Countries › Colombia › Guide › 11. Real estate and land › Condominiums (propiedad horizontal) in Colombia: how the regime is created, owners' obligations, common charges and late interest, assembly majorities, the administrator and fines

Condominiums (propiedad horizontal) in Colombia: how the regime is created, owners' obligations, common charges and late interest, assembly majorities, the administrator and fines

Last verified: 2026-10-27 · Status: Stable

Apartment and office buildings and gated developments are governed by Ley 675 de 2001: the regime is created by a registered public deed that also creates a legal entity run by an assembly and an administrator. Owners must pay common charges even if they do not use the unit, late payment carries interest of 1.5 times the bank current rate, and buyers become jointly liable for a seller's unpaid charges. Key decisions need 70 percent of the coefficients, and fines are capped at two months of fees each and ten in total.

USD figures use the TRM of COP 3,157.94 per US dollar valid on 27 October 2026, certified by the Superintendencia Financiera and published on the national open data portal (datos.gov.co). UVT amounts use the 2026 UVT of COP 52,374 (DIAN Resolución 000238 de 2025) and minimum wage amounts use the 2026 monthly minimum wage of COP 1,750,905 (Decreto 1469 de 2025). Conversions are for orientation only.

Key facts

Default interest on late common charges, multiple of bank current rate	1.5 timesLey 675 de 2001 art. 30, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Qualified assembly majority for major decisions	70 % of all coefficientsLey 675 de 2001 art. 46, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Ordinary assembly quorum	More than 50% of coefficients textLey 675 de 2001 art. 45, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Maximum single fine, multiple of monthly necessary charges	2 times monthly chargesLey 675 de 2001 art. 59, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Maximum total fines, multiple of monthly necessary charges	10 times monthly chargesLey 675 de 2001 art. 59, as of 2026-10-27 · in force

The rule

1. A building or development becomes a condominium by a public deed registered at the land registry, and registration creates a legal entity. The deed must contain the condominium rules (reglamento), including the private units per approved plans, the common areas, the ownership coefficients and the permitted uses, which must follow urban rules. Rules that breach the law are treated as not written, and the rules cannot ban or limit selling, mortgaging or assigning private units.
Cost to do it: Notary, registration tax and registry fees on the deed that creates the regime; see the buying and owning property page.Ley 675 de 2001 (condominium regime), Art. 4 and 5 (par. 1 and 4), 2001-08-03 official text · verified 2026-10-27

2. Owners must use their units according to their nature and the rules, without compromising the building's safety or disturbing neighbours. In commercial or mixed use buildings a unit may be used only for the purposes in the rules unless the assembly authorizes otherwise. The top floor owner cannot add floors, and the ground floor owner cannot excavate, without the assembly's authorization and compliance with urban rules.Ley 675 de 2001, Art. 18, 2001-08-03 official text · verified 2026-10-27

3. Owners must pay the necessary common charges (expensas comunes) set under the rules, even if they do not occupy the unit or use the service. Owner and tenant are jointly liable for ordinary charges, and the buyer is jointly liable with the seller for charges unpaid at transfer. At the deed, the notary must require a paid certificate from the condominium's legal representative, or record its absence and the buyer's joint liability.
Example: If the seller owes six months of COP 600,000 fees, the buyer is jointly liable for COP 3,600,000 if no paid certificate is obtained. / About US$1,140.Ley 675 de 2001, Art. 29 and par. 2, 2001-08-03 official text · verified 2026-10-27

4. Late common charges bear default interest of one and a half times the bank current interest rate certified by the financial supervisor, unless the assembly sets a lower rate. Owners in arrears may be listed in the building, in places without constant visitor traffic.Ley 675 de 2001, Art. 30, 2001-08-03 official text · verified 2026-10-27

5. The assembly meets with owners holding more than half of the coefficients and decides by more than half of the coefficients represented. A qualified majority of 70 percent of all coefficients is needed for, among others: changing the use of common areas, extraordinary charges above four times the monthly necessary charges in a budget year, reforming the rules, assigning a common area to exclusive use, changing the general use of private units, and liquidation. No decision except ending the regime may require more than 70 percent. Qualified decisions cannot be taken in non presential meetings.
Example: With monthly charges of COP 600,000 per unit, any extraordinary levy above COP 2,400,000 per unit in the budget year needs 70 percent of the coefficients. / Above about US$760 per unit.Ley 675 de 2001, Art. 37, 45 and 46, 2001-08-03 official text · verified 2026-10-27

6. The administrator is the legal representative of the condominium and is liable for damage caused by intent or fault; fault is presumed when the administrator exceeds or fails in their functions or breaks the law or rules. In residential developments and mixed and commercial buildings, the administrator must prove suitability.Ley 675 de 2001, Art. 50, 2001-08-03 official text · verified 2026-10-27

7. For breaches of non monetary obligations, after written notice, the condominium may publish the offenders' names, impose successive fines of at most two times the offender's monthly necessary charges each and at most ten times in total, and restrict use of non essential common areas such as party rooms and sports areas. Use of essential common areas can never be restricted.
Example: With monthly charges of COP 600,000, each fine is capped at COP 1,200,000 and all fines together at COP 6,000,000. / Each fine at most about US$380; total at most about US$1,900.Ley 675 de 2001, Art. 59 and par., 2001-08-03 official text · verified 2026-10-27

8. Renting a unit in a condominium as tourist housing requires prior authorization in the condominium rules, registered at the land registry. Operating without it exposes the operator to the Ley 675 fines; the administrator must report unauthorized or unregistered tourist housing to the Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio or face a fine of up to three monthly minimum wages.
Cost to do it: Administrator fine up to 3 monthly minimum wages: COP 5,252,715 (about US$1,663) in 2026.Ley 1558 de 2012, as amended by Decreto Ley 2106 de 2019, Art. 34, 2012-07-10 official text · verified 2026-10-27

Worked example

A non resident buys a Bogotá apartment whose seller owes six months of COP 600,000 charges. The notary asks for the paid certificate; the administrator does not issue it in time, so the deed records its absence and the buyer becomes jointly liable for the COP 3,600,000 (about US$1,140) owed (Ley 675 de 2001 art. 29). The arrears also carry interest at 1.5 times the bank current rate (art. 30). The buyer retains that amount from the price in the promise and pays the condominium at closing.

Step by step

1. Read the registered condominium rules (reglamento) for permitted uses, short term rental authorization and coefficients (Ley 675 de 2001 art. 5; Ley 1558 de 2012 art. 34).
2. Ask for the common charges paid certificate before the notary date (Ley 675 de 2001 art. 29).
3. Review the last assembly minutes for approved extraordinary levies and pending works (art. 46).
4. If you rent out the unit, tell the administrator: tenant and owner are jointly liable for ordinary charges (art. 29).

Common traps

Closing without the paid certificate: the buyer becomes jointly liable for the seller's debts to the condominium (Ley 675 de 2001 art. 29).
Assuming an empty unit pays less: the duty to pay applies even if the owner does not occupy it (art. 29 par. 2).
Running short term rentals where the rules do not authorize tourist housing (Ley 1558 de 2012 art. 34).
Ignoring late fees: interest runs at 1.5 times the bank current rate unless the assembly set less (Ley 675 de 2001 art. 30).

Sources

← Zoning and building licenses in Colombia: the urban license, curadores urbanos, 45 business day decision with positive silence, license terms of 24 to 48 months, the 2026 earthquake extension and Police Code sanctionsResidential and commercial leases in Colombia: Ley 820 de 2003 terms, renewals and termination indemnities, and the commercial tenant's mandatory renewal right under the Código de Comercio →