ES🧉 Neighborhood guide
Ordinary vs. extraordinary expensas: what's the difference
Two words that show up on every statement and define something key: who has to pay for each expense.
Ordinary expensas are the monthly costs of keeping the building running: salaries, utilities, cleaning, maintenance, and management fees. Extraordinary expensas are one-off costs for major works or improvements (fixing the elevator, waterproofing the terrace), which must be approved by the owners' assembly. The key difference: ordinary expensas are paid by whoever uses the unit (including the tenant); extraordinary ones are paid by the owner.
The difference, in plain language
Think of it this way: ordinary expensas are the cost of keeping the building running; extraordinary ones are the cost of improving it or fixing something big.
| Ordinary | Extraordinary | |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency | Every month | Only when there's a one-off work or expense |
| What they're for | Day-to-day operation: salaries, utilities, cleaning, maintenance, management fees | Major works, improvements, or repairs |
| Who pays | Whoever lives in the unit (owner or tenant) | The owner |
| Approval | Annual budget | Owners' assembly |
Examples of ordinary expensas
The superintendent's salary and payroll taxes, electricity and water for common areas, the elevator maintenance contract, cleaning supplies, the building's insurance, the property manager's fees.
Examples of extraordinary expensas
Replacing the elevator, waterproofing the terrace, painting the building's facade, rewiring the electrical system, paying a lawsuit the association lost.
The classic case: "they want to charge me an extraordinary expense — can they?"
Yes, but with conditions. An extraordinary expensa needs the owners' assembly to approve it, because it's spending outside the regular budget. If an extraordinary charge shows up on your statement and it was never voted on at an assembly, you have grounds to complain.
Legal backing
The Código Civil y Comercial (Civil and Commercial Code, art. 2048) states that each owner must contribute to the upkeep of the common parts. In CABA (the City of Buenos Aires), Law 5983 requires property managers to clearly separate ordinary from extraordinary expensas on the statement. Approving extraordinary expenses is the assembly's job (art. 2058).
Frequently asked questions
Are extraordinary expensas paid just once?
Generally yes: they cover a one-off work or expense. But if the work is big, the assembly can decide to pay for it in monthly installments.
Does the tenant pay the extraordinary expensas?
By default, no: the owner pays them, because they're costs that improve or preserve the property itself. But watch out: the rental contract can agree otherwise. If the contract states in writing that the tenant takes on the extraordinary expensas, that clause stands. If it doesn't say so, the tenant can refuse to pay them.
What if I disagree with an approved extraordinary expense?
If it was approved with the majorities the bylaws require, it's mandatory for everyone — even those who voted against it.