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

[Oatmeal]

Same! My girlfriend has owned her apartment for a while and she only recently changed the electricity to her name as she needed a utility bill in her name for something she was doing for Spain. But gas it is still in the name of the original owner from decades ago. People generally don't care whos name it comes in.


Agree about Nordelta. Beautiful area with some amazing properties. Agreed about time frame for getting out when you want to sell. Can take a while. We have friends that had properties for sale for 3 years. They are in no hurry to sell with no mortgage but they aren't worried about not being able to get funds out. They have had offers for less but they will only sell if they get their magic asking price.

As noted by @GlasgowJohn the big bear now is the monthly expenses in Nordelta. They keep going up drastically now. And they say it will keep going up now.

This seems to be the common theme for South America when it comes to selling anything, it takes time. Thanks for the confirmation of the monthly expenses going. This will be something we need to be mindful of.

 

[Flamingo]

This seems to be the common theme for South America when it comes to selling anything, it takes time. Thanks for the confirmation of the monthly expenses going. This will be something we need to be mindful of.

Much probably comes down to location. In most desirable neighborhoods, properties always move faster as more people want to be in that area. Obviously the price has to be normal asking prices but in areas where there is more demand like Palermo will be much faster than areas outside of the city like Nordelta. Also you have to keep in mind Nordelta is mostly larger houses which are more expensive and have less people that can afford it. Studio or 1 bedroom apartment in Palermo moves much quicker.

 

[earlyretirement]

@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). The building has a live in doorwoman that is at the door much of the day and cleans the building. It also goes to show you just how low the salaries are in Buenos Aires.

This is an amazing doorwoman that has been in this same job for 20+ years. Her net salary is only 350,020 pesos ($350 USD) after working 20+ years. This is pretty obscene. Argentina has one of the lowest minimum wages in Latin America.

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.

 

[Uncle Wong]

Yes we are looking for longer term 1 year to start. I notice there are services that you pay if I do not have a quarantia https://hoggax.com/. Not sure if they are reputable but the website seems quite clear on what they offer, even for foreigners. Our options for searching now is AirBnb, the link provided above and our plans is to speak to a realtor based on the listings we find on zonaprop. Ideally we rather find non furnished but initially a furnished place while this gives us time to find something we like. Any suggestions on how to speak to the owner on non furnished listings?

@Oatmeal were you successful in getting this? When I contacted them they said it wasn't possible for a non-resident to get this coverage. Please let me know if you are talking to someone there that says it is.

 

[Billy Goat]

@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). The building has a live in doorwoman that is at the door much of the day and cleans the building. It also goes to show you just how low the salaries are in Buenos Aires.

This is an amazing doorwoman that has been in this same job for 20+ years. Her net salary is only 350,020 pesos ($350 USD) after working 20+ years. This is pretty obscene. Argentina has one of the lowest minimum wages in Latin America.

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.

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Wow I always forget how low salaries are here. I will have to check my HOA statement to see how much mine makes. I mistakenly assumed it would be more than that after so many years.

 

[Bill]

@Oatmeal were you successful in getting this? When I contacted them they said it wasn't possible for a non-resident to get this coverage. Please let me know if you are talking to someone there that says it is.

I don't think foreigners can buy the insurance. My friend went through this last year. They kept telling him it was possible and then at the end they wouldn't allow him to as he had no local income. Maybe this has changed but this was only in November. He really liked the apartment and had to end up paying a year ahead of time. It ended up working out.

 

[Johnny]

@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). The building has a live in doorwoman that is at the door much of the day and cleans the building. It also goes to show you just how low the salaries are in Buenos Aires.

This is an amazing doorwoman that has been in this same job for 20+ years. Her net salary is only 350,020 pesos ($350 USD) after working 20+ years. This is pretty obscene. Argentina has one of the lowest minimum wages in Latin America.

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.

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That is CRAZY how low HOA fees are. I have a 1 bedroom investment property in California and the monthly HOA fee is $950. Crazy. Mine in BA I am told will be around $100.

 

[Oatmeal]

@Oatmeal were you successful in getting this? When I contacted them they said it wasn't possible for a non-resident to get this coverage. Please let me know if you are talking to someone there that says it is.

Hi. I have not called them yet. From their website, it says "Si sos extranjero y no contás con DNI argentino, contactanos para que podamos evaluar tu caso individualmente." so I made an assumption there is a possiblity.

 

[No Pesos]

Hi. I have not called them yet. From their website, it says "Si sos extranjero y no contás con DNI argentino, contactanos para que podamos evaluar tu caso individualmente." so I made an assumption there is a possiblity.

Don't go by only website. Sometimes it says they will and then when you actually try you get shut down. Never assume in Argentina. Almost nothing works here. All I know that tried that had no income in Argentina couldn't get the insurance.

 

[Jenn]

Don't go by only website. Sometimes it says they will and then when you actually try you get shut down. Never assume in Argentina. Almost nothing works here. All I know that tried that had no income in Argentina couldn't get the insurance.

This is what my American friend there said. She also tried to buy that insurance to pay the owner for a long term rental but they wouldn't let her with only a digital nomad visa and no income there. Please post if you were able to and how much it cost.

 

[Oatmeal]

Don't go by only website. Sometimes it says they will and then when you actually try you get shut down. Never assume in Argentina. Almost nothing works here. All I know that tried that had no income in Argentina couldn't get the insurance.

Thanks will keep this in mind. Only possible option it seems is to prepay.

 

[Palermo]

Thanks will keep this in mind. Only possible option it seems is to prepay.

That is what I had to do. Wasn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things if you have a good owner to deal with. Just put everything in writing especially who pays what. Try to find an owner where you don't have to pay in cash. I arranged to wire to the owner which helped. Many owners want actual cash in hand which can be annoying. Most owners will want to put inflation adjustment if you are renting longer term. If so, better to put that in the contract too.

 

[Oatmeal]

That is what I had to do. Wasn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things if you have a good owner to deal with. Just put everything in writing especially who pays what. Try to find an owner where you don't have to pay in cash. I arranged to wire to the owner which helped. Many owners want actual cash in hand which can be annoying. Most owners will want to put inflation adjustment if you are renting longer term. If so, better to put that in the contract too.

Did you have to go through a real estate agent first? and after spoke to the owner? Ideally for me would be transfer from US account to US account. I have heard people buy dollars transfered via USDT but I have not done this myself if transfer to US account is not an option.

 

[earlyretirement]

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?

@GlasgowJohn is the expert on Escobar. I had lunch with him a few months ago and he really seemed to enjoy living there with his family. That is just too far out for my tastes. I have a lot of friends with big houses out in Pilar and they like it but it seems like they are always in the Capital. Every time we meet up we're always meeting up in Palermo or Recoleta. And now that their kids are driving, they are always in the city as well. Pilar is a really nice area but it's just too far out for me. Different strokes for different folks though so you may love it.

It seems like traffic keeps getting worse each year.

 

[earlyretirement]

Did you have to go through a real estate agent first? and after spoke to the owner? Ideally for me would be transfer from US account to US account. I have heard people buy dollars transfered via USDT but I have not done this myself if transfer to US account is not an option.

Try looking on Zonaprop. Some might be listed direct from owners but probably the vast majority are with realtors. You can easily get hooked up with a cueva. There are reputable firms available where you can just wire from USA to theirs. They will allow you to wire to their USD account and you can go to their office to pick it up. All fairly easy. PM me @Oatmeal if you need a referral. I've been working with the same guy for many years. Never any issues.

 

[Oatmeal]

Try looking on Zonaprop. Some might be listed direct from owners but probably the vast majority are with realtors. You can easily get hooked up with a cueva. There are reputable firms available where you can just wire from USA to theirs. They will allow you to wire to their USD account and you can go to their office to pick it up. All fairly easy. PM me @Oatmeal if you need a referral. I've been working with the same guy for many years. Never any issues.

I think you just answered my question in a new post that I just made.

 

[Oatmeal]

@GlasgowJohn is the expert on Escobar. I had lunch with him a few months ago and he really seemed to enjoy living there with his family. That is just too far out for my tastes. I have a lot of friends with big houses out in Pilar and they like it but it seems like they are always in the Capital. Every time we meet up we're always meeting up in Palermo or Recoleta. And now that their kids are driving, they are always in the city as well. Pilar is a really nice area but it's just too far out for me. Different strokes for different folks though so you may love it.

It seems like traffic keeps getting worse each year.

Our plan is to rent a car initially and drive around the areas to see if it feels like something we like. Also if we are going to be far, we want to be 1 hour or under to the capital. We like to live in a more calm area less hectic but able to be close to the city when we want to check it out. Spent 4 years in Colombia which is hectic with people, polution and traffic. This time around we want a little slower pace.

 

[earlyretirement]

Our plan is to rent a car initially and drive around the areas to see if it feels like something we like. Also if we are going to be far, we want to be 1 hour or under to the capital. We like to live in a more calm area less hectic but able to be close to the city when we want to check it out. Spent 4 years in Colombia which is hectic with people, polution and traffic. This time around we want a little slower pace.

Sounds like a good plan. Buenos Aires is a busy city and it can be loud. But also, you can find nice areas or be on the back of a building in complete silence. I lived on Avenida Alvear between Callao and Rodriguez Pena and although a busy area, there was complete silence on the back of the building and it felt like an oasis as it looked into a garden. We had blackout blinds on the windows and it would be like a silent cave in the mornings.

I just liked being able to walk everywhere. My office was just a few blocks away. But definitely slow pace is nice as well. Definitely out in Pilar it's very peaceful. We would go to our friends house on the weekend and it was very serene. Now, I live in the USA in a gated community like that and it is super peaceful. You need a car to get anywhere but it's a pretty amazing quality of life and quiet and peaceful.

 

[GraceH]

Sounds like a good plan. Buenos Aires is a busy city and it can be loud. But also, you can find nice areas or be on the back of a building in complete silence. I lived on Avenida Alvear between Callao and Rodriguez Pena and although a busy area, there was complete silence on the back of the building and it felt like an oasis as it looked into a garden. We had blackout blinds on the windows and it would be like a silent cave in the mornings.

I just liked being able to walk everywhere. My office was just a few blocks away. But definitely slow pace is nice as well. Definitely out in Pilar it's very peaceful. We would go to our friends house on the weekend and it was very serene. Now, I live in the USA in a gated community like that and it is super peaceful. You need a car to get anywhere but it's a pretty amazing quality of life and quiet and peaceful

 

[GraceH]

The difference between the front and the back of the building is remarkable with noise. Sounds echo here in the city. Best to rent on a street that isn’t busy.

Many owners want you to pay monthly expenses. Be careful some are going up drastically.