Countries › Colombia › Guide › 11. Real estate and land › Short term rentals in Colombia: tourist housing for stays under 30 days, the Registro Nacional de Turismo, platform duties, condominium authorization and the tourism levy

Short term rentals in Colombia: tourist housing for stays under 30 days, the Registro Nacional de Turismo, platform duties, condominium authorization and the tourism levy

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

Renting property for periods under 30 days is a tourism service (vivienda turística), and anyone who rents out more than one property this way is presumed to be a tourism provider. Providers must be in the national tourism register (RNT) before operating and renew it every year, platforms must take down listings without an active RNT number, and units in condominiums need prior authorization in the registered rules. Providers pay a tourism levy of 2.5 per 1,000 of operating income.

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

Rentals shorter than this are tourist housing	30 daysLey 1101 de 2006 art. 3 par. 1 (Ley 2068 de 2020 art. 37), as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Tourism register (RNT) required before operating short term rentals	Yes, renewed yearly textLey 300 de 1996 art. 61, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Parafiscal tourism contribution on operating income	2.5 per 1,000Ley 2068 de 2020 art. 36 (Ley 2294 de 2023), as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Fee to reactivate a suspended RNT registration (COP 1,750,905 in 2026)	1 monthly minimum wagesLey 300 de 1996 art. 61 par. 6, as of 2026-10-27 · in force

The rule

1. Tourist housing providers are those who rent or sublet real estate, their own or others', for periods under 30 days, with or without extra services, or who intermediate such rentals. Anyone who appears renting more than one property for periods under 30 days is presumed to be a tourism provider.Ley 1101 de 2006 art. 3 par. 1, as replaced by Ley 2068 de 2020 art. 37, Ley 2068 de 2020 art. 37, 2020-12-31 official text · verified 2026-10-27

2. Tourist housing and other non permanent lodging are tourism service providers. All tourism providers must register in the Registro Nacional de Turismo, kept by the chambers of commerce, before operating, and update it every year. The registration is automatically suspended if not updated, the Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio sanctions those operating unregistered and asks the mayor to close the establishment temporarily, and reactivation requires paying one monthly minimum wage to the national tourism fund.
Cost to do it: Reactivation of a suspended registration: 1 monthly minimum wage, COP 1,750,905 (about US$554) in 2026.Ley 300 de 1996, as amended by Decreto Ley 2106 de 2019, Art. 61 and 62 num. 1, 1996-07-26 official text · verified 2026-10-27

3. Operators of tourism platforms whose services are provided or enjoyed in Colombia are tourism providers. They must have an active RNT registration, show each host's RNT number, and not publish, or remove, listings of providers without an active and current RNT registration.Ley 2068 de 2020, Art. 38 num. 1, 2 and 4, 2020-12-31 official text · verified 2026-10-27

4. In condominiums, tourist housing needs prior authorization in the condominium rules registered at the land registry. Operators without it are subject to the Ley 675 fines, besides the sanctions for not being in the RNT, and administrators must report such units 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 COP 5,252,715 (about US$1,663); operator fines under Ley 675 de 2001 art. 59 up to two months of charges each and ten in total.Ley 1558 de 2012, as amended by Decreto Ley 2106 de 2019, Art. 34, 2012-07-10 official text · verified 2026-10-27

5. The Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio sanctions tourism infractions under the consumer protection regime and, besides those sanctions, may cancel the RNT registration for up to five years depending on the seriousness of the offence.Ley 300 de 1996, as amended by Ley 2068 de 2020 art. 29, Ley 300 art. 72, 2020-12-31 official text · verified 2026-10-27

6. Tourism providers pay a parafiscal tourism contribution of 2.5 per 1,000 of their operating income, which cannot be passed on to the guest.
Cost to do it: 2.5 per 1,000 of operating income.
Example: A host with COP 60,000,000 of yearly rental income pays COP 150,000. / About US$47 on about US$19,000 of income.Ley 2068 de 2020, as amended by Ley 2294 de 2023 art. 304; Ley 300 de 1996 art. 40 as replaced by Ley 2068 art. 34, Ley 2068 de 2020 art. 36, 2023-05-19 official text · verified 2026-10-27 · changed: Ley 2294 de 2023 set the general rate at 2.5 per 1,000 of operating income.

Worked example

A non resident owns two apartments in a Cartagena condominium and lists both for weekend stays. Because they rent more than one property for under 30 days, they are presumed to be a tourism provider (Ley 2068 de 2020 art. 37). They must first confirm that the registered condominium rules authorize tourist housing (Ley 1558 de 2012 art. 34), register each unit in the RNT and renew it yearly (Ley 300 de 1996 art. 61), and display the RNT number on the platform, which must otherwise remove the listing (Ley 2068 de 2020 art. 38). On COP 60,000,000 (about US$19,000) of yearly income the tourism levy is COP 150,000 (about US$47) (art. 36).

Step by step

1. Read the registered condominium rules; if they do not authorize tourist housing, an assembly reform needs 70 percent of the coefficients (Ley 675 de 2001 art. 46).
2. Register with the chamber of commerce in the RNT before the first booking (Ley 300 de 1996 art. 61).
3. Put the RNT number on every platform listing (Ley 2068 de 2020 art. 38).
4. Renew the RNT every year on the dates in the regulation, or it is suspended (Ley 300 de 1996 art. 61 par. 4).
5. File and pay the tourism contribution on operating income (Ley 2068 de 2020 art. 36).
6. Check the income tax and VAT treatment of the income with an adviser; see the rental income tax page.

Common traps

Treating weekend rentals as an ordinary lease under Ley 820: stays under 30 days are a tourism service (Ley 2068 de 2020 art. 37).
Operating while the RNT is suspended for not renewing it: the activity is barred and reactivation costs one minimum wage (Ley 300 de 1996 art. 61).
Assuming a platform listing is proof of compliance: platforms must delist hosts without RNT (Ley 2068 de 2020 art. 38).
Ignoring the condominium rules: Ley 675 fines and an administrator report to the Superintendencia (Ley 1558 de 2012 art. 34).

Sources

← Residential 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 ComercioTax on rental income from Colombian property: Colombian source rule, 20 percent withholding and 35 percent rate for non residents, 3.5 percent withholding for residents, and treaty relief →