Medellín Rentals Explained for Digital Nomads and Retirees
Medellín Housing 101 for Nomads and Retirees
You want a place that feels right, at a price that does not punch your wallet, and without legal headaches. Let me break it down the way I explain it to my clients. Medellín has everything. Weekly Airbnbs, monthly furnished flats, classic twelve month leases, hotels, and coliving. The trick is choosing what fit you best.
Housing in Medellín no hassle
You’re looking for a place that suits you, at a price that won’t break the bank and without any legal headaches. Let me explain it to you as I do to my clients. Medellín has everything. Hotels by the week, Airbnb’s, furnished apartments by the month, twelve-month contracts, and co-living. The key is to choose what works best for you.
First, the basics. Let's go step by step, with clear terms and rules.
Short stay. For a few days, you’ll normally use a hotel or B&B. The host must have an active RNT, or National Tourism Registry. This is because in Medellín, buildings may or may not allow it in their internal regulations. Ask for the RNT and confirm that the building allows it.
Medium stay. From one to six months. You normally sign a housing contract. You negotiate what is included, internet speed, cleaning, and the little details that make life easier. Housing law is national, it applies equally in Medellín, Bogotá, and all of Colombia.
Furnished apartments
- • Most common for nomads and retirees.
- • You sign an urban housing lease contract with the owner or real estate agency.
- • No RNT is required because the use is housing.
- • They usually ask for a “poliza” or, if you don't apply, a well-documented advance payment.
- • Advantage: better monthly prices than a hotel, equipped kitchen, fixed internet.
- • Note: check the building rules and actual internet speed.
Coliving with a private room
- • Housing or services contract depending on the operator.
- • Useful if you are traveling alone and want a community, all-inclusive.
- • They usually do not require a “codeudor” for medium-term leases.
- • Less privacy than your own apartment.
Serviced apartments
- • Buildings operated as residences with hotel services.
- • They often operate with RNT and accommodation contracts.
- • Advantages: regular cleaning, reception, billing.
- • Price between a hotel and a classic furnished apartment.
Airbnb on a “monthly” basis
- • Legal if the building allows such use and the host has RNT when offering it as tourist accommodation.
- • If the agreement is for housing and not tourism, it can be handled as a monthly housing contract.
- • Check: building rules, whether they issue tourist invoices, cleaning fees per departure, check-in and check-out, are clues to tourist use.
Housing or tourism?
- • Housing: lease agreement, no strict check-out or nightly rates, no RNT required from the host, rules of coexistence for residents.
- • Tourism: reservations, check-in & check-out, cleaning upon departure, they advertise RNT, accommodation invoice.
What they will ask you for 1 to 6 months if it is housing
- • Documents and income.
- • “Poliza o codeudor” If you don’t have one, negotiate several months’ advance rent instead of a deposit.
- • Inventory report, clearly stating what services and administration are included.
Where to find it
- • Laureles, El Poblado, Envigado, and Conquistadores are the most sought-after areas for furnished monthly rentals and co-living.
- • Local real estate agencies, coliving operators. We help you choose the right route, shortlist properties, contact agents, build and manage the viewing schedule, accompany you to every visit, and review and negotiate the lease.
What the housing law says and why it matters
- • If you terminate exactly at the end of the agreed period (initial or extension), you give three months’ written notice and do not pay any penalties.
- • If you want to leave before the end of the signed contract period, you must not only give three months’ written notice but also pay compensation equivalent to three months’ rent.(3+3).
- • If the landlord breaches important obligations, you can terminate without compensation, documenting the cause. We can help you with that. Always send the notice period in writing and by certified mail. We can help you with that. Increases. Only once a year.
Important! Tourist stays must comply with the RNT. The platforms verify this and display it. Although many buildings in Medellín allow it, be sure to read the rules of the building carefully before booking if you plan to have friends over often, for example.
The rental policy explained simply
Think of it as insurance that protects the owner if the tenant defaults. Real estate agencies work with insurance companies such as SURA, Fianzas Mundial, Solidaria, El Libertador, among others, which offer them.
What does it cover? Unpaid rent for “x” months, administration fees, sometimes utilities, inventory in furnished properties, etc. .
To obtain it: Form and identification. Proof of income such as statements or tax returns. If your income is from abroad, send statements and your contract or business documents. Ideally, your income should be at least double the rent. Some require a local “CODEUDOR,” which is almost impossible for a foreigner to obtain. Therefore, for expats there are stricter conditions. .
Policies cost between forty and sixty percent of a monthly rent for each year of coverage, plus taxes. Some agencies charge the full amount at the beginning. Others prorate it monthly. Confirm the exact amount, whether it is annual or monthly, and who pays it. Everything in writing. .
Example. Rent of three million. annual payment between one point two and one point eight million plus VAT. If it is monthly, around one hundred thousand to one hundred and fifty thousand plus VAT, depending on the plan and coverage. .
Does the tenant always pay for this insurance?
Short answer: the law does not assign a payer. It is a private agreement. In practice, most agencies obviously push the tenant to pay because the policy protects the owner and is a condition before handing over the keys. .
The most common will be the tenant pays because, in the absence of a “CODEUDOR” for the foreigner, it is the guarantee that the agency and/or the owner has. Sometimes, as I explained before, it will also be the advance payment of several monthly rents. The rental agency will make the signing of the contract conditional on the issuance of the policy and the payment of the premium, either annually in advance or monthly in advance. Without the premium, there is no policy, and without the policy, there are no keys. .
Can be this payment divided or paid by the owner? in very exceptional cases when the property has been vacant for some time, but in the case of foreigners, this would be exceptional. Low expectations. .
Advance rent is allowed, deposits are not? Advance rent is not the same as a deposit. It is rent paid up front and applied month by month. If you go this route, the contract must say clearly that it is advance rent and how it will be applied or refunded if the lease ends early according to the law. Keep all receipts. We can help you with this. .
Quick compare so you pick your lane
| Option | Best for | What you sign | RNT needed | Insurance or guarantor | Pros | Cons |
| Hotel | First week landing, zero admin | Hotel terms | Hotel handles it | Not your problem | Front desk, cleaning, no paperwork | Pricey if more than ten to fourteen days |
| Airbnb under thirty nights | Test driving neighborhoods | Platform booking and house rules | Host must have RNT and the building must allow it | Not applicable to you | Flexible, utilities included, plug and play | Some buildings restrict short stays. Ask before you book |
| Furnished monthly one to six months | Remote work base and mid stay | Housing lease | No. It is housing | Policy is common alternative to codeudor | Home comforts and better monthly price than hotel | Read contracts carefully and check internet speed and building rules |
| Twelve month lease | Retirees and long stay nomads | Housing lease | No | Policy or codeudor. Or properly documented advance rent | Best monthly price, legal stability, clear increase rules | Furniture cost if unfurnished, three month notice to leave early plus indemnity |
| Coliving room | Landing cheap and building a network | Housing or service contract | Depends on operator | Often none for short terms | Social, utilities included, flexible | Less privacy, house rules vary |
Money questions I get all the time
Housing or tourism?
- • Housing: lease agreement, no strict check-out or nightly rates, no RNT required from the host, rules of coexistence for residents.
- • Tourism: reservations, check-in & check-out, cleaning upon departure, they advertise RNT, accommodation invoice.
What they will ask you for 1 to 6 months if it is housing
- • Documents and income.
- • “Poliza o codeudor” If you don’t have one, negotiate several months’ advance rent instead of a deposit.
- • Inventory report, clearly stating what services and administration are included.
Where to find it
- • Laureles, El Poblado, Envigado, and Conquistadores are the most sought-after areas for furnished monthly rentals and co-living.
- • Local real estate agencies, coliving operators. We help you choose the right route, shortlist properties, contact agents, build and manage the viewing schedule, accompany you to every visit, and review and negotiate the lease.
| Scenario | When you give notice | Contract end date | What you pay |
| 1. Twelve month lease, you decide to leave in month three | Month three, to end in month six | Month six | Three months of rent during notice, plus indemnity equal to three months of rent, total equals six months of rent |
| 2A. You want to leave in month eight, standard early exit | Month eight, to end in month eleven | Month eleven | Rent from month nine to eleven, plus indemnity equal to three months of rent |
| 2B. You want to avoid indemnity | Month nine, to end exactly at month twelve | Month twelve | Rent from month ten to twelve, no indemnity |
| 3. You need to leave immediately in month six | If you leave without notice, you risk claims for notice and even rent to the end of the term | Varies | Risky without an agreement. The owner could claim the indemnity and additional rent because notice was not respected |
Three quick real- cases
Sam landed in Medellín for sixty days to test the waters. He booked an Airbnb in Laureles. All was good for nine days. We took him on a real Orientation Tour, not touristy, just honest neighborhood scouting. He was torn between two areas, so we walked the blocks, comparing vibe, noise, access, cafés, the whole thing. Once he decided, we jumped into the home search and paperwork. He moved into a furnished flat with a five-month rental lease, zero drama.
Linda and Rob, a retired couple from Denver, wanted calm and space, not nightlife. We shortlisted Envigado and Conquistadores and did the Orientation Tour so they could feel both. After a few views they picked Envigado. We supported the flat search, reviewed the contract, handled the paperwork, lined up the appointments, and they signed a twelve-month lease at a fair price. Moving in was easy, no surprises. .
Amir, a product designer brand new in the country. We stepped in, negotiated with the agency, and locked in a deal with four months of rent paid in advance.It was a better monthly price than staying on Airbnb. We kept a proper lease, clean paperwork, and he got keys in hand without headaches. .
Claudias checklist before you transfer a single peso
- Confirm what is included in the monthly price. Admin fee, internet speed, parking, cleaning.
- Read the building rules. Pets, visitors, music hours, use of common areas.
- If it is a tourist stay, ask for the RNT and building permission. If it is housing, nobody should ask you for a deposit. The legal tools are a policy or advance rent.
- Lock in your notice timing in your calendar. If you need to leave early, plan those three months of notice to avoid surprises.
Do you Need a hand?
Here is exactly how we help. Land in a hotel or Airbnb for your first week, and we personally accompany you to view properties while you are here. We advise you on neighborhoods, compare pros and cons, and help you pick the zone that truly fits you. We negotiate in pesos, schedule and attend viewings, review paperwork and contracts, coordinate appointments with agencies and landlords, and walk you through the rental insurance policy when needed. Not in Medellín yet. We do virtual tours for you, live video of the apartment and the surrounding blocks, so you do not get fooled by staged photos or miss the context of the street. We also offer a non touristic Orientation Tour focused on choosing your neighborhood. We take you to the areas you shortlist, show access, vibe, noise levels, services, and hidden gotchas, and help you compare one against another. In short, local eyes and hands so you choose with criteria, avoid scams, and settle faster and cheaper.
About Settling In
We are your local partner in Medellín. We protect your budget and your time with honest advice and hands on help. Orientation Tours to choose your neighborhood, virtual tours before you arrive, in person viewings when you land, negotiation in pesos, paperwork and contract review, and coordination with agencies and landlords so you avoid surprises. Write to info@settlingin.com.co and let us make this simple.
Glossary
Codeudor, Guarantor: A local co signer who legally shares full responsibility for rent and damages. Common in Colombia. If used, they are as liable as the tenant.
Rental Insurance Policy, Póliza de arrendamiento: An insurance product used by real estate agencies to protect the landlord if the tenant defaults. Often covers rent, condo fees, some utilities, and legal costs. Replaces the need for a deposit.
RNT: National Tourism Registry required for short stay tourist lodging. Hosts and platforms must comply and buildings must allow tourist use in their bylaws.
Estrato: Utility tariff category assigned to neighborhoods from one to six. It affects public service pricing. It is not a social label on you.
IPC: Consumer Price Index. In housing leases, annual rent increases are capped by last years IPC.
Preaviso, Notice: Written notice period. Standard for ending a lease is three months notice in advance, following Ley 820.
Indemnización, Early termination fee: If the tenant ends the lease before the term, the usual legal indemnity is three months of rent, unless there is landlord breach or another legal cause.
Admin fee: Monthly building fee that covers common areas and services. Clarify if it is included in the rent.
Encargo fiduciario, Trust: A trust like mechanism sometimes used as an alternative guarantee when a tenant has no local guarantor. Managed through a fiduciary entity.
Advance rent versus deposit: Advance rent is rent paid upfront and applied month by month, legal when properly documented. A deposit held as a guarantee is not allowed in housing under Ley 820.
Building bylaws: Internal rules of the building. They may allow or restrict short stays, pets, music hours, and guest policies. Always read them before signing.
Cédula de extranjería: Colombian foreigner ID. Not mandatory to rent, but helpful to pass screenings and open services.
