Airbnb Rules Medellín: Laws, Regulations, and Host Requirements

Medellín Airbnb Compliance Checklist

• ☐ Register with the Cámara de Comercio de Medellín

  • Obtain a Registro Mercantil before accepting paid guests. Commercial STR activity without this registration exposes hosts to sanctions under Colombia's commerce code.

  • Renew the registration annually to maintain an active status.

• ☐ Register in the Registro Nacional de Turismo (RNT)

  • File with ProColombia through the RNT official portal under the vivienda turística category, as required by Law 300 of 1996 and Law 1101 of 2006.

  • Renew the RNT registration each year before December 31 to avoid suspension of operating authority.

• ☐ Confirm Zoning and HOA Eligibility

  • Verify with the Departamento Administrativo de Planeación that the property's zone permits tourist accommodation use. Check the reglamento de propiedad horizontal of many Medellín buildings prohibits short-term rentals internally by law.

• ☐ Obtain the CUIG (Código Único de Identificación del Establecimiento)

  • Apply through the Subsecretaría de Turismo de Medellín after RNT approval. Display the CUIG number on all platform listings.

• ☐ Install Mandatory Safety Equipment

  • Fit functional smoke detectors in every sleeping area and hallway.

  • Place a charged fire extinguisher and a visible emergency exit plan inside the unit, per ICONTEC NTS-TS 002 habitability standards.

• ☐ Collect and Verify Guest Identity Documents

  • Record the cédula or passport number of every guest at check-in. Law 300 of 1996 requires tourist accommodation providers to maintain guest registries available for inspection.

• ☐ Configure Tax Collection on the Platform

  • Confirm that Airbnb is remitting the 4% impuesto al turismo on applicable bookings. Hosts operating through direct channels must collect and remit this tax independently to the Alcaldía de Medellín.

• ☐ Register with DIAN as a Tax Contributor

  • Obtain or update a Registro Único Tributario (RUT) reflecting STR income activity. Rental income is subject to Colombian national income tax and, above the threshold, to IVA obligations.

1. Regulatory Overview

Short-term rental activity in Medellín operates under three concurrent compliance layers: municipal ordinances issued by the Concejo de Medellín, departmental rules from the Gobernación de Antioquia, and national tourism law administered by the Colombian central government.

Hosts cannot satisfy one layer and ignore the others. All three apply simultaneously.

Your legal journey starts with national law, specifically Ley 300 de 1996 and its major updates in Ley 1101 de 2006 and Ley 2068 de 2020. These laws demand that you register with the Registro Nacional de Turismo (RNT) before you can even think about listing your property. It's not optional.

At the city level, Medellín’s own Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial (Acuerdo 048 de 2014) dictates exactly which zones allow for tourist rentals, meaning your building's location is a huge factor in whether you can host legally. Bottom line: No RNT and no zoning permit means you’re operating illegally.

Colombian law defines a short-term rental as any furnished accommodation rented for fewer than 30 consecutive days to transient guests in exchange for payment. Properties rented for 30 days or more fall under standard residential lease law and exit the tourism compliance framework entirely.

You've got two main agencies watching you. In Medellín, the Subsecretaría de Turismo de Medellín handles local enforcement, but the national RNT registry is managed by **MinCIT (Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo).

Don't assume they talk to each other. Both agencies can launch their own inspections and hit you with sanctions, and fines for non-compliance can reach up to 35 times the monthly minimum wage.

Last updated: May 2026

2. Airbnb License Requirements Medellín Hosts Need to Review

Medellín does not operate a dedicated short-term rental registration system equivalent to New York's Local Law 18 or Lisbon's Alojamento Local registry. No municipal ordinance as of May 2026 requires hosts to obtain an STR-specific license before listing on Airbnb, Vrbo, or Booking.com.

National Tourism Registry (rnt)

The governing framework is national, not municipal. Colombia's Ley 300 de 1996 (Tourism Law, effective July 26, 1996) and its successor Ley 1101 de 2006 classify furnished apartment rentals as a tourism accommodation service.

Any host offering paid overnight stays is legally operating a tourism establishment and must register with the Registro Nacional de Turismo (RNT) administered by the Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo (MinCIT).

• Who Must Register: All operators renting furnished residential units for tourism purposes, regardless of whether the property is a primary or secondary residence. No minimum-nights threshold exempts a host from this requirement.

• Application Channel: Registration is completed through the MinCIT online portal (Ventanilla Única de Registro Turístico).

• Required Documentation: RUT (tax identification), property deed or lease agreement, and a signed declaration of compliance with Norma Técnica Sectorial NTS-TS 002 (sustainable tourism standards).

• Fee: Registration itself carries no direct fee, but annual renewal is mandatory. Failure to renew triggers fines under Decreto 2074 de 2003, ranging from 1 to 100 legal monthly minimum wages (salarios mínimos legales mensuales vigentes, SMLMV).

Platform compliance rules don't currently require hosts to display an RNT number in Airbnb listings, but Colombian tax authorities cross-reference RNT records when auditing income declarations.

Operating without registration is the most common compliance gap among foreign-owned properties in Medellín's El Poblado and Laureles neighborhoods.

3. Eligible Property Types for Short-term Rentals in Medellín

Medellín has no formal building classification system comparable to New York's Class A/B dwelling categories or a government-published prohibited buildings list.

Eligibility under Decree 0552 of 2018 and the national tourism framework (Law 300 of 1996, amended by Law 1101 of 2006) is determined by three overlapping layers: zoning designation, property deed restrictions, and condo or HOA bylaws.

Zoning and Land Use

The Medellín Planning Department (Departamento Administrativo de Planeación) administers the Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial (POT), designating residential, mixed-use, and commercial zones. Short-term rental activity is permitted in mixed-use and commercial zones.

Residential-only zones may restrict commercial lodging activity, and hosts must confirm their zoning classification directly with the Departamento Administrativo de Planeación before registering with the Registro Nacional de Turismo (RNT).

Condominium and HOA Restrictions

• Reglamento de Propiedad Horizontal: Colombia's Law 675 of 2001 governs horizontal property. Individual condo assemblies may vote to prohibit or restrict short-term rentals, and those restrictions are legally enforceable.

• Deed Restrictions: Some residential developments include deed-level covenants limiting occupancy to long-term residential use, operating independently of municipal STR rules.

A building may be fully compliant with Medellín's STR rules and still be off-limits under its condo bylaws; both layers require verification.

No Prohibited Buildings Registry

No municipal agency publishes a list of buildings where short-term rentals are banned. Eligibility is property-specific, requiring hosts to review their POT zoning certificate, condo reglamento, and property title before proceeding with RNT registration.

Building Rules, HOA Restrictions, and Neighborhood-level Limitations

Condominium and HOA Bylaws

Medellín does not maintain a city-wide prohibited buildings registry comparable to those found in New York or Barcelona.

Property-level restrictions on short-term rentals are governed by the internal regulations (reglamento de propiedad horizontal) of each condominium or residential complex, as authorized under Law 675 of 2001, which regulates horizontal property regimes in Colombia.

• HOA prohibition authority: A condominium assembly may vote to prohibit or restrict STR activity by a two-thirds majority of co-owners, per Law 675 of 2001, Article 46. That prohibition is legally enforceable against individual unit owners.

• Penalty exposure: Violations of HOA bylaws can result in fines set by the assembly, typically ranging from one to five times the monthly administration fee, though exact amounts vary by complex.

Hosts must review the specific regulations for their building before listing. A municipal registration number does not override a valid HOA prohibition.

Neighborhood Zoning Constraints

Medellín's land use plan, the Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial (POT), designates residential zones where commercial lodging activity faces restrictions.

Short-term rental activity in strictly residential classifications (uso residencial neto) may conflict with permitted uses under the POT, even where no explicit STR ordinance applies.

• Mixed-use zones: Properties in mixed-use corridors generally face no zoning conflict with STR operation.

• Strictly residential parcels: Hosts operating in uso residencial neto zones carry documented zoning risk, particularly if neighbors file a formal complaint with the Subsecretaría de Control Urbano.

Note: A proposed update to Medellín's POT, under review by the Concejo de Medellín as of early 2026, would create an explicit STR land-use subcategory. No bill identifier has been formally assigned as of the May 2026 publication date of this page.

4. Tax Obligations

National Taxes (Colombia)

Colombia's national tax authority, the Dirección de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales (DIAN), governs VAT and income tax obligations for STR hosts under the Estatuto Tributario (Tax Code). Hosts classified as responsables del IVA must charge and remit value-added tax on accommodation services.

Total Combined Tax Rate: 19% IVA + 35% income tax (or applicable personal rate) + 0.7% ICA on gross revenue. Hosts below the IVA threshold remain subject to ICA and income tax.

Platform Collection Requirements

Airbnb remits IVA directly to DIAN on behalf of hosts for reservations processed through its platform under the digital services VAT collection framework, effective January 1, 2020. Hosts must confirm their tax residency status in Airbnb account settings to ensure correct withholding.

Tax Filing Requirements

Hosts registered as responsables del IVA file bimonthly IVA returns via the DIAN virtual portal. ICA declarations are filed annually with the Secretaría de Hacienda de Medellín, with the deadline falling in April of the following fiscal year.

5. Safety and Building Code Requirements

Mandatory Safety Equipment

Short-term rental properties in Medellín must comply with Colombia's Technical Construction Standard (Norma de Sismo Resistencia NSR-10) and municipal fire safety directives enforced by the Cuerpo Oficial de Bomberos de Medellín.

Hosts operating under the national tourism registry framework are subject to inspection against these standards.

• Smoke Detectors: Operational smoke detectors are required in every sleeping room and primary corridor.

• Fire Extinguisher: Minimum one ABC-rated extinguisher per floor, mounted and accessible to guests.

• Emergency Exits: All exit routes must be clearly marked and unobstructed at all times.

• Carbon Monoxide Detector: Required in any unit with gas appliances or enclosed combustion equipment.

Building Compliance

• Structural Certification: The property must meet NSR-10 seismic resistance standards.

• Electrical Safety: Installations must comply with the Colombian Electrical Regulations (RETIE), verified by a licensed electrician.

• Gas Installations: Gas systems require certification under RETIQ standards before guest occupancy.

(Section omitted, Medellín does not have a law that requires booking platforms to verify host registration before accepting bookings, or that requires platforms to submit quarterly transaction reports to municipal authorities.

Platform-level mandates of this kind do not exist under Colombian national law or Medellín's current Airbnb rules framework. STR oversight in Colombia operates through host-side obligations under national tourism statutes, not platform enforcement mechanisms.)

6. Common Compliance Risks and Penalties for Breaking Airbnb Regulation Medellín Rules

Medellín's enforcement framework operates under Colombia's national tourism statute, Law 300 of 1996, and its successor Law 1101 of 2006, with municipal oversight handled by the Alcaldía de Medellín through the Subsecretaría de Turismo. Penalties apply at both the national and municipal levels.

Civil Penalties

• Operating without RNT registration: Fines from COP 1,000,000 to COP 17,000,000 (approximately USD 250–4,200) per infraction under Article 72 of Law 300 of 1996.

• Failure to display RNT number in listings: Administrative sanction with a corrective order; repeat violations escalate to monetary fines.

• Non-remittance of tourism tax: Surcharges and interest apply under the Estatuto Tributario Nacional, compounding monthly on unpaid balances.

• Noise and coexistence violations: Municipal fines under Acuerdo 12 of 2015 (Medellín's coexistence code), ranging from COP 200,000 to COP 800,000 per incident.

Enforcement Mechanisms

• Platform verification: MinCIT cross-references active listings against the RNT database periodically.

• Complaint response: Neighbor or building-administration complaints trigger Subsecretaría de Turismo inspections, typically within 30 days.

• Proactive monitoring: Municipal inspectors audit high-density STR zones, particularly El Poblado and Laureles, during peak seasons.

Registration Denial and Revocation

Grounds for denial: Incomplete documentation, prior unresolved fines, or property zoning conflicts with Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial (POT) classifications.

7. Special Considerations

Rent-Regulated and Social Housing Units (vis/vip)

Units classified as Vivienda de Interés Social (VIS) or Vivienda de Interés Prioritario (VIP) under Colombia's Law 388 of 1997 carry deed restrictions that prohibit commercial use, including short-term rental, for periods typically ranging from 5 to 10 years from the original transfer date.

Operating an STR in a VIS or VIP unit during the restriction window constitutes a breach of the original subsidy conditions and can trigger reversion of the subsidy plus penalties assessed by the municipal housing authority, Secretaría de Hábitat de Medellín.

• Deed Restriction Period: Confirm the exact expiry date on the public deed (escritura pública) before listing. The restriction is property-specific, not building-wide.

• Lease Conflicts: Tenants subletting VIS units on Airbnb also violate the original owner's deed conditions, creating liability for both parties.

• Consequence: Subsidy recovery demand plus potential criminal referral under Colombia's housing subsidy fraud statutes.

Horizontal Property Regimes (condominiums and Apartment Complexes)

Most multi-unit buildings in Medellín operate under Law 675 of 2001, which grants the co-owners' assembly (asamblea de copropietarios) authority to restrict or ban STR activity through the building's reglamento de propiedad horizontal.

As of early 2026, a growing number of Poblado and Laureles buildings have passed internal resolutions explicitly prohibiting rentals under 30 days.

• Reglamento Review: Hosts must obtain and review the current reglamento before listing. Verbal assurances from administrators carry no legal weight.

• Assembly Resolutions: A simple majority vote can amend the reglamento to add STR prohibitions; no municipal approval is required.

• Enforcement: Fines set by the assembly apply per occurrence, and repeated violations can result in judicial action to recover access to common areas.

8. Exemptions

Not all short-term accommodation arrangements in Medellín fall under the Decreto 2590 de 2009 and Resolución 657 de 2018 registration requirements; several categories operate under separate legal regimes or are excluded by duration thresholds.

• Stays of 30 consecutive days or more: Classified as residential tenancies under Ley 820 de 2003 and not subject to STR registration or tourism tax obligations.

• Licensed hotels and hostels: Properties registered with the Registro Nacional de Turismo (RNT) as hotel establishments operate under a distinct framework administered by the Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo, not the rules applying to residential units.

• Bed-and-breakfast operations: Properties classified as viviendas turísticas with on-site owner residency may qualify for a separate RNT subcategory with different compliance obligations.

• Student housing contracts: Accommodation provided under formal educational institution agreements is governed by private contract law, not tourism regulations.

9. Legislative Developments

As of May 2026, Medellín has no pending bills with assigned identifiers moving through Antioquia's departmental assembly or Medellín's city council that would materially alter existing short-term rental registration or tax obligations.

The most recent enacted change affecting STR hosts was Decreto 1101 of 2023, which updated the national tourism registry (Registro Nacional de Turismo, RNT) renewal cycle and clarified that non-compliance triggers suspension of the listing's legal operating status under Law 300 of 1996.

The national government, through the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism (MinCIT), has signaled intent to revise platform reporting obligations for digital accommodation intermediaries, but no bill text has been tabled before Colombia's Congress as of the current last updated date.

Hosts operating under existing Airbnb rules in Medellín should monitor MinCIT official notices for draft regulatory changes affecting the RNT scope.

Last Updated: May 2026

10. Resources and Contact Information

Government Agencies

Alcaldía de Medellín (Mayor's Office)

• Address: Calle 44 No. 52-165, Centro Administrativo La Alpujarra, Medellín, Antioquia

• Phone: +57 (604) 385-5555

• Website: medellin.gov.co

Curaduría Urbana de Medellín (Urban Planning Office)

• Address: Multiple offices across Medellín; consult the municipal website for the relevant territorial division

• Website: medellin.gov.

DIAN (Dirección de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales), the national tax authority governing income declarations and VAT obligations for STR operators

• Phone: 01 8000 912030 (national toll-free)

• Website: dian.gov.co

Filing Complaints

Angry neighbors have a direct line to the authorities. For loud parties or other disturbances, they just have to dial the Línea 123 emergency and complaints line. It’s that simple. For less urgent issues, like suspecting you're running an unlicensed rental, they can file a formal complaint through the Alcaldía's online portal at medellin.gov.co.

And if their problem is with platform-specific issues related to Airbnb regulation, Medellín enforcement, their complaint goes straight to the Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio (SIC) at sic.gov.co.

Disclaimer

The short-term rental regulations in Medellín are a tangled mess, and they're always changing. For example, Ley 2068 de 2020 introduced significant new rules that authorities are still interpreting.

You absolutely should talk to a qualified Colombian lawyer and a tax professional to make sure you're fully compliant. Things can change in a heartbeat, and it's your job to keep up.