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IZA Discussion Paper No. 18107
September 2025
The Impact of the Chainsaw-Liberation on the Rental Housing Market in Buenos Aires
Martin Elfert, Stephan L. Thomsen

This paper examines the effects of Argentina’s repeal of the rental law in December 2023, one of the most radical housing policy reforms in Latin America in recent decades. Using weekly data for Buenos Aires from 2023–2024 and applying a Regression Discontinuity Design, we provide causal evidence on short-term supply and price effects. Our results indicate a substantial revival of rental housing supply, while nominal and real rents declined, contrary to theoretical expectations of sharp increases. These findings suggest that deregulation mobilized previously withheld units, temporarily alleviating excess demand. Given Argentina’s volatile context, conclusions remain preliminary yet policy-relevant.

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Mark Fallak
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Olga Nottmeyer
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+352 585-855-501
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Christina Gathmann
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The IZA@LISER Network is a global community of scholars dedicated to excellence in labor economics and related fields, now coordinated at the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) following its transition from Bonn.

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