Expenses increased in January below inflation, registering an increase of 9.08%according to a survey carried out by Octopus PropTech.
The average value of January expenses for households was $66,618. These figures reflect the average of all the consortium’s expenses: salaries, payment of services, purchases, public services, security, cleaning, maintenance, professional fees, among other costs.
When it comes to making an interannual parallel, the numbers reflect that in 12 months there was an adjustment of 181.45%, below inflation in that same period (254%).
“For this year, behavior similar to 2023 is expected. This means that expenses will be adjusted behind inflation. We see that the adjustments 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,” he reflects. Nicolás Baccigalupo, CEO of Octopus Proptech, platform that provides digital solutions to all people who manage or live in buildings, countries, or neighborhoods.
And he adds: “Perhaps if a moment of greater stability and lower inflation occurs, we will see that expenses are adjusted even a little above inflation since the suppliers, who were out of date, recover the values that they brought out of date.”
Expenses: what happens to those in charge?
According to data obtained by Octupus Proptech, in consortia that have a manager, the weight of the labor costcorresponding to item 1 of expenses in CABA in January is 30.08%
“Within the expenses that make up the expenses of a consortium, the main expense that historically is updated inexorably in line with inflation is the salary of those in charge. They have a very strong union (SUTERH), which is one of the strongest in the country Therefore, it is the item that updates most quickly if we compare it with other items or suppliers such as administration fees, a plumber, a gas fitter, the fumigation company, etc. The latter are easily replaceable items, so the bargaining power they have is quite low,” explains Baccigalupo.
Expenses: what is the trend of new buildings?
Many new small, three- or four-story buildings 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 create additional complications if you need to terminate the contract.
The aim is to minimize dependence on the manager, a trend that has been reflected in popular culture, such as in the series “The Manager”, by Guillermo Francella. This preference is even more marked in new buildings, where the elimination of the figure of the manager can be attractive to future residents, despite implying additional costs.
In the case of large towers and buildings, the figure of the manager remains relevantfrequently accompanied by the presence of security companies whose costs represent a significant proportion of the consortium’s budget.
Source: Ambito
