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What is the new regulation for the settlement of expenses in CABA and tips to reduce monthly costs - Infobae
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Como es la nueva reglamentación para la liquidación de expensas en CABA y consejos para abaratar costos mensuales
La medida impulsada por el Gobierno porteño implementó nuevos esquemas para las liquidaciones mensuales para garantizar transparencia en los consorcios de viviendas. Desde cuando rige y cómo se aplica
www.infobae.com
March 9, 2024
The measure promoted by the Buenos Aires Government implemented new schemes for monthly settlements to guarantee transparency in housing consortia. Since when has it been in force and how is it applied?
By José Luis Cieri
The digitization of expense summaries helps save paper, an input that also rose sharply in the last 12 months: it is estimated that the increase exceeds 260% in reams of paper
With an initiative that seeks more transparent management of housing consortia, the Government of the City of Buenos Aires (DI-2024-1146-GCABA-DGDYPC) through the general directorate of Defense and Consumer Protection of Buenos Aires implemented a new regulation that will require the inclusion of a QR code or a hyperlink in expense settlements. This measure will allow owners and tenants to verify supplier invoices and contributions from consortium employees through direct access to the AFIP, according to recent information.
The provision, which came into effect on February 23, gives consortium administrations a period of 60 days to adjust their systems and thus comply with the new regulations.
Regulatory Decree No. 551/2010, promoted by the General Directorate of Defense and Consumer Protection, arises in response to countless complaints of irregularities in the management of consortia. “The administration is the one who pays for the services of the suppliers and the contributions of those in charge. When this does not happen, the consortium is responsible,” Nicolás Baccigalupo, CEO of Octopus Proptech, explained to Infobae , highlighting the importance of ensuring that these payments are up to date to prevent consortia from accumulating debts that are difficult to manage.
This new regulation is intended to encourage consortia to be more informed and participatory in the management of their expenses, which, on average, amount to $73,700 per month (according to Octopus Proptech).
The repair of common areas in buildings is also delayed in several cases due to lack of budget and saving power due to inflation effects and increased rates that impact the consortia.
This approach to transparency is not limited only to CABA. During 2023, the Province of Buenos Aires initiated similar regulations, establishing its own Public Registry of Consortium Administrations (RPAC), thus signaling a possible movement at the national level towards improvement in the management of consortia.
“The role of the administration is to manage all obligations, maintenance arrangements and the funds of a third party, which is the consortium,” said Baccigalupo, underscoring the importance of this modification to ensure that residents have the ability to review and confirm that payments are made correctly.
Sheet 1 of the Provision of the Buenos Aires Government that has been in force since February 23
What happens if the regulations are not applied
Those consortia that do not comply with the new regulations will face sanctions, which could include fines and even the loss of registration to manage consortia in CABA. To exercise administration, it is mandatory to have a license plate and be registered in the Public Registry of Administrators.In terms of implementation, administrations already using digital management systems, such as Octopus Proptech, will find the process simple.
Baccigalupo explained: "What should be done is to include in the expense that is sent printed or by email, a QR code so that neighbors can access a folder that contains the documentation for the month, the invoices from the suppliers."
The measure reflects an effort to standardize and clarify the expense settlement process through the Single Expense Settlement Model “My Expenses”, which will allow better supervision of consortium expenses and more efficient administration.
Easy application
Through the Consumer Defense provision, the single mandatory model of expenses for the City of Buenos Aires was modified.
Second page of the provision that establishes a new mechanism to settle expenses in CABA
As of the entry into force of the new regulations, the expenses must have a QR code that will allow the owner to access the supporting receipts for the expenses.
Diego Medwed, member of the Argentine Chamber of Horizontal Property and Real Estate Activities (CASIPH), explained that among the recitals of the recent norm, he mentions: “ …it is necessary to adopt measures that allow consortium partners to have additional elements that facilitate the agile and quick access to the receipts of application of the funds paid to the consortia and the information related to the consortium in general. Therefore, we must interpret that the major objective of said standard is to improve access to documentation through new means.”
Most consortium partners already have platforms that allow them to access documentation. This resolution unifies and simplifies the method.
We estimate that with the expenses that the consortium partners will pay in the month of May they will see the changes, Medwed added.
The standard also promotes access to the AFIP website to control the status of the contributions of the consortia's employees, continuing in the line of eliminating printed settlements with the consequent economic and ecological benefits.
Gabriel Rollandi, also from the chamber, expanded: “Its application will not be complicated, and even the companies adhering to CASIPH have already committed to supporting consortia and administrators to adapt their systems quickly and make them available to comply with said standard. A greater difficulty will be for those consortia that do not yet use a comprehensive management system, who will have to make the adaptations on their own."
Delinquency on the rise
José Murga , a businessman in the sector, was concerned about the sustained increase in delinquency in consortia, which currently stands at a floor of 25%.“It was close to 15% on average 18 months ago,” he recalled.
Along the same lines, Pedro Dessel located the average expenses for apartments with between 1 and 3 rooms in CABA at $80,372, according to a survey carried out on a sample of 2,000 buildings, with a strong increase so far in 2024.
Accessing information on expenses for owners and tenants is essential to maintain a healthy economy for their homes.
“We do not see that this is going to be corrected and the trend is upward, while we have not yet noticed the seasonal impacts of rate changes and salary adjustments for building staff, typical of this time,” he added.
How to reduce expense expenses
In the case of maintenance costs, you can look for cheaper alternatives without compromising the quality of the service. For example, compare quotes from different suppliers for cleaning, gardening, or elevator maintenance.
Painting the façade of a building is expensive these days, to be able to do it frequently the consortiums must carry out a thorough control of accounts to be able to raise the necessary funds to finance this work that allows waterproofing the exterior of the property.
It is also important to encourage the responsible use of common services among residents, such as water and electricity, to reduce the impact on expenses.
Another way to save on expenses is to implement energy efficiency measures in the building, such as installing solar panels, optimizing air conditioning, or using sensors to regulate lighting. These investments can generate long-term savings and contribute to reduced maintenance costs.
In addition, it is important to closely track common expenses and periodically analyze the building's efficiency indicators. This will allow you to identify areas for improvement and make informed decisions to reduce costs in the future.
Transparency in the administration of the consortium and the active participation of residents in decision-making are also key to achieving efficient management of expenses and guaranteeing balance in the accounts.
Renting the goal is a common option to save money. In addition, it is important to look for cheaper alternatives when the expiration of a subscription is approaching, as in the case of elevator maintenance contracts, security companies and fire extinguisher maintenance.
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