Rentals in Medellin

I have been living in Medellin for 3 months now and am in the process of starting a Colombia real estate company.  I can tell you that there are many affordable apartments for rent in Medellin.  I found a 2 bedroom apartment (about 800 sqft) in a beautiful little Polado enclave for 950,000 COP (about $500). If you rely on information from Gringo real estate companies, you will not get a realistic picture on real costs in Medellin. 

I recently wrote a blog article on Medellin real estate pricesthat you might find interesting.  While I didnŽt include rental rates, I am working on a rental post as we speak.  Stay tuned.

My husband and I are moving to Medellin late January and need an affordable 1 bedroom furnished apartment in a nice part of town (convenient to things) that will allow a dog. She is about 12 kilos and is 6 years old. We would prefer a low-rise apartment, not a high-rise, if possible.

We would like to rent starting February 1.

We would like to connect with people in the rental apt business to start looking at places online in the $500/month range...since I hear that price is possible if you avoid American Real Estate companies.

Any help is most appreciated!

There's lots of 2-3 bedroom unfurnished apts in secure apartment buildings in good areas like Laureles or in Envigado/Sabaneta, for around 700-800,000 COP. Probably a bit less for 1 bedroom. The problem is that most owners use real estate agencies and they ask for 2 local guarantors, which most foreigners can't provide. I have a post about this on my blog if you want more details: http://www.ocolombia.com/article/advent … nting.html

I was only in Medellin for about a week. You can get a decent
hotel near the "whole sale market" for about $ 12.00-20.00/night. Private bath, cable TV, safe. I saw several places
with for rent signs around that area. The main street near there had a lot of bars/hookers...yet I ate everynight near there with no problems. I'm trying to say, couldn't afford my first hotel at $ 70usd/night. Bellman etc..tried to warn me off
that area, nice taxi driver told me not so bad. Taxi guy was right. Area seemed fine to me.  Good luck.

Hey NATROLD, how about sharing some info re; rental prices in Costa Rica, thanks, Richard

Hi Richard! Please start a new discussion on the Costa Rica forum. Thanks

HI, I live in Popayan,Colombia, about 2 hrs South of Cali.
Are you interested only in Medellin?....ALSO how about sending
me some info on rentals in Costa Rica, as I'm thinking of moving there. Thanks Richard   [email protected]

HEY!!!!!  is no one using this site????
Hope so....I'm still looking for info on Colombia, coastal living....somebody please participate.

Funny you should say that because I've posted several times recently including a reply to one of your previous queries!
Now, about coastal living in Colombia...
You probably want to avoid the Pacific coast, which is underdeveloped and the launching pad for drug smugglers. As for the Caribbean coast, there's Cartagena where a lot of foreigners have made their homes. It's very costly living! A more rustic option is Coveñas, east of Cartagena. Barranquilla is a messy city which most expats dislike, and finally my favorite, Santa Marta, which is a medium sized city right up against Parque Tayrona, the national park which should not be missed.

Be forewarned that the heat and humidity is extreme in this part of Colombia, with highs in the mid to high 30s C almost every day. Despite the humidity, water is scarce and it's not unusual for private homes to not have a drop for days on end, and just a trickle at others, unless you're in an upscale neighborhood. Also, you have to like loud music, because it's a tradition among "Costeños" to have the biggest sound system possible and have it blaring night and day!

(Moderated):

Kindly note that you cannot post your link and other adverts of your organisation on Expat-blog website.

richardwie wrote:

I was only in Medellin for about a week. You can get a decent
hotel near the "whole sale market" for about $ 12.00-20.00/night. Private bath, cable TV, safe. I saw several places
with for rent signs around that area. The main street near there had a lot of bars/hookers...yet I ate everynight near there with no problems. I'm trying to say, couldn't afford my first hotel at $ 70usd/night. Bellman etc..tried to warn me off
that area, nice taxi driver told me not so bad. Taxi guy was right. Area seemed fine to me.  Good luck.

what's the name of the street you mentioned here? $12-20 is not bad and would really help me budget my finances while I try to adjust to the city. appreciate the info if you have it.

Hi, Everyone out there....
I'm traveling to Medellin in September of this year and will be there for two months.  My purpose is to scout out an area to relocate to.  In the meantime I will need accommodations for two months.  A "shared" flat, condo etc with a private bath would work fine.  I require being near public transportation and safe.  I am single and will be traveling alone.
I'm disappointed more haven't responded to this subject.
Look forward to receiving some recommendations. 
Be blessed
Patti

I saw your article on your beginning a Real Estate business in Medellin.   My wife and I will be relocating to Medellin from USA .  Please share your contact information, so that we can reach out to you for getting a safe rental property.

Andy

Hi Patti,
I will still be here in September. I would happily tell you what my experience has been here. I did a lot of research before buying and I lived all over Medellin before settling on Sabaneta. I have been very fortunate to meet very helpful kind Paisas to guide me through the process of settling in here. Landstryker

Patti

We have a large country home about 30 minutes from the airport and 50 minutes from Medellin.  If you are interested, we have a bedroom with a private bath that we could rent to you for your two month stay.  Please contact me privately so we can chat more.   

Dan

I see this post dates from 2009 and it's late 2017 now but I'm looking for an apartment in Medellin now and having a heck of a time. My budget is 1.1 million max and I'd settle for unfurnished if I had to.

Are you still in the business or could you help me?

I'm very active retired age (getting Social Security too) and also do some online article writing.

My Medellin number is ***. Call any time.

Best regards,
Art Williams

I can put in a word for Barranquilla. I lived there for 2.5 years before moving here (Medellin) about 5 months ago.Barranquilla was hotter but not much hotter than Houston where I'm from. A good fan will solve that problem and you can find air conditioned apartments too. I had a decent studio for 1,000,000 @ month.

Here in Medellin I've been living in a 'shared house' which I found through a very popular local website called Compartoapto.com.co . It apparently is highly utilized by students and young professionals. Some of them aren't bad and they are reasonably priced. Only problem is the privacy (if that's what you want). Some of them will have a private bathroom and others it's shared. If you want to meet Colombians, it's great.

And part of the difficulty in finding a long term apartment here is that almost all the nice ones require a guarantor and/or a deposit.... which most expatriates don't have of course. Of course, if you've got a connection with a property owner or manager or actually know somebody who has property to rent and they trust you, they will rent to you.

I just today lost what I considered a nice 3 BR rental... because the landlady (in Villa Hermosa) wanted a fiador. I didn't need that in Barranquilla and I'm considering moving back there.

Regards,
Art

P.S. If anybody here can help me with a place in Medellin, I've got a max budget of 1.1 million COP...preferable basically furnished but unfurnished would be tolerable too. Call me at 310 842 8032

I assume this original poster's $12-20 @ refers to US dollars?

Anybody know what the range in nowadays (October 2017)?

Art

Hi everyone,

I am arriving in Medellin on November 22nd to explore the city and decide if I would like to stay there.
I have rented a place through AirB&B until November 30th.
I need a one bedroom apartment (furnished) or a room with a private bathroom for couple of months after that.
Would anyone be able to help out?
Thanks

Dear Abitibi,

Consider using part of your first nine days while at the AirBNB to find a second place.

The problems with trying to arrange it in advance include:

1.  In your first few days exploring Medellín, you may discover which part of the city you would prefer to live in or spend time in.  If you reserve a second place now, you may lock yourself out of that sector or neighborhood for the rest of your stay.

2.  Short-term furnished rentals at decent rates are hard to find, harder still from out-of-town or out-of-country.

3.  It's always better to personally inspect a rental before taking it.  You can't do that before you get to Medellín, obviously.  If local dogs are constantly barking .. or it's inconvenient to get to stores, for instance, you may not be able to tell that without a personal visit.

4.  If you can find a short-term rental without a guarantor, you'll likely get a better rate in person, speaking Spanish as you do, rather that trying to arrange something long-distance in advance.

cccmedia in Depto. de Nariño

cccmedia,

Thanks for your reply.

Actually this is my approach (looking for a place during my first days in Medellin). I now realize that this was not clear from my post. Hence do you have any suggestions about doing this search while there (I speak basic Spanish), web site, facebook groups, contacts, whatever?

Also I am getting a bit worried about this guarantor (fiador) requirement. I just want to rent on a monthly basis for a few months (until April max), so do I really need a fiador to rent on a monthly basis for 4 or 5 months?

Thanks!

Hey Abitibi

I'm not the expert here and I don't want to muddy the water but my guess is that the real answer is, "it depends". If you're talking to somebody with property to rent and it's nothing but a cold, potentially commercial relationship..... they don't have any reason to take a chance.

I got a message yesterday for a lady in response to my semi-rant about this fiador stuff and she said, "Why would they NOT want a deposit/fiador" (or something to that effect. I didn't even respond because basically, she was right.

Actually, as I think about it, I wouldn't mind so much them asking for a deposit. Depending on the amount and whether or not they would let me pay it out (i.e. the extra amount) over a period of a few months.... I could handle that. But who the hell is going to want to guarantee a foreigner.

What somebody else also pointed out is that because it is very hard for property owners to evict people who don't pay their rent, rentors are thus very cautious. I guess that makes sense. The thing that bugs me is that, (e.g. in my case) the lady who recommended the property I was look at... her family had lived on that street for years and years and everybody knew her/them...yet this home owner wouldn't rent to me because I didn't have a fiador.

I don't think that's a common practice in the US, is it? It was 2007 when I left.

Regards,
Art

P.S. Please let me know if you develop any solutions to this. And don't forget compartoapto.com.co when you get down here. You can find something reasonable there for temporary use....i.e. $200 a month (more or less).

Abitibi wrote:

cccmedia...

do you have any suggestions about doing this search while there (I speak basic Spanish)....

I am getting a bit worried about this guarantor (fiador) requirement. I just want to rent on a monthly basis for a few months (until April max), so do I really need a fiador to rent on a monthly basis for 4 or 5 months?

Some places that use agencies require a fiador, individual owners of property may not (with advance payment of the term).

Look for for-rent signs such as "Se Arrienda" in property windows, check the newspapers, ask building doormen/"vigilantes" if there are rentals available.  You can offer an incentive payable if the deal goes through if that feels right to you.

cccmedia

I think it would be worthwhile to have some cards printed which state who you are, what you want, and what you're willing to pay...and just talk to as many people as you can. The cards simply state your “unique selling proposition) USP. Approach it like the marketing problem that it is. If you speak ok Spanish, which you do, and if you can smile and make a good first impression....I think somebody will try to help you. But they will forget you without something to trigger their memory. Thus.... the business card.

cccmedia + wanderingsalsero,

Thank for the good ideas and informative comments.

wanderingsalsero, did you use CompartoApto yourself? If so how was your experience?
PS: i like the idea of the Biseness Card.

Yeah, I used apartoapto. I've got a Colombian buddy who did most of the actual talking but I've corresponded with some of the agents/owners myself.  Actually we wound up making a bad choice. Turned out that several of the Colombians who share this house are very sloppy in their kitchen habits. But the greater sin is actually of the manager guy...I.e. he won't yank their chain. For example, they won't dry their dishes but rather just let them drain...which takes forever of course and means we always are digging through their huge pile of dishes to get what we want. Drives me up a wall. We're moving this week.

Some people think drying dishes spreads potential germs from the drying cloth. But I digress . . .

Well, this crowd is amazing. They put matches in the sink rather than in the garbage. They put food packaging in the sink. They NEVER clean the stove. They think nothing of leaving a frying pan full of grease on the stove. They act like they just assume mama is going to clean everything up. Sure, we've got the 'agent' who comes by maybe once a week and does a halfway decent job cleaning stuff but what about the other 6 days of the week? I'm telling you.... I'm amazed at the lack of domestic skills most of the Colombian young people I've known have.

Art

Having survived seven "young people" throughout the years, I would never even consider sharing space with that particular sub-species. Especially at the rental rates seemingly available for sole occupancy accoms in COL.

Hi thank you for mentioning the coastal living. Im torn between Medellin and Santa Marta. But would love to be near cartagena. That covenas? That really interest's me. Can you give me more details please? Can i pick your brain on all 3 places?  I believe Cartagena is out but I'm sure there are towns outside of cartagena that would be like suburbs here. There is were i truly would love to live. Can you help us.
We were thinking in renting for a while so we can find the plqce we want to live at and then purchase.  The last thing i want is to buy a house/ condo and then find out we don't like it.
I truly would appreciate any help you can give us.
Thanks
Maria Olarte

Update on my search

I found what I was looking for: a Studio, i.e. a furnished one bedroom apartment with a private bathroom and a small kitchenette for COP$ 780,000/month. I have hot water, a flatscreen TV (with cable I think) and a small fridge. There are two studios left in the building, if someone is interested PM me and I'll pass you the contact. I found that through CompartoApto.

Cheers!

Congratulations.

What part of Medellín is your studio/one-bedroom located in?

cccmedia

ColombiaMedellin wrote:

I have been living in Medellin for 3 months now.... I can tell you that there are many affordable apartments for rent in Medellin.  I found a 2 bedroom apartment (about 800 sqft) in a beautiful little Polado enclave for 950,000 COP (about $500).

The peso is back to more than 3,000 COP to the USA dollar.  3,018 pesos to the dollar at the moment, according to Yahoo! Finance.

So ColombiaMedellin's two-bedroom apartment, at 950,000 COP per month, now rents at the equivalent of only $323 US.

cccmedia in Depto. de Nariño

ColombiaMedellin wrote:

I recently wrote a blog article on Medellin real estate prices that you might find interesting.

What is the link, URL or website where that information is available?

cccmedia

cccmedia wrote:

Congratulations.

What part of Medellín is your studio/one-bedroom located in?

cccmedia

It is located in Laureles, not far from the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB).

Abitibi

Congrats! That's a REALLY good deal for that area. Did you have to find a fiador or did you go the deposit route?

cccmedia wrote:

ColombiaMedellin wrote:

I recently wrote a blog article on Medellin real estate prices that you might find interesting.

What is the link, URL or website where that information is available?

cccmedia

Here's  a pretty recent article on Medellin rental prices: https://medellinguru.com/apartment-rent … -medellin/

I have just asked the expat.com Home Office in the Mascarene Islands to free up Maxwell's link.

cccmedia