Among the multiple price increases that the population's pockets must face are expenses for those who live in apartments.
In January, the average of these expenses - which include
salaries, services, purchases, security, cleaning, maintenance and professional fees, among other costs -
registered increases of around 10%,
according to different measurements by the consortium administrators.
However, in the accumulated annual figure,
the increase remains below inflation.
According to data from the administrations that settle their expenses with ConsorcioAbierto.com, the increase in expenses in buildings located in the City of Buenos Aires in the first month of 2024 averaged 11.61
%
.
In this area, the average expenses in buildings (not including debts) amounted to
$93,706 per month.
Compared to the amount corresponding to January 2023, the increase was
175.93%.
This survey was done based on information from more than 10,000 consortia and shows
important price gaps according to different areas of the country
.
For example, in the Province of Buenos Aires, the average expenses for buildings (always not including debt) was
$37,827 in January.
This represented a monthly increase of 12.23% and 174.34% year-on-year.
In
Córdoba
, the expense on expenses was $34,277, while a year ago that value was $12,867.
In
Santa Fe
, the monthly amount in building expenses was similar: $33,445 in January.
And in
Entre Ríos
, the average expense value of $22,724.
In this case,
the month-on-month increase was 30.98%
and 236% from a year ago.
“It is no surprise to anyone that expenses, given inflation,
will continue to increase
.
In this context, so that neighbors can control expenses and analyze their evolution, it is necessary that they have
traceability of the consortium's expenses
.
That is, being able to follow and understand in detail how the funds are used.
It's like having a detailed map that shows exactly what your money is being spent on and why.
It is important to ensure that it is being administered appropriately and transparently,” commented Albano Laiuppa, director of ConsorcioAbierto.com.
According to the data managed by the Octopus PropTech platform, -120,000 administrations throughout the country- January expenses increased by
9.08%,
a value that is 11.52 points below inflation.
According to these records, the average value of last month's expenses for households was
$66,618.
When it comes to making an interannual parallel, the numbers reflect that since 2023 there has been an adjustment of
181.45%,
located below inflation, which amounted to 211.4%, according to INDEC.
“For this year, behavior similar to 2023 is expected.
This means that expenses will be adjusted behind inflation.
We see that the increases always go a little slower than the CPI.
In fact, they have a reactive behavior to the CPI.
That's why we see it slightly below inflation," says Nicolás Baccigalupo, CEO of Octopus PropTech.
According to the platform's representative, "perhaps if there is a moment of greater stability and lower inflation we will see that expenses are adjusted even a little above the CPI, so that the suppliers, who were out of date, recover a little," he observed. .
What happens to the salaries of building managers?
According to Octopus data, in the consortiums that are in charge, the weight of the labor cost, corresponding to the number one item of expenses in CABA in January is
30.08%
¨Within the expenses that make up the expenses of a consortium, the main one - which historically is updated inexorably in line with inflation - is the salary of those in charge.
They have one of the strongest unions in the country (SUTERH).
Therefore,
it is the item that is updated most quickly
if we compare it with other items or suppliers, such as administration fees, a plumber, a gas fitter, the fumigation company, among others.
The latter are easily replaceable items, so the bargaining power they have is quite low," he explains.
According to Baccigalupo, as a trend, "a large part of new and small buildings, with three or four floors,
avoid hiring a manager, opting instead for recurring cleaning services.
This strategy, although it reduces working hours, eliminates the direct dependency relationship with the consortium. This decision may generate additional complications in the event of needing to terminate the contract," he says.
NE