How to List a Rental Property for International Tenants in Colombia

Most Colombian landlords I know list their rental on Finca Raíz and wait. That works — eventually. But if you're sitting on a well-located apartment in El Poblado, Laureles, Chapinero, or Getsemaní, and you're not actively targeting international tenants, you're leaving real money on the table. Expats, digital nomads, and Colombians returning from years abroad are willing to pay premium rents for the right property — and many will pay months in advance.

The thing is, reaching them isn't complicated. They're not browsing the same platforms that locals use. They're in Facebook groups, on bilingual marketplaces that actually show up when they search in English, and they're contacting owners directly on WhatsApp. A few deliberate changes to how you present and where you post can shift your inquiry pool from 10 local contacts to 40 from a global audience. If you want to see real-world options right now, you can browse farms and rural land for sale on Colombia Move — posting is completely free.

This guide is for Colombian property owners who want to attract international tenants. I'll cover what expats actually care about (it's genuinely different from what locals want), how to write a listing that converts, where to post for expat reach, and how to handle the practical side when your next tenant lands at El Dorado or José María Córdova.

Why International Tenants Are Worth Targeting

Let me be direct: not every landlord should chase expat renters. If your apartment is far from any major commercial zone, doesn't have reliable hot water, or sits in a neighborhood that foreigners can't easily find, the mismatch will just create problems. But if you've got a clean, reasonably furnished place in a neighborhood with real demand — El Poblado, Laureles, Envigado, Chapinero, Palermo, Getsemaní, Bocagrande — international tenants offer genuine advantages.

They often pay in full or far in advance. Many expats arrive with USD savings and prefer to lock in a good apartment immediately. Three to six month advance payments are common — not a rarity. Payment reliability is high because a lot of remote workers and retirees have predictable income streams in foreign currency. When the peso weakens, their real buying power in Colombia actually increases.

Turnover is also more predictable. Expats typically come with a defined stay in mind: six months, a year, sometimes two. You get a fixed lease term rather than a month-to-month situation that just extends indefinitely.

The honest downside: standard Colombian lease paperwork is built around the codeudor (co-signer with local Colombian income), and most international tenants won't have one. This is solvable — I'll cover it — but it does require a small shift in how you approach tenant qualification.

What Expat Renters Actually Need in a Listing

Spend ten minutes in any expat Facebook group for Medellín or Bogotá and you'll see the same complaints. International renters are frustrated by a few specific things that Colombian landlords routinely leave out:

The admin fee isn't mentioned. If your apartment is listed at COP 2.8 million per month but the administración is COP 420,000 extra, write both numbers. "COP 2,800,000 + COP 420,000 admin" is what they need to budget. Listings that only show the base rent create distrust from the first WhatsApp message.

The furnished status is vague. "Semi-amoblado" means nothing to someone in Toronto trying to decide whether to ship furniture. What's actually there? Say: "Queen bed, dresser, dining table with 4 chairs, refrigerator, washing machine — no sofa, no TV" — or however it actually is.

No neighborhood context. Colombians know exactly where "Ciudad Jardín" is. An expat from Germany does not. Add a single real landmark: "5 minutes walking from Parque Lleras" or "one block from the Laureles Éxito." One reference point is enough.

Photos that are old or hide problems. Dark shots, missing rooms, or photos that are clearly from 2018 immediately trigger suspicion. Expats are often deciding remotely — the photos are the apartment, in their mind, until they arrive.

On the flip side: international tenants usually don't care about things like proximity to a specific school or the 25B bus route. They care about walkability, neighborhood safety, wifi speed (include it if you know it — "50 Mbps, Claro fiber" is a selling point), and whether the building has a gym or pool.

How to Write a Listing That Reaches International Renters

You don't need to write the entire listing in English. A bilingual approach works well — Spanish title and description for local search, plus one English paragraph or a note saying "English-speaking owner available." Colombia Move's platform is bilingual by default, so your listing will surface in both Spanish and English search results without extra effort.

Title

Include the neighborhood and one key feature. Something like "Apartamento 2 hab. en Laureles — Amoblado, Piso 8, Vista a la Montaña" or "Modern 2BR in El Poblado — Furnished, Pool, Fast WiFi." Keep it descriptive. Skip the adjectives like "hermoso" or "excelente ubicación" — those add nothing.

Price and fees

State the rent in COP. You can add "(approx. USD X)" in the body as a rough reference — many expat platforms auto-convert, but a USD ballpark helps during the initial scan. At current rates, COP 3,500,000 is roughly USD 830. Mention this clearly: "COP 3,500,000/month + COP 380,000 admin" — not just "3.5M todo incluido" unless that's genuinely the case.

Photos

Aim for 10–12 photos minimum. Shoot during daytime with as much natural light as possible. Cover every bedroom, the bathroom(s), kitchen (open the fridge if it's included), living room, the view from the balcony or window, the building entrance, and parking or bike storage. A shot of the nearest park or commercial street helps enormously for context.

WhatsApp contact

This is non-negotiable. Expats use WhatsApp for everything — often instead of local calls. List your WhatsApp number directly in the listing. International prospects will message before they call, and if there's no WhatsApp number visible, many won't bother looking for another way to reach you.

Where to List Your Property for Expat Reach

Three real channels worth knowing:

Colombia Move is a free bilingual marketplace where both locals and foreigners actively search for housing. Your listing gets a public, Google-indexed page that shows up when someone searches "furnished apartment Medellín" or "rent Laureles Colombia" in English. You can post at colombiamove.com/publicar and also build a free seller storefront at colombiamove.com/tienda — one link that shows all your active listings. Direct WhatsApp contact, no commission, no middleman.

Facebook groups are still one of the highest-volume channels for expat housing in Colombia. There are 20+ active groups for each major city — Medellín Expats, Bogotá Expat Community, and similar. Most allow property posts. The limitation: your post drops off the feed within a few days, and you're managing DMs across a platform not built for this. Good for initial exposure, not sustainable as your only strategy.

Finca Raíz and Metrocuadrado work well for local audiences and are worth keeping active. They have less expat reach, but they cover the local market you still want access to.

One thing I'd skip: Airbnb-style pricing for long-term rentals. I've seen landlords list 12-month apartments at nightly Airbnb rates and wonder why they're empty. Long-term expat tenants expect long-term market pricing — not a premium for being foreign.

Handling the Codeudor Question

This is the issue that kills the most international rental deals in Colombia. Traditional Colombian lease practice asks for a codeudor — a co-signer with Colombian income and credit history. Most foreigners and many returning Colombians can't provide one. If you require it, you'll screen out your best candidates.

The good news: it's not actually required by law. It's a landlord preference. And there are solid alternatives:

Póliza de arrendamiento is the cleanest solution. It's rental insurance that covers you if the tenant stops paying. Providers include Colpatria, Bolívar, and Sura. The cost runs about 0.9–1.2% of the monthly rent per month and is typically paid by the tenant. The póliza provider also runs a background check, so you're not taking on more risk — you're shifting it to an insurer. Many international tenants are happy to pay for this; it gives them a path that doesn't require local connections.

A larger deposit is another practical option. Two to three months' deposit instead of a codeudor is reasonable and common for international tenants. Clear in the contract, clean to enforce if needed.

Direct income verification is also workable. Ask for a bank statement, employment contract, or Wise/PayPal transaction history showing regular inflows. It's not perfect, but neither is a Colombian codeudor who earns informal income. A remote worker earning USD 3,000/month via Wise transfer is actually a very solid tenant.

A Note on the Lease Contract

Your lease doesn't need to be in English. Most expats have someone help them with translation, or use a basic translator for key clauses. What matters is that the contract clearly states: the monthly rent, what's included, the admin fee, deposit terms, and the early-exit terms.

For fixed-term leases under 12 months, Colombian tenant law allows the tenant to leave after four months with three months' notice — worth understanding before you sign a 6-month agreement and expect it to be fully locked in. For 12-month contracts, the rules differ. If this is your first time renting to an international tenant, spending COP 100,000–200,000 on a one-hour consult with a local property lawyer to review your template is money well spent.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Can I require a Colombian codeudor from a foreign tenant?

Legally yes — but practically, it will eliminate most international candidates. A póliza de arrendamiento or a larger advance deposit are more effective alternatives that still protect you.

❓ Should I price my rental in USD or COP?

Always price in COP. You can mention the USD equivalent in the description as a rough reference, but pricing in USD creates complications for the lease contract and can raise issues with DIAN. Keep the official price in pesos.

❓ Do I need to speak English to rent to expats?

Not fluently. WhatsApp handles most of the communication, and Google Translate covers the basics. A bilingual listing description helps a lot, but many expats are actively learning Spanish and prefer it.

❓ What happens if an international tenant breaks the lease early?

The same Colombian tenant law applies to everyone, regardless of nationality. The cláusula de desistimiento in your contract governs this — typically the tenant owes a penalty equivalent to three months' rent if they exit before the fixed term is up.

❓ Where's the best place to list a Colombian rental for international tenants?

Colombia Move is designed for exactly this — free bilingual listings that show up in both Spanish and English search results, with a public page and direct WhatsApp contact. Post free at colombiamove.com/publicar.

Ready to Start?

Listing your property for international tenants isn't about changing the apartment — it's about changing how you present it. Clear pricing, honest photos, bilingual description, WhatsApp contact, and a flexible approach to the codeudor requirement. That's genuinely most of it.

Have questions about the listing process or want feedback from other owners? The Colombia Move community at colombiamove.com/comunidad is a good place to ask — you'll find both landlords and tenants there sharing real experiences.