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Sublease Agreement Colombia (Contrato de Subarrendamiento)

Sublease Agreement Colombia (Contrato de Subarrendamiento)

Ley 820 de 2003 Art. 17 — Codigo Civil Art. 1988

SUBLEASE AGREEMENT (CONTRATO DE SUBARRENDAMIENTO)

Contrato de Subarrendamiento — Ley 820 de 2003 Artículo 17 — Código Civil Artículo 1988

CLAUSE 1 — ORIGINAL LEASE REFERENCE (CONTRATO PRINCIPAL)

El presente Contrato de Subarrendamiento se deriva del Contrato de Arrendamiento original celebrado el [Original Lease Date] entre el propietario del inmueble [Landlord Name], identificado(a) con [Landlord CC/NIT], en calidad de Arrendador, y [Sublessor Name] en calidad de Arrendatario, sobre el inmueble ubicado en [Property Address].

El arrendamiento original vence el [Original Lease Expiry]. El canon mensual original es de [Original Monthly Rent] COP. El propietario ha otorgado autorización escrita expresa para este subarrendamiento de conformidad con el artículo 1988 del Código Civil, la cual se adjunta como Anexo 1.

CLAUSE 2 — PARTIES (PARTES CONTRATANTES)

El presente Contrato de Subarrendamiento se celebra entre:

ARRENDATARIO ORIGINAL / SUBARRENDADOR: [Sublessor Name], identificado(a) con [Sublessor CC/NIT], con domicilio en [Sublessor Address], teléfono [Sublessor Phone], correo electrónico [Sublessor Email] (en adelante el "Subarrendador").

SUBARRENDATARIO: [Subtenant Name], identificado(a) con [Subtenant CC/CE], con domicilio actual en [Subtenant Address], teléfono [Subtenant Phone], correo electrónico [Subtenant Email] (en adelante el "Subarrendatario").

CLAUSE 3 — SUBLEASED PREMISES (INMUEBLE SUBARRENDADO)

Tipo de inmueble: [Property Type]. Alcance del subarrendamiento: [Sublease Scope].

Dirección del inmueble: [Property Address]. Área total del inmueble: [Total Property Area M2]. Área subarrendada: [Subleased Area M2].

Uso permitido: [Permitted Use]. El Subarrendatario no podrá destinar el inmueble a un uso distinto al autorizado en el contrato de arrendamiento original.

CLAUSE 4 — SUBLEASE TERM (TERMINO DEL SUBARRENDAMIENTO)

El subarrendamiento inicia el [Sublease Start Date] y termina el [Sublease End Date]. El plazo del subarrendamiento no podrá superar la fecha de vencimiento del arrendamiento original ([Original Lease Expiry]), en virtud del carácter derivado del subarrendamiento conforme al artículo 1988 del Código Civil.

La terminación del arrendamiento original — por cualquier causa, incluyendo no renovación, incumplimiento o mutuo acuerdo — produce la terminación automática del presente subarrendamiento. El Subarrendatario reconoce que no le asiste ningún derecho de continuidad frente al propietario más allá del plazo del arrendamiento original.

CLAUSE 5 — SUBLEASE RENT (CANON DE SUBARRENDAMIENTO)

El Subarrendatario se obliga a pagar un canon mensual de subarrendamiento de [Sublease Rent] pesos colombianos (COP), pagadero el [Payment Day] de cada mes calendario.

Forma de pago: [Payment Method]. El Subarrendador expedirá un recibo de pago escrito por cada canon recibido.

Para subarrendamientos de vivienda: el canon de subarrendamiento cumple con el límite proporcional establecido en el parágrafo 2 del artículo 17 de la Ley 820 de 2003, calculado como la parte proporcional del canon original ([Original Monthly Rent] COP) correspondiente al área subarrendada ([Subleased Area M2]) respecto al área total del inmueble ([Total Property Area M2]).

CLAUSE 6 — SECURITY DEPOSIT (DEPOSITO DE GARANTIA)

CLAUSE 7 — UTILITIES (SERVICIOS PUBLICOS DOMICILIARIOS)

Responsabilidad del pago de servicios públicos: [Utilities Paid By]. Los servicios incluyen acueducto, alcantarillado, energía eléctrica, gas natural y servicio de aseo, de conformidad con la Ley 142 de 1994.

Conforme al artículo 130 de la Ley 142, el propietario del inmueble responde solidariamente por las deudas de servicios públicos. El Subarrendador vigilará el pago de los servicios y se reserva el derecho de pagarlos directamente y cobrarlos al Subarrendatario en caso de mora.

CLAUSE 8 — LIABILITY (RESPONSABILIDAD)

El Subarrendador responde solidariamente con el Subarrendatario por todas las obligaciones derivadas del contrato de arrendamiento original, de conformidad con el artículo 1988 del Código Civil y el artículo 524 del Código de Comercio. El subarrendamiento no modifica, nova ni reemplaza la relación arrendaticia entre el propietario y el Subarrendador.

El Subarrendatario mantendrá indemne al Subarrendador frente a cualquier reclamación del propietario originada en el incumplimiento por parte del Subarrendatario de las obligaciones del presente subarrendamiento o del arrendamiento original.

Sub-subarrendamiento autorizado: [Sub-Subletting Allowed]. Todo sub-subarrendamiento no autorizado constituye causal de terminación inmediata del presente subarrendamiento.

CLAUSE 9 — TERMINATION (TERMINACION DEL CONTRATO)

El presente subarrendamiento termina por: vencimiento del plazo pactado; terminación del arrendamiento original (terminación en cascada automática); no pago del canon por dos meses consecutivos; violación del uso permitido; sub-subarrendamiento no autorizado; o incumplimiento grave de cualquier obligación del presente contrato o del arrendamiento original.

La terminación por mutuo acuerdo escrito de ambas partes es válida conforme al artículo 1602 del Código Civil. El Subarrendatario desocupará el inmueble y lo restituirá al Subarrendador en el mismo estado en que lo recibió, con la natural deducción del desgaste por uso normal.

CLAUSE 10 — DISPUTE RESOLUTION (SOLUCION DE CONTROVERSIAS)

Cualquier controversia derivada del presente subarrendamiento se someterá primero a conciliación extrajudicial ante un Centro de Conciliación autorizado por el Ministerio de Justicia y del Derecho, de conformidad con la Ley 640 de 2001. Si la conciliación fracasa, el asunto será resuelto por el Juzgado Civil Municipal de la ubicación del inmueble, conforme a los artículos 384-386 del Código General del Proceso (Ley 1564 de 2012).

CLAUSE 11 — ADDITIONAL TERMS (CLAUSULAS ADICIONALES)

[Additional Clauses]

EXECUTION (FIRMAS)

El presente Contrato de Subarrendamiento se suscribe en dos (2) ejemplares originales de igual valor y efecto en [Signature City], el [Signature Date], con copia de la autorización escrita del propietario para subarrendar, adjunta como Anexo 1.

Subarrendador (Original Tenant / Sublessor)

[Sublessor Name]

Signature

Subarrendatario (Subtenant)

[Subtenant Name]

Signature

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What Is a Sublease Agreement Colombia (Contrato de Subarrendamiento)?

Sublease Agreement Colombia (Contrato de Subarrendamiento) is a derivative lease contract governed by Ley 820 de 2003 Article 17 and the Codigo Civil colombiano Article 1988 through which the original tenant (arrendatario principal) of a property grants temporary use and enjoyment of all or part of the leased premises to a subtenant (subarrendatario) in exchange for periodic rent payments (canon de subarrendamiento), while maintaining the original lease relationship with the property owner (arrendador).

Codigo Civil colombiano Article 1988 establishes the foundational rule for subletting in Colombian law: the tenant may not sublease (subarrendar) the property without the landlord's express written consent (consentimiento expreso por escrito del arrendador). Subletting without the landlord's authorisation constitutes a material breach of the original lease agreement and provides grounds for lease termination under both the Codigo Civil and Ley 820 de 2003. The Corte Suprema de Justicia Sala Civil has consistently held that the prohibition on unauthorised subletting is a default rule (norma supletiva) that applies unless the original lease contract expressly permits subletting.

Ley 820 de 2003 Article 17 specifically regulates subletting in urban residential leases. Article 17 Paragraph 1 provides that unauthorised subletting of residential premises constitutes a causal de terminacion (termination ground) under Article 22 Numeral 5, entitling the landlord to initiate a proceso de restitucion de inmueble arrendado before the Juzgado Civil Municipal under the Codigo General del Proceso (Ley 1564 de 2012) Articles 384-386. Article 17 Paragraph 2 establishes that when the landlord authorises subletting, the sublease rent (canon de subarrendamiento) charged by the original tenant to the subtenant may not exceed the proportional share of the rent corresponding to the subleased area — a protection against speculative subletting that would exploit residential tenants.

For commercial premises, the Codigo de Comercio (Decreto 410 de 1971) Articles 523-524 govern subletting. Article 523 permits the commercial tenant to sublease the premises with the landlord's written consent, and provides that the subtenant acquires derivative rights (derechos derivados) from the original lease — including the right to benefit from the lease renewal protections of Article 518 when the subtenant has occupied the premises for two or more consecutive years. Article 524 establishes that the original tenant remains jointly and severally liable (solidariamente responsable) with the subtenant for all obligations under the original lease.

The sublease creates a triangular legal relationship (relacion juridica triangular) involving three parties: the property owner (arrendador), who retains all rights under the original lease; the original tenant (arrendatario principal or subarrendador), who assumes dual obligations — as tenant under the original lease and as landlord under the sublease; and the subtenant (subarrendatario), who acquires usage rights derived from and limited by the original lease terms. The Corte Constitucional de Colombia in Sentencia T-427/1998 clarified that the subtenant's rights cannot exceed the original tenant's rights — the sublease term cannot extend beyond the original lease term, and the sublease cannot authorise uses prohibited by the original lease.

Sublease agreements in Colombia must comply with the same formality requirements as primary leases. Ley 820 Article 3 requires written form for residential subleases to preserve procedural advantages under the Codigo General del Proceso. The sublease must reference the original lease agreement and include a copy of the landlord's written authorisation (autorizacion escrita del arrendador) as an annex. Registration with the Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio (SIC) is not required, but commercial subleases should be documented in the tenant's Camara de Comercio records when the subletting constitutes a material change in the commercial establishment's operations.

When Do You Need a Sublease Agreement Colombia (Contrato de Subarrendamiento)?

Sublease Agreement Colombia is required whenever an existing tenant seeks to grant temporary use of all or part of a leased property to a subtenant, with the landlord's written consent, under the framework of Ley 820 de 2003 Article 17 and Codigo Civil Article 1988.

Residential tenants relocating temporarily — for employment assignments, academic programmes, medical treatment, or family obligations — who wish to maintain their lease while subletting the property to a subtenant during their absence need a formal Contrato de Subarrendamiento. Ley 820 Article 17 requires the landlord's express written consent and limits the sublease rent to the proportional share corresponding to the subleased area.

Commercial tenants occupying office space in business centres in Bogota (Zona T, Centro Internacional, World Trade Center Bogota), Medellin (El Poblado, Centro Empresarial Santillana), Cali (Ciudad Jardin, Zona Oeste), and Barranquilla (Buenavista business district) who wish to sublease unused portions of their leased office space need sublease agreements complying with Codigo de Comercio Articles 523-524 and including the landlord's written authorisation.

Co-working space operators leasing entire floors or buildings and subletting individual offices, desks, or workstations to multiple subtenants need structured sublease agreements defining shared space access, common area maintenance responsibilities, and the allocation of utility and administration costs among subtenants.

Retail tenants in shopping centres (centros comerciales) governed by reglamentos de propiedad horizontal under Ley 675 de 2001 — including Centro Comercial Andino, Centro Comercial Santafe, and Centro Comercial Unicentro in Bogota — who wish to sublease their commercial premises must obtain both the landlord's consent and compliance with the centro comercial's reglamento interno, which may impose additional restrictions on subletting.

Students sharing rented apartments in university districts — Chapinero and Teusaquillo in Bogota, Laureles in Medellin, San Fernando in Cali — need sublease agreements establishing each subtenant's proportional rent obligation, shared utility payment arrangements, and individual liability for common area damage, all within the Ley 820 framework.

Industrial tenants with excess warehouse or factory capacity who sublease portions of their facilities to smaller operators need commercial sublease agreements addressing the allocation of loading dock access, parking areas, utility metering, insurance requirements, and compliance with environmental and occupational safety regulations under Decreto 1072 de 2015.

What to Include in Your Sublease Agreement Colombia (Contrato de Subarrendamiento)

A valid Sublease Agreement Colombia under Ley 820 de 2003 Article 17 and Codigo Civil Article 1988 must contain the following essential elements to comply with Colombian law and protect the rights of the original tenant, subtenant, and property owner.

Landlord Written Consent (Autorizacion Escrita del Arrendador): The landlord's express written authorisation for the subletting must be obtained before execution of the sublease. Codigo Civil Article 1988 makes this consent a prerequisite — subletting without landlord consent is a material breach of the original lease. The authorisation should specify: whether it permits total or partial subletting, the identity of the approved subtenant, the maximum sublease term, and any conditions imposed by the landlord. A copy of the signed authorisation must be attached as an annex to the sublease agreement.

Reference to the Original Lease (Contrato de Arrendamiento Principal): The sublease must identify the original lease agreement by date, parties, and property address. The sublease terms cannot exceed the original lease terms — the sublease term cannot extend beyond the original lease expiration date, and the sublease cannot authorise uses prohibited by the original lease. The Corte Suprema de Justicia Sala Civil has held that sublease obligations are derivative of and limited by the original lease.

Identification of the Parties: Full legal name and cedula de ciudadania (CC) or NIT for the original tenant (subarrendador) and the subtenant (subarrendatario). The property owner (arrendador) is not a party to the sublease but is referenced as the consenting landlord. Corporate parties must include the NIT assigned by the DIAN and the Camara de Comercio registration certificate.

Subleased Premises Description: Precise identification of the subleased area — total sublease (toda la propiedad) or partial sublease specifying the rooms, offices, warehouse sections, or areas being sublet. For partial subleases, the agreement must clearly delineate the subtenant's exclusive space, shared areas, and access rights. Area measurements in square metres must correspond to the original lease description.

Sublease Term (Termino del Subarrendamiento): The start and end dates of the sublease, which must fall within the original lease term. Ley 820 Article 17 implies that the sublease automatically terminates when the original lease terminates — the subtenant cannot claim continuation rights against the property owner beyond the original lease term.

Sublease Rent (Canon de Subarrendamiento): The monthly rent amount in Colombian pesos (COP) charged by the original tenant to the subtenant. For residential subleases under Ley 820 Article 17, the sublease rent must not exceed the proportional share of the original rent corresponding to the subleased area. For commercial subleases under the Codigo de Comercio, the sublease rent is freely negotiated. Payment due date, accepted payment methods, and late payment interest provisions must be specified.

Liability and Obligations: Under Codigo de Comercio Article 524 and Codigo Civil Article 1988, the original tenant remains jointly and severally liable (solidariamente responsable) with the subtenant for all obligations under the original lease — including rent payment to the landlord, property maintenance, and compliance with use restrictions. The sublease should specify the allocation of maintenance responsibilities, utility payment obligations, and insurance requirements between the original tenant and the subtenant.

Termination Grounds: Specific grounds for sublease termination, including: expiration of the sublease term, termination of the original lease (which automatically terminates the sublease), non-payment of sublease rent, violation of use restrictions, unauthorised assignment of the sublease, and breach of the original lease terms by either the original tenant or the subtenant.

Forms-legal.com provides this Sublease Agreement Colombia template incorporating Ley 820 de 2003 Article 17 and Codigo Civil Article 1988 requirements. Original tenants and subtenants should consult a Colombian abogado specialising in derecho inmobiliario to confirm the sublease complies with the specific terms of the original lease and the landlord's authorisation conditions.

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@misc{formslegal-sublease-agreement-colombia,
  author       = {{Forms Legal}},
  title        = {Sublease Agreement Colombia (Contrato de Subarrendamiento) (Colombia)},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://forms-legal.com/colombia/real-estate/leases/sublease-agreement-colombia}},
  note         = {Free legal document template}
}

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