Renting Unfurnished for a Year as a Foreigner: The Full 12-Month Process

Most foreigners in Medellín start with a furnished apartment on a 1–6 month contract. It's the easy path — no codeudor, no estudio, no furniture to buy. But if you're staying a year or longer, the math changes. An unfurnished 12-month lease runs 40–60% less per month than an equivalent furnished stay, and Ley 820 gives you protections — IPC-capped rent increases, automatic renewal, banned deposits — that hospedaje contracts don't.

The tradeoff is the process. It's slower, requires more paperwork, and the guarantee system is designed for Colombians with local credit history. This guide walks through every step, in order, for a foreigner who's decided the savings justify the hassle.

Step 1: Get Your Documents Ready

Before you contact a single agency, assemble this stack. Missing any piece delays the process by days or weeks.

Passport — current, with your latest Migración Colombia entry stamp.

Cédula de extranjería — if you have one. This is the single most powerful document for renting. With a cédula, agencies treat you like a Colombian resident. Without one, you're relying on your visa type and proof of income to pass the estudio. A tourist stamp alone will fail most agency studies.

Visa — M-visa (work, investment, digital nomad) or R-visa (resident). The visa type matters because agencies assess stability. A 3-year M-visa says "this person is staying." A 90-day tourist stamp says "this person might leave before the lease ends."

Proof of income — bank statements (3–6 months), employment letter, freelance contracts, or tax returns showing income of at least 2–3× the monthly canon. Some agencies accept screenshots of online banking or brokerage accounts; others want stamped bank letters. Translate anything not in Spanish — an apostilled translation isn't legally required for a private lease, but a simple translation helps the analyst processing your file.

Colombian bank account statement — if you have one (Bancolombia, Davivienda, etc.). Not required but strengthens the application. A Nequi screenshot does not count.

Step 2: The Estudio de Arrendamiento

This is where most foreigners hit the wall. The estudio de arrendamiento is the background and credit check that agencies run — usually through an afianzadora (guarantee company) like Fianzacrédito, Coarriendo, or Sura. The estudio verifies your identity, income, and financial standing, and determines what guarantee the afianzadora requires.

The problem for foreigners: You have no Colombian credit history. No Datacrédito score. The estudio system is built for people who've had Colombian bank accounts, utility bills, and tax filings for years. Your foreign income and credit history don't plug into the same system.

How agencies work around it: Professional agencies that serve foreigners regularly know the workarounds. They'll accept foreign bank statements and employment letters, sometimes with a higher guarantee requirement (an additional deudor solidario, or a póliza with a higher premium). The agency guide covers how this process works in detail.

Cost: The estudio fee is typically COP 50–150K, paid by the applicant regardless of the outcome. It's non-refundable if you're rejected.

Step 3: The Guarantee

Once you pass the estudio, you need a guarantee. For a 12-month unfurnished lease, the options are the same as any residential contract under Ley 820 — but the stakes are higher because the canon commitment is longer:

Póliza de arrendamiento — the most accessible option for foreigners. Premium is typically 3–5% of the annual canon. For a COP 3M/month apartment, that's roughly COP 1.1–1.8M upfront (~$350–580). This replaces the need for a codeudor in most cases.

Codeudor / deudor solidario — a Colombian property owner or high-income earner who co-signs the lease. Hard to arrange without a Colombian network. The codeudor is jointly liable for the full lease term.

CDT — a bank term deposit assigned as collateral. Requires a Colombian bank account. Your money stays yours but is locked until the lease ends.

Full details on each option in our deposit and guarantee guide. Remember: cash deposits are illegal under Ley 820, Art. 16.

Step 4: The Contract

A standard contrato de arrendamiento de vivienda urbana under Ley 820. Key clauses to check before signing:

Term: Should say 12 months with automatic renewal (prórroga automática) if neither party gives 3 months' written notice.

Canon: The monthly rent in COP. Confirm it does not exceed 1% of the property's commercial value (Art. 18). Confirm whether administración is included or separate.

Increase clause: Should cite IPC as the cap. Any clause allowing increases above IPC is void. The increase applies on the contract anniversary, not January 1.

Early termination: Standard Ley 820 penalty is 3 months' canon. Some contracts set a higher penalty — review this carefully. See our moving-out guide.

Utilities: Confirm whose name the EPM account is in, and whether utilities are the tenant's or landlord's responsibility. See the utilities guide.

Step 5: Move In and Furnish

An unfurnished apartment in Medellín means unfurnished — bare walls, no appliances beyond what's built in (usually a gas stove, sometimes nothing). You need a bed, a table, chairs, a fridge, a washing machine, and everything else.

Budget: A basic functional setup (not luxury, not junk) runs COP 5–10M (~$1,600–3,200) from local stores (Éxito, Homecenter, Alkosto) and second-hand markets (MercadoLibre, Facebook Marketplace). A Laureles fixer-upper apartment can be made livable for COP 5M if you buy used.

Delivery: Most Colombian furniture stores deliver within the metro area for free or a nominal fee. Appliance delivery and installation (washing machine hookup, gas calentador installation) is typically COP 50–100K per item.

The breakeven math: If a furnished 1BR in Laureles costs COP 4M/month and an equivalent unfurnished costs COP 2.5M/month, you save COP 1.5M/month. A COP 8M furnishing investment pays for itself in 5–6 months. If you're staying 12+ months, the unfurnished route saves COP 10–14M over the lease — enough to furnish the apartment and have the furniture left over (which you sell when you leave).

Who This Path Is Actually For

The 12-month unfurnished lease makes sense if you have a cédula de extranjería or a multi-year M-visa, you've already lived in the city for 2+ months and know which barrio you want, you're staying at least a year, and you want the lowest per-month cost and the strongest legal protections. It does not make sense if you're on a tourist stamp, if you might leave in 6 months, or if your first priority is convenience over savings.