ES🧉 Neighborhood guide
What are expensas, and why do I pay them every month?
That amount showing up every month on your statement isn't a tax or something the building manager made up: it's the cost of keeping your building running.
Expensas are the monthly contribution owners (or their tenants) make to keep the building running: staff salaries, electricity and water for common areas, cleaning, elevator maintenance, insurance, and management fees. They're mandatory because the building belongs to everyone: without that shared contribution, there's no way to cover the shared costs.
What they cover, in practice
Everything the building needs to keep running that can't be paid for unit by unit:
- Staff: the superintendent's salary, cleaning and security staff, plus payroll taxes.
- Common-area utilities: electricity for the lobby and hallways, water, boiler gas.
- Maintenance: elevators, water pumps, intercoms, gardens.
- Management: the property manager's fees.
- Insurance: the building's insurance, mandatory by law.
- Reserve fund: a fund for emergencies and major repairs.
How each unit's share is calculated
Not everyone pays the same. Each unit has a coefficient (a percentage) set in the building's bylaws (reglamento de copropiedad), usually proportional to its size. A three-room apartment pays more than a studio because its coefficient is higher. The month's total expenses are split according to those coefficients.
Why they're mandatory
Living under Argentina's condominium system (propiedad horizontal) means co-owning the common areas: the lobby, the hallways, the rooftop terrace, the elevators. The Código Civil y Comercial (Civil and Commercial Code, art. 2048) requires every owner to contribute to the upkeep of those common parts. It's not optional: even if you never use the pool or the multipurpose room (SUM), you still pay the expensas.
Frequently asked questions
Can expensas go up without notice?
Costs change month to month (staff wage negotiations, utility rates), so the amount varies. But significant increases should be explainable in the statement.
What happens if I don't pay?
The homeowners' association (consorcio) can start an expedited collection proceeding (juicio ejecutivo) to recover the debt, with interest.
Are expensas the same in every building?
No. It depends on the building's services (pool, 24-hour security, amenities), how many units the costs are split across, and the age of the property.