Short-Term Vacation Rental Agreement Colombia (Contrato de Alquiler Temporal Vacacional)

A Short-Term Vacation Rental Agreement Colombia (Contrato de Alquiler Temporal Vacacional) is a temporary lease contract through which the owner or authorized operator of a furnished property grants a guest (huesped) the right to occupy the property for tourism, recreation, or vacation purposes for a defined short-term period. Colombian law regulates vacation rentals through two primary frameworks: Ley 820 de 2003 (Ley de Arrendamiento de Vivienda Urbana) and Ley 300 de 1996 (Ley General de Turismo), as modified by Ley 1558 de 2012.

Under Ley 300 de 1996 Article 62, vacation rental properties (viviendas turisticas) are classified as prestadores de servicios turisticos (tourism service providers) that must register in the Registro Nacional de Turismo (RNT) administered by the Camara de Comercio of the municipality where the property is located. Decreto 2590 de 2009 (now incorporated into Decreto Unico Reglamentario del Sector Comercio — Decreto 1074 de 2015) specifically regulates the operation of viviendas turisticas, defining them as properties offered to the public for temporary accommodation of tourists.

The Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo (MinCIT) supervises tourism operators through the Viceministerio de Turismo, which has enforcement authority to impose sanctions — including fines of up to 20 salarios minimos legales mensuales vigentes (SMLMV) and suspension of the RNT — on operators who fail to register or who violate tourism regulations. Ley 2068 de 2020 strengthened enforcement by requiring digital platforms (such as Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo) to verify that listed properties hold valid RNT registration before publishing listings.

Ley 820 de 2003 governs the general lease framework applicable to urban residential properties in Colombia. Article 4 classifies leases by use, distinguishing between vivienda urbana (residential housing) and other modalities. Vacation rentals fall under a special category that combines elements of residential leasing with tourism regulation. Article 9 of Ley 820 establishes the mandatory content of lease contracts, while Article 15 regulates security deposits (deposito de garantia), limiting them to a maximum equivalent determined by the parties' agreement.

Municipal regulations add additional requirements for vacation rental operators. In Bogota D.C., Decreto Distrital 560 de 2014 regulates tourist accommodation. In Cartagena de Indias, the Secretaria de Hacienda Distrital requires tourism operators to pay the contribucion parafiscal de turismo under Ley 1101 de 2006 Article 3. In Medellin, the Secretaria de Desarrollo Economico coordinates with the Camara de Comercio de Medellin para Antioquia for RNT compliance verification. In San Andres y Providencia, the Corporacion para el Desarrollo Sostenible del Archipielago (CORALINA) imposes additional environmental requirements.

Properties located in buildings governed by the regimen de propiedad horizontal under Ley 675 de 2001 must comply with the reglamento de propiedad horizontal (PH bylaws) of the corresponding conjunto residencial or edificio. Article 74 of Ley 675 authorizes coproprietors' assemblies (asambleas de copropietarios) to restrict or regulate short-term rental activities through bylaw amendments approved by qualified majority. Many Colombian condominium associations have adopted restrictions on vacation rentals, requiring prior authorization from the administrador or the consejo de administracion.

Tax obligations for vacation rental income in Colombia include declaracion de renta (income tax return) before the DIAN under the Estatuto Tributario (Decreto 624 de 1989), ICA (Impuesto de Industria y Comercio) before the municipal Secretaria de Hacienda, and the contribucion parafiscal de turismo (3.5 per thousand of operating income) under Ley 1101 de 2006. Under Decreto 2235 de 2017, operators receiving payments through digital platforms must issue facturas electronicas (electronic invoices) in compliance with DIAN Resolution 000042 de 2020.

A Short-Term Vacation Rental Agreement Colombia is needed whenever a property owner or authorized operator rents a furnished residential property to guests for tourism, vacation, or recreational stays under the regulatory framework of Ley 300 de 1996 (Ley General de Turismo) and Ley 820 de 2003.

The agreement is required when a property owner in popular Colombian tourist destinations — Cartagena de Indias, Santa Marta, San Andres Islas, Medellin, Bogota, Villa de Leyva, Barichara, Salento, Leticia, or the Eje Cafetero region — offers a house, apartment, finca, or cabaña for temporary rental to domestic or international tourists. Under Decreto 2590 de 2009 (consolidated in Decreto 1074 de 2015), any property offered to the public for tourist accommodation must be registered in the Registro Nacional de Turismo (RNT) through the Camara de Comercio.

A formal rental agreement is necessary when listing properties on digital tourism platforms — Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, Despegar.com, or Colombian platforms such as Fincas de Colombia — since Ley 2068 de 2020 requires platforms to verify RNT registration and operators to maintain written agreements with guests documenting the terms of each stay.

The document is needed when property owners in condominium buildings (conjuntos residenciales or edificios) governed by Ley 675 de 2001 (Ley de Propiedad Horizontal) wish to rent their units for short-term stays. The agreement should reference compliance with the reglamento de propiedad horizontal and any restrictions imposed by the asamblea de copropietarios or the consejo de administracion on vacation rental activities.

Property managers (administradores de inmuebles turisticos) who operate multiple vacation rental units on behalf of owners need standardized agreements for each booking. Under Ley 300 de 1996 and Decreto 2590 de 2009, property managers acting as tourism operators must obtain their own RNT registration and maintain records of all rental transactions for inspection by the Viceministerio de Turismo.

The agreement is also required for tax compliance purposes. Vacation rental income constitutes renta gravable (taxable income) under the Estatuto Tributario (Decreto 624 de 1989), and the DIAN requires documentation of each rental transaction for income tax declaration purposes. The Secretaria de Hacienda municipal requires ICA (Impuesto de Industria y Comercio) declarations based on rental income, and the contribucion parafiscal de turismo under Ley 1101 de 2006 applies to registered tourism operators.

A valid Short-Term Vacation Rental Agreement Colombia under Ley 820 de 2003, Ley 300 de 1996, and Decreto 2590 de 2009 must contain the following elements to be enforceable and to comply with Colombian tourism and leasing regulations.

Identification of the Owner/Operator (Arrendador): Full legal name or corporate name, cedula de ciudadania or NIT (Numero de Identificacion Tributaria assigned by the DIAN), residential or registered address, Registro Nacional de Turismo (RNT) number issued by the Camara de Comercio, and contact information. Where the property is managed by a third-party operator (administrador de inmueble turistico), the management authorization document and the operator's own RNT registration must be referenced.

Identification of the Guest (Huesped/Arrendatario): Full legal name, cedula de ciudadania (for Colombian nationals), passport number (for foreign tourists), residential address, contact phone number, and email address. For foreign guests, the operator must comply with the migration reporting obligations under Decreto 1067 de 2015, notifying Migracion Colombia of the foreign national's accommodation within 24 hours of check-in through the platform established by the Unidad Administrativa Especial Migracion Colombia.

Property Description: Complete address of the vacation rental property, including city, barrio (neighborhood), building or conjunto residencial name, unit number, and matricula inmobiliaria number from the Oficina de Registro de Instrumentos Publicos. The description should include the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, common areas, parking spaces, and amenities (pool, terrace, laundry, kitchen equipment). For properties in propiedad horizontal under Ley 675 de 2001, the agreement must reference the coeficiente de copropiedad and confirm compliance with the reglamento de propiedad horizontal.

Rental Period: Exact check-in date and time and check-out date and time, establishing the total number of nights. Under Decreto 2590 de 2009, vacation rentals are characterized by their temporary nature — the agreement should specify that the rental is exclusively for tourism or recreational purposes and does not create a residential lease (contrato de arrendamiento de vivienda) subject to the full protections of Ley 820 de 2003.

Rental Price and Payment Terms: The total rental price in Colombian Pesos (COP) or, for international guests, the equivalent in USD with the applicable exchange rate (TRM — Tasa Representativa del Mercado published by the Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia). The payment schedule — advance deposit, balance due at check-in, or full prepayment — must be specified along with accepted payment methods (bank transfer to Colombian account, credit card, digital platforms). Under DIAN regulations, operators must issue factura electronica for each transaction.

Security Deposit (Deposito de Garantia): The amount retained as security against property damage, excessive cleaning costs, or loss of inventory items. The agreement must specify the deposit amount, the conditions for partial or full retention, the inspection procedure at check-out, and the refund timeline and method. Colombian law does not cap vacation rental deposits specifically, unlike residential leases under Ley 820 Article 15.

Property Inventory: A detailed inventory of furniture, appliances, electronics, kitchen equipment, linens, and decorative items provided with the property. The inventory should be signed by both parties at check-in and verified at check-out. Any damage or missing items beyond normal wear and tear (desgaste natural) may be deducted from the security deposit.

House Rules and Restrictions: Occupancy limits (maximum number of guests), noise policies (particularly referencing Codigo Nacional de Policia — Ley 1801 de 2016 — Articles 33 and 34 on convivencia ciudadana), pet policies, smoking restrictions, event or party prohibitions, and pool or common area usage rules. For properties in propiedad horizontal, the rules must align with the reglamento de PH and decisions of the asamblea de copropietarios.

Cancellation Policy: Terms governing cancellation by either party, including advance notice requirements, refund percentages based on timing of cancellation, and force majeure provisions. The agreement should reference Ley 1480 de 2011 (Estatuto del Consumidor) protections available to guests as consumers of tourism services, with the Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio (SIC) as the consumer protection authority.

Utilities and Services: Specification of which utilities are included in the rental price — water (acueducto y alcantarillado), electricity (energia electrica), natural gas, internet/WiFi, cable television, and building administration fees (cuota de administracion under Ley 675 de 2001). Any utilities charged separately must include the metering and billing methodology.

Liability and Insurance: The owner/operator's liability for property defects, personal injury, and loss of guest belongings. Reference to the operator's civil liability insurance (poliza de responsabilidad civil) covering guest injuries and third-party claims. Major Colombian insurers offering tourism operator coverage include Suramericana de Seguros, Allianz Seguros, and Liberty Seguros.

Governing Law and Jurisdiction: Statement that the agreement is governed by Ley 820 de 2003, Ley 300 de 1996, Decreto 2590 de 2009, and applicable municipal regulations. Disputes may be submitted to the Juez Civil Municipal of the property's location or to conciliation before a centro de conciliacion authorized by the Ministerio de Justicia y del Derecho under Ley 640 de 2001.

Forms-legal.com provides this Short-Term Vacation Rental Agreement Colombia template as a practical starting point for formalizing temporary tourism rental arrangements. Every agreement should be reviewed by a licensed abogado inmobiliario to confirm compliance with RNT registration requirements, propiedad horizontal bylaws, and applicable municipal tourism regulations.