will become too expensive for everyone? What do you call too expensive?

Prices definitely have been heading up on things although what will happen if things keep going up? Salaries are so low which I don't think could stay that way. I wonder what will happen if Milei does too good of a job. Then prices will keep going up? Salaries too? Is that what people are referring to when they say it will get very expensive.

I follow this guy on Twitter and he was posting a few months ago how cheap it is and now he just posted Argentina is more expensive than Rio. How painful do you think it can get here? I'm kind of shocked by how much healthcare has jumped in a short amount of time. My girlfriend's family always complaining and they claim gone up 250% in a few months. I read about 300% jumps in utility bills. I wonder how things will be 1 year from now.

 

[Anchor Baby]

I found this site which specifically states foreigners to contact them which seems to me they offer the serivce https://hoggax.com/.

@Oatmeal were you able to see if a foreigner can actually buy a policy? We are running into issues on a potential long term rental. Everyone wants a guarantor or they want us to prepay a year up front!

 

[Oatmeal]

@Oatmeal were you able to see if a foreigner can actually buy a policy? We are running into issues on a potential long term rental. Everyone wants a guarantor or they want us to prepay a year up front!

Hi. We have not asked yet as we are still in our furnished rental. However within the month we will start researching. Did you contact them? Any luck?

 

[Scottishgaucho]

We rent out our apartment in BA and it was agreed with the current tenant beforehand that he'd pay the monthly extras. Which is all above board as far as I know. He's been there for a few years now and always provides proof of payment. He's a lawyer and the son of a friend we've known for many years right enough.

 

[Anchor Baby]

Hi. We have not asked yet as we are still in our furnished rental. However within the month we will start researching. Did you contact them? Any luck?

My husband emailed them but no response yet. I will post back if we hear and you do the same please. Sometimes we have found living in Latin America one person will say yes and another in the same firm will say no. Luck of the draw depending on how lazy they are.

We rent out our apartment in BA and it was agreed with the current tenant beforehand that he'd pay the monthly extras. Which is all above board as far as I know. He's been there for a few years now and always provides proof of payment. He's a lawyer and the son of a friend we've known for many years right enough.

What about if there is some extraordinary expense? Like if the building will fire a doorman or the roof needs fixing? I would expect the owner would pay that not the tenant?

 

[GlasgowJohn]

Normally extraordinary expenses go to the owner and not to the tenant.

 

[Scottishgaucho]

What about if there is some extraordinary expense? Like if the building will fire a doorman or the roof needs fixing? I would expect the owner would pay that not the tenant?

Normally extraordinary expenses go to the owner and not to the tenant.

Indeed.

 

[MikeRoss]

Normally extraordinary expenses go to the owner and not to the tenant.

My friend recently rented an apartment just 3 months ago and it was written in the contract that he would be responsible for paying the HOA fees and the owner was sneaky and put in that the tenant was responsible for paying ALL increases including extraordinary expenses. He used a realtor and told him all the terms of the contract were normal. His lease is for 24 months and all of a sudden many things have broken in the building and he already pre-paid 12 months ahead of time. Basically is he just screwed and nothing he can do? Make sure to know what you are signing. The HOA fee jumped up 400% and will stay high for the next 2 years paying for things that need to be repaired. Beware.

 

[Betsy Ross]

My friend recently rented an apartment just 3 months ago and it was written in the contract that he would be responsible for paying the HOA fees and the owner was sneaky and put in that the tenant was responsible for paying ALL increases including extraordinary expenses. He used a realtor and told him all the terms of the contract were normal. His lease is for 24 months and all of a sudden many things have broken in the building and he already pre-paid 12 months ahead of time. Basically is he just screwed and nothing he can do? Make sure to know what you are signing. The HOA fee jumped up 400% and will stay high for the next 2 years paying for things that need to be repaired. Beware.

You have to be very careful when signing contracts here. Realtors are quite terrible here in CABA. They will say anything or do anything to close a deal and make a commission. Your realtor should have told you that is NOT normal to agree to extraordinary expenses but if you signed and agreed with it then you are stuck as you agreed with those terms.

This is also why I recommend to friends that are moving here and renting long term to always try to get the owner to agree to pay the monthly HOA bills. Even if you have to pay a bit more it is typically worth it to make them pay for it as they can really jump up with inflation. Even normal monthly bills can jump up even if they aren't considered extraordinary expenses.