Servicios Públicos e Inquilinos en Colombia: Cómo Exigir Garantías y Evitar Deudas según la Ley 820

One of the biggest fears for any landlord in Colombia is discovering, after a tenant moves out, that water, electricity, or gas bills have been accumulating arrears for months. In real estate practice, unpaid household utility bills can quickly turn into a legal and financial headache for the property owner. Many landlords discover too late that the utility company has suspended service or imposed charges that affect the property's status.

Fortunately, the Colombian legal framework provides a precise mechanism to prevent a tenant's obligations from falling onto the landlord's assets. Understanding how to apply Law 820 of 2003 alongside procedures with utility companies is essential to protecting your rented house or room. According to data from the Colombia Move marketplace (August 2026), there are currently 119 active listings in the housing section, where clarity regarding utility payment rules is one of the greatest guarantees for closing serious and lasting deals.

1. The Risk of Joint Liability in Rentals: Why Does Debt Affect the Property?

To understand the importance of guarantees, one must first grasp the legal concept of joint liability. According to Article 130 of Law 142 of 1994 (Household Public Utilities Regime), the property and its owner are jointly and severally liable along with the user for unpaid bills owed to the utility service provider (ESP).

This means that, by default, the electricity, water, or gas company has the legal authority to collect arrears directly from the property owner or keep the service suspended at the physical address, regardless of who consumed the resource. If the formal dissociation process is not carried out, the tenant's unpaid bills end up tied to the property's deed.

Many landlords mistakenly assume that simply presenting the signed rental contract at the time of a default cancels the debt. However, the opinions of the Superintendency of Household Public Utilities (SSPD) are clear: to break the legal joint liability, the landlord must have formally established the prior guarantees before the ESP in accordance with Article 15 of Law 820 of 2003.

2. Rental Deposits in Colombia: What Is Prohibited and What Is Legal

There is recurring confusion between what the law allows and what it categorically prohibits when signing a residential lease contract in Colombia:

• What the law prohibits (Article 16, Law 820 of 2003): The landlord is strictly prohibited from requiring cash deposits, real security deposits, or signed promissory notes to guarantee the fulfillment of the contract or potential physical damage to the property. Including these types of clauses in the contract makes them null and void by operation of law and violates rules regarding abusive clauses in rental contracts.
• What the law authorizes (Article 15, Law 820 of 2003): The regulation establishes an explicit exception that empowers the landlord to require specific guarantees or deposits intended exclusively to back the payment of household utility bills in favor of the utility companies.

In other words, you cannot ask the tenant for three months of rent in cash as a "security deposit" kept in your personal bank account. However, you can require the establishment of an insurance policy, bond, or deposit in favor of the utility company to break the legal joint liability.

3. How to Calculate the Maximum Guarantee Amount (Step-by-Step Formula)

Article 15 of Law 820 of 2003 and Decree 3130 of 2003 (regulated in Decree 1077 of 2015) set a strict ceiling for utility guarantees. A landlord cannot arbitrarily set the amount that the tenant must secure.

The legal formula to determine the maximum value of the deposit or policy consists of the following elements:

1. Billing periods: The guarantee can cover a maximum of two (2) consecutive billing periods (or four months if billing is bimonthly).
2. Calculation of average consumption: The average of consumption units (kilowatts, cubic meters) recorded in the property's last three (3) billing periods is used.
3. Increase margin for over-demand: Up to 50% is added to the calculated average consumption as a margin of protection against a potential increase in consumption during the tenant's stay.
4. Sum of fixed charges and connection fees: Monthly fixed charges and connection costs approved by the regulatory entity are added to the value resulting from estimated consumption.

Let's look at a practical example: if the average water consumption of a property in the last three months was 10 m³, the calculation allows for a projected consumption of up to 15 m³ per period (10 m³ + 50%). The guarantee will multiply that adjusted value by two billing periods, adding the corresponding fixed charges.

4. Step-by-Step Guide to Filing the Contract with the Utility Company (ESP)

To effectively break the joint liability and ensure the debt remains in the tenant's name without compromising the property, you must strictly follow the contract filing procedure. The process consists of four essential stages:

• Stage 1: Definition of the guarantee in the contract. Clearly stipulate in the rental document that the tenant must establish a guarantee in favor of each utility company (EPM, Enel, Vanti, Air-e, Afinia, etc.) according to the modalities of Decree 3130 of 2003 (utility policy, bank guarantee, or bond). You can use a tenant rental study to validate the occupant's profile before the process.
• Stage 2: Request for consumption certification. Request the official billing report format and certification of the last three consumption periods of the property from the ESP.
• Stage 3: Formal filing (Notification). Once the contract is signed and the guarantee is established (or the policy is issued by the insurer), deliver a copy of the contract and the original guarantee to the offices or virtual channels of each utility provider.
• Stage 4: Exoneration of liability. The exoneration of the landlord's joint liability and the dissociation of the property take legal effect starting from the expiration of the billing period following the one in which the full notification is filed.

5. Derechos del Arrendador ante Incumplimientos

Si el inquilino firma y luego se demora con la póliza o la fianza, puedes abstenerte de entregar las llaves hasta que la garantía esté constituida a favor de cada empresa prestadora. Si pasan 15 días hábiles desde la firma sin esa entrega, puedes dar por terminado el contrato de pleno derecho. Yo no haría la entrega “de buena fe” esperando el papel.

El denuncio no borra deudas viejas: la desvinculación rige a partir del vencimiento del período de facturación siguiente. Cada ESP (EPM, Enel, Vanti, Air-e, Afinia) pide su propio formato. Si arriendas una habitación, deja esas reglas en el anuncio de la sección de vivienda.

Preguntas frecuentes

❓ ¿Es legal pedir un depósito en efectivo al firmar un contrato de arriendo en Colombia?

No. El Artículo 16 de la Ley 820 de 2003 prohíbe depósitos en dinero en efectivo o cauciones reales para garantizar el contrato de vivienda urbana. Esa cláusula queda nula. La excepción vigente (Función Pública, consulta 2026) es la garantía de servicios públicos del Artículo 15, a favor de la empresa prestadora, no un efectivo guardado en tu cuenta.

❓ ¿Cómo funciona la garantía de servicios públicos según el Artículo 15 de la Ley 820?

El Artículo 15 autoriza al arrendador a exigir garantías o depósitos específicos a favor de las empresas de servicios públicos. Sirven para respaldar agua, luz o gas. Con esa garantía y el denuncio del contrato ante cada ESP, puedes romper la solidaridad del inmueble prevista en el Artículo 130 de la Ley 142 de 1994 (fuente consultada en 2026).

❓ ¿Cómo se calcula el valor máximo del depósito o póliza de servicios públicos?

El tope legal cubre cargo fijo, aportes de conexión y unidades de consumo de hasta dos períodos consecutivos. El consumo se toma del promedio de los últimos tres períodos, aumentado en un 50%. Ese monto no se inventa: sale de la facturación real del predio y del Decreto 3130 de 2003 (consulta 2026).

❓ ¿Dónde publico el arriendo con las reglas de servicios y cómo desvinculo el inmueble?

Publícalo en la categoría de habitación o en la sección de vivienda, con canon y reglas de garantía escritas. Para desvincular el predio, radica el denuncio y las garantías ante cada ESP; la exoneración rige desde el período de facturación siguiente (Ley 820, fuente 2026).

❓ ¿Qué pasa si el inquilino no entrega la garantía de servicios públicos en el plazo acordado?

Puedes abstenerte de entregar el inmueble hasta recibir la garantía. Si no la constituye en 15 días hábiles después de firmar, puedes dar por terminado el contrato de pleno derecho. Ese plazo está en el Artículo 15 y el Decreto 3130 de 2003 (consulta Función Pública, 2026); no esperes a que el ocupante ya viva adentro.

❓ ¿Cuánto cuesta publicar una habitación o un arriendo en Colombia Move?

Es gratis: no cobramos comisión por el anuncio. El valor real está en fotos, canon y reglas de servicios escritas, para que el interesado sepa qué póliza o fianza debe constituir antes de pedir llaves.

❓ ¿Depósito en efectivo es estafa?

Pedirlo al inquilino para tu cuenta personal está prohibido por el Artículo 16 de la Ley 820 de 2003. Usa la garantía del Artículo 15 a favor de la ESP y radica el denuncio (fuente consultada en 2026). Sin ese trámite, la solidaridad del predio sigue vigente.