| Rule | Details |
|---|---|
| Regulatory Status | Permitted with registration |
| Permit / License Required | Yes — mandatory Registro Nacional de Turismo (RNT) registration required under Ley 2068 de 2020 and Decreto 1836 de 2021 for any stay under 30 consecu |
| Tax Rate | 19% IVA (VAT) applies to hosts classified as 'Responsables de IVA'. Hosts below the IVA-responsibility threshold are exempt from charging/filing VAT. |
| Night / Day Cap | None — Colombia has no national annual night cap on STRs. No municipal cap exists in Medellín either. The practical constraint is that stays under 30 |
| Minimum Stay | No national minimum-stay requirement imposed by government. However, buildings without express RPH authorization for tourist rentals effectively enfor |
| Permit Fee | RNT registration fee: minimal/low-cost (administrative processing fee via Cámara de Comercio de Medellín). Annual late-renewal penalty: approx. USD $1 |
| Penalties | Operating without RNT: fines up to 2,000× the monthly legal minimum wage (approx. USD $650,000 as of 2024), temporary property closure, and RNT cancel |
| Primary Residence Required | No — Colombia imposes no primary-residence requirement. Owners of secondary homes and investment properties may legally operate STRs, provided RNT reg |
| Occupancy Limit | Unknown — no specific national or municipal occupancy-per-unit cap sourced. Building internal regulations (Reglamento de Propiedad Horizontal / Manual |
Short-term rental operations in Medellin, Antioquia are permitted under an active regulatory framework as of 2026. Hosts operating on Airbnb, VRBO, or other vacation rental platforms must obtain proper licensing: Yes — mandatory Registro Nacional de Turismo (RNT) registration required under Ley 2068 de 2020 and Decreto 1836 de 2021 for any stay under 30 consecutive days classified as 'vivienda turística'. Regi. The associated permit fees are RNT registration fee: minimal/low-cost (administrative processing fee via Cámara de Comercio de Mede.
Short-term rental operators in Medellin should be aware of these tax obligations: 19% IVA (VAT) applies to hosts classified as 'Responsables de IVA'. Hosts below the IVA-responsibility threshold are exempt from charging/filing VAT. FONTUR parafiscal contribution: 0.25% (2.5 per thousand) of gross STR revenues, payable quarterly. I. Yes — hosts must obtain a RUT (Registro Único Tributario) from DIAN. Hosts meeting the VAT-responsible threshold must charge 19% IVA on services. All .
Key operational rules for vacation rental hosts in Medellin include: Primary residence requirement: No — Colombia imposes no primary-residence requirement. Owners of secondary homes and investment properties may legally . Rental day cap: None — Colombia has no national annual night cap on STRs. No municipal cap exists in Medellín either. The practical cons. Occupancy limit: Unknown — no specific national or municipal occupancy-per-unit cap sourced. Building internal regulations (Reglamento de. Minimum stay: No national minimum-stay requirement imposed by government. However, buildings without express RPH authorization for tou.
Zoning considerations for short-term rentals in Medellin: No official city-wide 'banned zone' map for STRs. However, Medellín's Alcaldía (with Policía Nacional) has intensified inspection operations in high-density STR areas — especially El Poblado (Provenza. Density rules: No national density cap (units per building or per block). At the building level, co-owners may vote (70% majority required) to ban or restrict STRs i. Insurance: Yes — mandatory civil liability insurance (póliza de responsabilidad civil) covering damages, accide.
Hosts who fail to comply with Medellin's short-term rental regulations may face enforcement action. Operating without RNT: fines up to 2,000× the monthly legal minimum wage (approx. USD $650,000 as of 2024), temporary property closure, and RNT cancellation for up to 5 years (Ley 2068 / SIC enforceme.
Platform obligations for services like Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com operating in Medellin: Under Decreto 1836 de 2021 (in force), platforms (Airbnb, Booking, Vrbo) must: (1) register in the RNT, (2) display their RNT certificate visibly on their site/app, (3) renew RNT in Q1 of each year, (.
Apply for your STR permit or registration directly through the official government portal.
Official Source ↗Yes, Airbnb and short-term rentals are legal in Medellin with proper registration and permits. Medellín's Mayor Federico Gutiérrez announced intensified enforcement in January 2024 and continued crackdowns in 2025: ~2,000 RNT licenses canceled, 8 establishments shut down in 2025, and 117 sancti
Yes. Medellin requires the following for short-term rental operation: Yes — mandatory Registro Nacional de Turismo (RNT) registration required under Ley 2068 de 2020 and Decreto 1836 de 2021 for any stay under 30 consecutive days classified as 'vivienda turística'. Registration is processed online via rnt.confecamaras.co (MinCIT / Confecámaras portal) and takes approx.
Short-term rental hosts in Medellin are subject to the following tax obligations: 19% IVA (VAT) applies to hosts classified as 'Responsables de IVA'. Hosts below the IVA-responsibility threshold are exempt from charging/filing VAT. FONTUR parafiscal contribution: 0.25% (2.5 per thousand) of gross STR revenues, payable quarterly. Income from STR activity is also subject to Colombi.
Hosts who operate without proper permits in Medellin may face enforcement. Operating without RNT: fines up to 2,000× the monthly legal minimum wage (approx. USD $650,000 as of 2024), temporary property closure, and RNT cancellation for up to 5 years (Ley 2068 / SIC enforcement). Building-level violations: fines up to 100× t.
1. STRs are legal and growing (Medellín leads Colombia with ~12,000–25,000 active listings), but the market is in active regulatory transition. 2. The most critical compliance gate is the building-level Reglamento de Propiedad Horizontal: even a fully RNT-registered host cannot legally operate sub-30-day rentals in a building whose RPH does not expressly authorize it. 3. Colombia imposes no primar
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