Many foreigners buy in Medellín planning to rent the apartment on Airbnb or Booking while they're away. It can work very well — but only if three things line up: the building, the zone and the registry. Get one wrong and you can end up with a property you can't legally rent the way you planned. Here is what applies in 2026.
We manage short-term rentals in Medellín, but we're not lawyers or tax advisers. This guide summarises the rules in force in October 2026. Before buying a property to rent short-term, have its bylaws and land use checked, and confirm the tax side with a Colombian accountant.
Rentals under 30 days are "tourist housing"
Colombian law treats anyone who rents a property for stays of less than 30 days as providing a tourist housing service (vivienda turística) — Ley 1101 of 2006, as amended by Ley 2068 of 2020. That brings obligations: registering in the national tourism registry, registering guests and paying certain taxes. Rentals of 30 days or more are ordinary leases, which is why monthly rentals avoid most of this.
1. The building has to allow it
This is the point that catches most buyers. If the apartment is in a building governed by the horizontal property law, the tourist use must be authorised in the building's registered bylaws (reglamento de propiedad horizontal). The authorities interpret this as an express authorisation: bylaws that only allow residential use mean no. Building administrators must report unauthorised tourist rentals to the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce (SIC), and the owner can face sanctions under the horizontal property law.
Many buildings in El Poblado don't allow stays under 30 days. Before you buy, get a copy of the registered bylaws and a written answer from the administrator. A seller's "everyone does it here" is not an authorisation.
2. The zone has to allow it
Medellín's zoning plan (POT, Acuerdo 48 of 2014) has long barred tourist rentals in low-mixed-use residential zones, and the city requires the building's licence to be compatible with that use. You can check a property's land use on the city's MapGIS platform. In 2026 the city council has been debating a change to the zoning plan (Proyecto de Acuerdo 104 of 2026) that would limit tourist housing to high-mixed-use areas and some transit corridors. As of mid-October 2026 it had not been approved, but it shows the direction the city is taking: check the zone carefully before buying to rent short-term.
3. Register in the RNT
- The Registro Nacional de Turismo (RNT) is free and done online at rnt.confecamaras.co. You need a RUT (Colombian tax ID) first.
- The RNT must be renewed every year between 1 January and 31 March. If you miss it, the registration is suspended automatically, and reactivating it costs one monthly minimum wage.
- Your RNT number must appear on the listing. Platforms must refuse or remove listings without one, including when an authority orders it.
- Operating without an RNT can be sanctioned by the SIC, including cancelling the registration for up to five years. The Alcaldía de Medellín also warns of heavy fines and closure orders.
4. Register every guest
- Every guest must be recorded on a lodging registration card (Tarjeta de Registro de Alojamiento, TRA).
- Foreign guests must also be reported to Migración Colombia through its SIRE system. Fines for not reporting range from about 105 to 2,631 UVT.
5. Taxes on short-term rental income
- Income tax: tax residents are taxed on their worldwide income; non-residents only on Colombian-source income such as this rent. See taxes and costs for foreign owners.
- Tourism contribution (FONTUR): 2.5 per thousand of operating income, filed quarterly. The Ministry of Tourism says tourist homes rented only occasionally are exempt.
- VAT (IVA): whether tourist housing charges VAT is debated among advisers, and small individual operators below certain income thresholds may be exempt from charging it. Ask your accountant.
- Municipal industry and commerce tax (ICA) may also apply.
Enforcement is real
Medellín now has thousands of registered tourist homes, and according to press reports the city carried out more than 400 inspections and over 100 temporary suspensions between 2024 and 2026. The trend is toward more control, not less. A national draft decree published by the Ministry of Tourism in 2025 and 2026 — not yet signed — would require one RNT per property, proof of the building's authorisation and six-monthly checks by platforms.
Short-term or monthly? Do the maths
If the building or the zone doesn't allow stays under 30 days, the property can still earn well as a monthly furnished rental, which is an ordinary lease and avoids most of the obligations above. Read our comparison Airbnb vs monthly rental.
At Find Home Colombia we check the bylaws and the zone before you buy, and we manage the rental afterwards — registry, guests, cleaning and reporting included. See our short-term rental management service or message us on WhatsApp.