Contract Guide — Felmado

Understanding Your Contract

How to read a rental contract

Argentine rental contracts follow general patterns but vary significantly between agencies and landlords. These are the sections that community members have found most important to understand before signing.

Section

Parties and Property

The opening section identifies who is who and what is being rented. Verify that all names match identity documents, that the property description matches what you're actually renting, and that the landlord has the right to rent the property.

Community note: Members have found discrepancies between the described property and the actual unit — different floor, different surface area. Always cross-reference the contract description with the physical property before signing.

Section

Duration

The contract duration, start date, and end date. Under current Argentine law, residential leases have minimum duration requirements. Verify that the term in your contract meets the legal minimum and note the exact dates.

Community note: Some contracts list a start date that doesn't match the actual key handover date. The date that matters for your rights is the date you actually received the keys and access.

Section

Rent & Adjustment

The initial rent amount, the adjustment index (ICL, IPC, or other), the adjustment frequency, and the method of calculation. This is the section with the most significant long-term financial implications and the most community discussion.

Community note: The adjustment clause is where the most disputes arise. Members recommend calculating several scenarios before signing to understand the range of possible future rents under different index values.

Section

Guarantees

What guarantee is being required, what it covers, and under what conditions it can be called upon. Guarantees are one of the most complex and contested aspects of Argentine rental contracts.

Community note: The type of guarantee significantly affects your flexibility. Members have documented experiences with different guarantee types and what happened when they needed to change or end their tenancy.

Section

Maintenance & Repairs

What the tenant is responsible for and what falls to the landlord. Argentine law establishes a framework, but contracts often add or modify responsibilities. Understanding this before signing helps avoid disputes later.

Community note: Clauses that require tenants to pay for repairs that are legally the landlord's responsibility are not enforceable — but members report that agencies still include them. Know what the law says.

Section

Early Termination

The conditions under which either party can end the contract before its natural expiration, the required notice period, and any applicable penalties. This section has significant implications if your circumstances change.

Community note: Early termination rights have changed with recent legislation. What was true for contracts signed before 2023 may not apply to contracts signed after. The community has documented how the rules have evolved.

Letter Templates

Model letters for common situations

These templates have been developed from community experience. They are starting points — adapt them to your specific situation and verify they remain appropriate under current legislation.

Repairs

Formal Repair Request

A formal letter requesting that the landlord carry out repairs that are their legal responsibility. Includes documentation of the defect, reference to the relevant legal obligation, and a reasonable deadline for response.

Tenant reviewing billing documents and preparing a dispute letter

Charges

Disputing Improper Charges

A letter formally objecting to charges that appear to be outside what the contract or applicable law permits. Requests written justification and reserves the right to pursue further options if the charge is not withdrawn.

Termination

Notice of Early Termination

A formal notification of early termination under the applicable legal framework. Includes the notice period, the intended departure date, and a request to initiate the deposit return process.

Typical Buenos Aires residential apartment building facade with balconies in afternoon light

Rental Law Context

Understanding the legal framework

Argentine rental law has undergone significant changes in recent years. The community tracks these changes and explains their practical implications for tenants with active and new contracts.

Key areas the community covers include adjustment index changes, minimum contract duration requirements, deposit rules, and the rights and obligations of each party under the current framework.

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