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New national registry now mandatory for condo boards - Ambito Financiero
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Nueva medida para consorcios: ahora podrán inscribirse formalmente en un registro en todo el país
El Gobierno busca que las provincias habiliten el registro voluntario de consorcios para ordenar la contabilidad y replicar el modelo vigente en CABA.
www.ambito.com
July 23, 2025
By Jose Luis Cieri
The government is seeking to have provinces enable voluntary registration of consortia to organize accounting and replicate the model currently in Buenos Aires.
A measure that seeks to be replicated throughout the country so that administrations and consortia are more financially efficient.
The Government published Decree 487/2025 , a measure aimed at formalizing the legal status of horizontal property consortia throughout the country. The text urges provincial oversight bodies to establish a specific registry for the registration of consortia , so they can authenticate the accounting books required by the Civil and Commercial Code.
Although the regulation does not impose an immediate obligation, it opens the door for building consortiums to voluntarily register in their respective jurisdictions ( at a time when expenses have only recently slowed their increases due to falling inflation ). The goal is to regularize their legal status, organize their accounting, and facilitate oversight.
The initiative, promoted by the General Inspectorate of Justice (IGJ), already has precedents in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, where a voluntary registration and signature system for consortia has been in effect since 2024. With this new decree, the Executive Branch seeks to replicate this model throughout the country.
What’s changing for condo boards?
Until now, many consortia operated as de facto entities, without formal registration with public agencies, despite the fact that the Civil and Commercial Code , in Article 148, paragraph h), recognizes their status as private legal entities. Article 2044 of the same legal code defines a consortium as "the group of owners of functional units" and grants it legal ownership of the common property.The problem was that in many provinces, there were no mechanisms in place to register consortia as such. This prevented compliance with the accounting obligations stipulated in Article 320 of the Code, which requires keeping certified books under certain legal conditions.
The new decree states that this situation violated basic constitutional rights, and therefore urges provincial public registries to create special books to record consortia domiciled in their jurisdictions. This will enable them to maintain formal accounting records, submit balance sheets, and initial mandatory and voluntary books.
A system already in force in CABA
In Buenos Aires, the IGJ (General Directorate of Justice of the City of Buenos Aires) established a system of voluntary access to the accounting records for consortia in 2024, through General Resolution 15/24. Since then, any consortium administration domiciled in the city can apply for registration as a legal entity and comply with accounting formalities.The decree signed by President Javier Milei and Minister Patricia Bullrich now seeks to federalize this mechanism. It mandated the IGJ (Institutional Institute of Justice) to coordinate actions with provincial agencies to advance its implementation.
Article 1 of the text is clear: it urges corporate oversight bodies, civil registries, and public registries throughout the country to issue the necessary regulations to enable the voluntary registration of consortia and the registration of their books. Article 2 tasks the IGJ with interjurisdictional coordination to carry out this task.
Will there be an impact on expenses?
In a context where expenses in CABA average $200,000 per month , formal registration will require consortia to keep certified books and maintain transparent accounting records.This could facilitate audits, resolve disputes, and support legal claims. Although the decree does not mention it, experts warn that formalization could add administrative costs, depending on how it is implemented in each province.
What current laws say
The Civil and Commercial Code, in force since 2015, explicitly recognizes consortia as private legal entities. It requires them to keep accounting records, have a designated administrator, and comply with certain formalities.However, in practice, this regulation proved impossible to comply with in many provinces. There were no adequate registries or forms for registering consortia. In some cases, administrators acted as informal representatives of a group of owners, without sufficient legal support.
With Decree 487/2025, the Executive Branch seeks to reverse this situation. The goal is to provide consortia nationwide with a formal means to consolidate their legal status and comply with accounting requirements. The measure does not impose sanctions or set mandatory deadlines, but opens a regulatory path that could become widespread over time.
Possible consequences
Among the effects expected by specialists are:- Accounting transparency: Upon registration, consortia must keep certified books, which will facilitate audits, complaints, and oversight.
- Less informality: Administrations without legal designation or documentary support, which are common in small corporations, will be avoided.
- Access to tax or banking benefits: Some credit or subsidy programs may require legal status, which is currently nonexistent in many buildings.
- Higher administrative costs: If the process involves registration, professional fees, and legalization of books, consortia could face additional expenses.
A tool that seeks to expand
In Buenos Aires, there are already registered consortia that have submitted financial statements to the IGJ (General Directorate of Justice) and certified their books with legal support. Now, the government's goal is for the provinces to replicate this system.Jorge C. Resqui Pizarro , a lawyer specializing in horizontal property and president of the Center for Studies on Horizontal Property and Society (CePHyS), stated that "this decree merely extends an invitation to the rest of the jurisdictions to take the same measures already adopted by CABA."
He explained that the regulation seeks to standardize criteria and allow consortia to regularize their books with the corresponding provincial authorities: "It may lower costs somewhat, but we have to consider the fees charged by the Real Estate Registry. The idea is to replicate what's already in place in Buenos Aires City throughout the country," added Resqui Pizarro.
The decree went into effect on Tuesday, July 22. While its specific application will depend on each jurisdiction, it represents an attempt to provide a legal framework for building structures that, in many cases, operated outside the institutional radar.
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