Investing in Medellín real estate starts with choosing a model (long-term rent, short-term rent, coliving or a participation) and confirming that the specific property or project can operate that way.
The same apartment can produce very different results depending on how it's used and what its building allows. What you receive will depend on how that property or project performs, so it's worth checking the rules before the price.
Four ways of investing in Medellín real estate
There are several ways to invest in real estate in Medellín, and each one calls for a different property, workload and budget.
Long-term rent
A tenant lives there on a contract of months or years. It takes less management and brings steadier income, with less room to raise it.
Short-term rent
A short-term rental sells nights. It can bill more, but needs daily operation, furnishing and permits. Here's how it makes money.
Coliving
Private rooms with shared spaces and services included. It relies heavily on community and operation. Read more about investing in coliving.
Participation
You contribute a fraction of a specific project someone else operates. See what that represents in our guide to fractional real estate.
Where to invest in Medellín: how to compare areas
No neighbourhood works for everything. The answer depends on the model you choose and who's going to live there.
Who would rent
Students, families, people moving for work or travellers. Each group looks for different things and pays differently.
Transport and services
Check how far the metro, shops, universities or clinics are, depending on who you're aiming at.
Nearby supply
See how many similar properties there are and what they're listed for. A listing isn't a contract: the real price can be lower.
Plans for the area
Public works, land-use changes and new buildings can move demand in either direction.
Price against rent
Compare actual rents with the purchase price. Appreciation may or may not come, and it only becomes real when you sell.
What to check before you decide
One rule from the building or the area can rule out a model even when the numbers look good.
The building's rules
In a building under propiedad horizontal, the bylaws must expressly authorize using the apartments as tourist housing. Ask for them before deciding, along with recent meeting minutes.
Land use
The POT, the city's land-use plan, defines what's allowed in each area. On November 5, 2026 the City Council approved its revision, which concentrates new tourist housing in high mixed-use zones and near mass transit. It still needs the mayor's signature and the final text has yet to be published. Confirm what's permitted at that address and ask a curaduría urbana, the office that issues building permits, whether you need a construction license for lodging use.
The RNT for short stays
Anyone providing tourist lodging must be listed in the National Tourism Registry, and the listing is renewed every year.
The property's paperwork
Ask for the certificado de tradición y libertad to confirm who owns it and whether there are liens or mortgages.
Residential leases
Law 820 of 2003 governs urban housing leases, including a cap on the yearly rent increase.
Building fees
Ask what the fee is, whether special assessments are coming and how the building's finances look.
A worked example in pesos: long-term or short-term rent
A made-up example for one apartment. On long-term rent it brings 2,200,000 pesos a month, for 11 months of the year. On short-term rent it sells 220 nights at 220,000 pesos, with 15% to the platform and 20% to the operator.
| Per year, in pesos | Long-term rent | Short-term rent |
|---|---|---|
| Income | 24,200,000 | 48,400,000 |
| Agency or operator | −2,420,000 | −9,680,000 |
| Booking platform | 0 | −7,260,000 |
| Cleaning and supplies | 0 | −3,300,000 |
| Utilities and internet | 0 | −4,200,000 |
| Building fees | −4,800,000 | −4,800,000 |
| Property tax | −2,000,000 | −2,000,000 |
| Repairs and replacements | −1,000,000 | −3,000,000 |
| Tourism registry and levies | 0 | −500,000 |
| Result before taxes | 13,980,000 | 13,660,000 |
Short-term rent bills twice as much, yet in this example leaves almost the same. It also leaves out the 30,000,000 pesos it would cost to furnish the apartment.
| Short-term rent by nights sold, in pesos | 150 nights | 220 nights | 290 nights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income | 33,000,000 | 48,400,000 | 63,800,000 |
| Costs that rise with nights | −13,800,000 | −20,240,000 | −26,680,000 |
| Fixed costs | −14,500,000 | −14,500,000 | −14,500,000 |
| Result before taxes | 4,700,000 | 13,660,000 | 22,620,000 |
Costs that rise with nights add up to 92,000 pesos a night: 33,000 for the platform, 44,000 for the operator and 15,000 for cleaning. Fixed costs are utilities, building fees, property tax, repairs and the registry.
Long-term rent changes little from year to year. Short-term rent depends on how many nights you sell and at what price, and on what the booking platforms charge. Before choosing, ask yourself how much variation you can live with.
Projects to invest in Medellín: what to look at
If you'd rather not run a property yourself, you can study a specific project. These are the key questions.
What model is behind it
What the project lives on: rents, nights sold, selling the property or a mix.
What information it gives
Read the project sheet and check where its estimates come from.
Who operates it
What experience they have with that model, what they charge and how their work is measured.
Whether permits are up to date
The same building, land-use and tourism rules apply to a project too.
To see how a specific case is presented, look at Circular Houses, with its information and its risks. And if you'd like a method to follow, use our guide on how to evaluate a project.
The risks of investing in Medellín
Results depend on how each property or project performs, and these points can change them.
Occupancy
Fewer nights sold or more months without a tenant lower income, while fixed costs keep running.
The rules
A building can change its bylaws, and tourism or land-use rules can change too.
Competition
More similar properties in the same area can push rates and occupancy down.
Operation
Poor management hurts reviews, income and the condition of the property.
The sale price
A property's value can rise, stand still or fall. Nobody knows in advance which of those will be your case.
The exit
Selling a property or a participation can take time. You can lose part or all of what you contributed.
Related questions
Projects
See how it looks in a real project, with its term, its information and its risks.
Project in Construction
Project in Structuring
Project in Operation
Project in Structuring
Project in Structuring
Project in ExplorationCasa Lago
La Pintada, Colombia
This project is currently under study. We will notify you when it becomes available for participation.
Keep going
- Circular HousesA project in Medellín, with its information and its risks.
- How a short-term rental makes moneyOccupancy, rates and costs, explained calmly.
- How to evaluate a projectThe key documents and questions before you invest.
Educational content. It is not financial, legal or tax advice, nor a public offering of securities. The figures in the examples are made up. Every investment carries risk and its results may vary.