There are two legal frameworks that can govern your rental in Colombia, and most foreigners never find out which one covers them until something goes wrong. A contrato de arrendamiento de vivienda urbana (residential lease, governed by Ley 820 de 2003) and a contrato de hospedaje (lodging contract, governed by tourism law and the Código de Comercio) give you fundamentally different rights. Which one you're signing determines whether your landlord can raise your rent freely, demand a deposit, or end your stay with minimal notice.
If you're renting a furnished apartment for one to six months in Medellín — the most common setup for foreigners — you are very likely signing a hospedaje contract, not a lease. Here's what that means.
The Two Frameworks at a Glance
| Feature | Arrendamiento (Ley 820) | Hospedaje (Código de Comercio) |
|---|---|---|
| Governs | Residential urban housing | Furnished stays, tourism lodging |
| Minimum term | 1 year (unfurnished); shorter OK if furnished + explicit clause | No minimum |
| Rent increase cap | Prior year's IPC (5.10% for 2026), once per year, on contract anniversary | None — price set per stay |
| Cash deposits | Prohibited (Art. 16) | Permitted |
| Canon ceiling | Max 1% of commercial value/month (Art. 18) | No ceiling |
| Automatic renewal | Yes — renews for the same term if neither party objects | No — ends on the agreed date |
| Early termination by tenant | 3 months' notice + penalty of 3 months' canon (Ley 820) | Per contract terms (often flexible) |
| SIRE migration reporting | No (residential landlords) | Yes — hospedaje providers must report foreign guests to Migración Colombia |
| RNT required for operator? | No | Yes, if sub-30-day stays (Ley 2068/2020) |
What Triggers Each Contract Type
The dividing line is not just the duration — it's the nature of the service. Decreto 2590 de 2009 (which implements Ley 300 de 1996, the Tourism Law) defines anyone who habitually provides furnished accommodation for periods under 30 days as a prestador de servicios turísticos — a tourism service provider. Their contract with you is a contrato de hospedaje, governed by tourism law and the Código de Comercio, not Ley 820.
In practice, the distinction works like this:
You probably have an arrendamiento contract if: you signed a 12-month lease for an unfurnished apartment, or a shorter-term lease for a furnished apartment with an explicit clause citing Ley 820 and a term under one year (the law permits this for furnished housing).
You probably have a hospedaje contract if: you booked a furnished apartment for 1–6 months through a platform (Casacol, Blueground, Airbnb monthly), the operator provides linens and kitchenware, and they asked for a copy of your passport (for SIRE reporting to Migración Colombia).
What You Lose Under Hospedaje
Hospedaje contracts give you flexibility (no one-year minimum, no 3-month early-termination penalty) but strip away several protections that Ley 820 tenants take for granted:
No rent-increase cap. An arrendamiento tenant's rent can only increase by the IPC once per year. A hospedaje operator can set whatever price they want for each stay. If they quote you COP 3M for your first month and COP 4M for your second, that's legal — the IPC cap does not apply.
Deposits are allowed. The Ley 820 ban on cash deposits (Article 16) does not extend to hospedaje contracts. It's common for furnished-stay operators to collect a refundable damage deposit, and this is legal under the Código de Comercio.
No automatic renewal. When your stay ends, it ends. There's no statutory right to extend. An arrendamiento tenant who stays past the contract term gets automatic renewal; a hospedaje guest gets a new booking at a new price (or no booking at all).
What You Gain Under Hospedaje
The tradeoffs aren't all negative:
Flexibility. No 12-month minimum. No 3-month preaviso to leave. If your contract says 2 months, you stay 2 months and walk away. This is why the format exists — it's designed for people who don't know how long they'll be in a city.
No guarantee gauntlet. You don't need a codeudor, a póliza, or an afianzadora study. The deposit (if any) and your payment up front are the guarantee. For foreigners without Colombian credit history, this is often the only viable path to housing in the first weeks.
The 30-day shield. Under Ley 675 (the propiedad horizontal law), building HOAs can vote to ban stays under 30 days. But a 30+ day hospedaje contract — the standard furnished monthly arrangement — is generally not affected by these bans. Your operator should confirm this with their building's reglamento, but the enforcement campaign targets sub-30-day stays, not monthly furnished contracts.
The Hybrid Zone: Furnished Arrendamiento
Ley 820 does allow shorter-term residential leases for furnished housing — the minimum term can be under one year if the contract explicitly states it and the apartment is furnished. Some operators use this structure because it gives the tenant Ley 820 protections (IPC cap, no deposits, auto-renewal) while still offering 3–6 month flexibility. If you're signing a lease with a professional inmobiliaria for a furnished apartment and the contract cites Ley 820, you're in this hybrid zone — and you're better protected than under hospedaje.
Which One Should You Want?
It depends on how long you're staying and how much legal protection matters to you.
| Your Situation | Better Framework | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 months, first time in city | Hospedaje | Flexibility to leave; no guarantee requirements |
| 3–6 months, know the neighborhood | Furnished arrendamiento | IPC cap, no deposits, auto-renewal option |
| 6–12+ months | Arrendamiento (unfurnished) | Full Ley 820 protections; best per-month price |
| Budget under COP 2M | Arrendamiento | Unfurnished + furnish yourself saves 40–60% |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Ley 820 allows sub-one-year terms for furnished housing if the contract explicitly states the shorter term. Some professional agencies structure furnished 3–6 month leases this way, giving tenants IPC cap and deposit-ban protections.
Almost always, yes. Airbnb bookings — even monthly ones — are structured as hospedaje. The platform's terms of service and the operator's SIRE reporting obligation both point to tourism law, not Ley 820.
Not during the agreed period. But when you rebook or extend, the operator can set a new price with no legal cap. The IPC limit only applies to arrendamiento contracts under Ley 820.
Hospedaje providers must report foreign guests to Migración Colombia through the SIRE system (Sistema de Información para el Registro de Extranjeros). This is why they ask for a passport copy. Residential landlords under Ley 820 do not have this obligation.
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