Is the facade law, Law 257, still in force?

No. Law 6438 repealed Law 257 (Article 119) and the obligation moved to section 5.1.2, Facade Upkeep, of the Building Code, implemented by RT-050102-020601-01.

How often must the facade be certified?

It depends on age: every 15 years for buildings 15 to 25 years old, every 12 for over 25 to 35, every 10 for over 35 to 45, every 9 for over 45 to 55, every 5 for over 55 to 70 and every 4 years for buildings over 70 (Building Code, section 5.1.2).

From when is the building's age counted?

From the date of the Final Works Certificate; failing that, from registration of the building plan, and in exceptional cases from the condominium survey certificate or registration for property tax (RT-050102-020601-01, point 3).

AR · Expiry & renewal tracking

Never let your building's facade certification lapse unnoticed

In Buenos Aires City the owner must file a technical certification of the facade's condition, signed by a professional, at intervals set by the building's age: every 15 years for buildings aged 15 to 25, then every 12, 10, 9, 5 and, past 70 years, every 4 (Building Code, section 5.1.2). Law 257 has been repealed.

Law 257 on facades was repealed by Article 119 of Law 6438, which also replaced Title 5 of the Building Code (Article 111). The obligation now sits in section 5.1.2, Facade Upkeep: the facade is the front of the property and everything bordering the official building line, including front, rear and side walls facing public space, and the owner must keep it in perfect condition as to use, safety, hygiene and appearance. The non-exhaustive list covers balconies, railings, ornaments and cornices, canopies and awnings, parapets, signs and planters, claddings, glazed enclosures, ducts and fittings, and antenna supports.

Owners must provide a technical certification of the condition of those elements at intervals that depend on the building's age: 15 to 25 years, every 15 years; over 25 to 35, every 12; over 35 to 45, every 10; over 45 to 55, every 9; over 55 to 70, every 5; and over 70 years, every 4 (Building Code, section 5.1.2). The inspection covers fixings, levels, alignment and loads, and is signed by a qualified professional, who reports on the facade's condition and certifies that the building poses no safety risk. Exempt are ground-floor buildings with a facade up to 4 metres high, and homes 4 to 9 metres high set back at least 3 metres from the building line, unless they have projections over the pavement.

Technical Regulation RT-050102-020601-01, version 1 of November 2021 approved by Resolution 80/SSGU/21, provides that the obliged party files with the Directorate-General for Building Inspection and Control a Conservation Certificate and a Technical Report signed by a licensed professional, or an application for an Exemption Certificate (point 1). Age is counted from the Final Works Certificate or, failing that, from registration of the building plan; otherwise from the condominium survey certificate or registration for property tax (point 3). The filing starts on the Government Control Agency's web portal and is prepared in the Registered Facades system (point 4).

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At a glance

15 to 25 years old	Every 15 years (Building Code, section 5.1.2)
Over 25 to 35 years	Every 12 years
Over 35 to 45 years	Every 10 years
Over 45 to 55 years	Every 9 years
Over 55 to 70 years	Every 5 years
Over 70 years	Every 4 years
Counting age	From the Final Works Certificate or, failing that, from registration of the building plan (RT-050102-020601-01, point 3)
Exempt	Ground-floor up to 4 m, and homes 4 to 9 m set back 3 m from the building line, with no projections over the pavement (section 5.1.2)

A rule of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires; it does not apply outside the City. The section 5.1.2 table starts at 15 years of age. Under the second transitional clause of Law 6438, administrative acts issued before it took effect remain valid for the term for which they were granted.

Who is responsible?

The property owner must maintain the facade and provide the technical certification (Building Code, section 5.1.2); the obliged party includes co-owners under the condominium regime (section 5.1; RT-050100-020601-00, point 1). The certification is made by a professional with the relevant degree and a valid licence. The Directorate-General for Building Inspection and Control monitors compliance (RT-050102-020601-01, points 1 and 2).

If the deadline passes

The authority may place a facade-in-breach banner when the property has no valid Facade Conservation or Exemption Certificate, or when it has one but shows irregularities or observations (RT-050100-020601-00, version 4, point 3). The section 5.1.2 obligations do not exclude the penalties for offences against safety, wellbeing and urban appearance that apply to the owner (Building Code, section 5.1.2).

It is no longer Law 257

Law 257 was repealed by Law 6438 (Article 119), although some official forms still call it Safe Facades. Each building's interval comes from the section 5.1.2 table and changes as the building ages: check the age band each time a new certification is recorded.

Tracking it with ExpirySuite

Add each building in the City and record as its expiry the date of the last certification plus the interval for its age band.
Email reminders arrive 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 day before expiry and on the expiry day, leaving time to hire the professional and carry out the inspection.
The acting professional can upload the Conservation Certificate and Technical Report through a secure link that is valid for 14 days and needs no account.
Assign a responsible person, such as the building administrator; if a certification expires, managers get further reminders 3, 7 and 14 days later.

Frequently asked questions

Is the facade law, Law 257, still in force?: No. Law 6438 repealed Law 257 (Article 119) and the obligation moved to section 5.1.2, Facade Upkeep, of the Building Code, implemented by RT-050102-020601-01.
How often must the facade be certified?: It depends on age: every 15 years for buildings 15 to 25 years old, every 12 for over 25 to 35, every 10 for over 35 to 45, every 9 for over 45 to 55, every 5 for over 55 to 70 and every 4 years for buildings over 70 (Building Code, section 5.1.2).
From when is the building's age counted?: From the date of the Final Works Certificate; failing that, from registration of the building plan, and in exceptional cases from the condominium survey certificate or registration for property tax (RT-050102-020601-01, point 3).
Which buildings are exempt?: Ground-floor buildings with a facade up to 4 metres high, and buildings used only as homes 4 to 9 metres high set back at least 3 metres from the building line, unless they have projections over the pavement; in that case an exception can be requested if the projections pose no greater danger (Building Code, section 5.1.2).

Sources

Last checked: Oct 11, 2026 · This page summarises official sources for general information and is not legal advice. Check the linked sources for current rules and fees.

Made for facade technical inspection (Building Code 5.1.2) (Buenos Aires City, Argentina)

A ready template for facade technical inspection (Building Code 5.1.2) (Buenos Aires City, Argentina) with sensible validity defaults, so you enter less and track more.

Reminders on time

Email alerts at 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 day before each facade technical inspection (Building Code 5.1.2) (Buenos Aires City, Argentina) expires, plus overdue escalation to managers.

Assign an owner

Give each facade technical inspection (Building Code 5.1.2) (Buenos Aires City, Argentina) an owner and let employees update their own via a secure link — no login needed.