Finding an apartment for length of 1-6 months

Member since 02 December 2025

cab989898New member06 February 2026 01:59:16

Message: i am interested in determining if Medellin is the place i may want to lretire and possibly buy a property. But i need to first determine if i like living in medellin ,and learning the city and dermining where i want to live. I am looking for 1-3-6 month apartment rentals to determine all this. imost realtors want only those people who have already determined they want to buy a home there! I need to live there ,learn the city, and decide, if i say, where i want to live. Why so difficult to find leases for 1-6 month rentals only? Let me first learn the city, see if i want to stay, and possibly purchase (or ont) a property. Help!!

I was refrred to this forum for possible help by many of you who may have experienced the same situation as i will. I will be traveling to Medellin to experience the city,area, and determine if it is a place that i may want to move to. I just cant seem to find apartments that will rent 1-6 months while i discover the city, and determine if I want to move there ,possibly buy a property. Please, any help in directing my to apppropriate sites ,or renters,connections? Thanlk you so very much!

Sr. Carmen Bertino

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OsageArcher Colombia Expert

Member since 11 February 2015

OsageArcherColombia Expert06 February 2026 14:06:39

1642

@cab989898

People don't want to rent for short term at a reasonable price because Colombia's laws favor the tenant not the landlord, making it hard to impossible to evict a non-paying tenant. Even harder if renting to a foreigner who can up and leave the country and never pay what is owed...

For just 1-6 months consider renting a room (una habitación). You can rent rooms bare, or furnished, with or without meals, with or without laundry and maid/cleaning service. Rooms are usually rented by the owners of the home. It can be on a weekly or monthly basis, I don't think any of them will require a longer period but you can of course negotiate that. It will be a cash deal, no contracts or paperwork, generally.

Where do you find rooms (and apartments and houses too)? Walk around and look for signs in the windows, "Se Alquila", with a phone number to contact. You can also use Locanto for Medellín to see ads posted by owners as well as agencies. But most rooms will be by the owners:

https://www.locanto.com.co/medellin/

Look under Inmobiliaria, click on the desired housing for Habitaciones, Apartamentos, and Casas.

South American Voyager Contributor

Member since 11 January 2022

South American VoyagerContributor06 February 2026 15:33:14

138

OsageArcher in the above is spot on.

I am going on 16 years in/outside of Medellin and this is after exploring everywhere in Colombia since my first extended 5 month work assignment to Bogota in November of 1990 and just some advice:

Staying at an Airbnb in various areas/neighborhoods/barrios/municipalities that you would consider eventually living full time will be helpful in understanding the culture/noise levels/safety of the neighborhood.
Even should you decide to call Medellin your home, possible retire here, do not buy any apartment/house/condo until your here a few years.
Don't limit yourself to Medellin, check out other cities and areas (ie the Coffee region, el retiro, the coast).
Look into visa requirements, needed income levels and the like.
Learn Spanish.
Stay away from gringo expats, hehehe

Hope this helps.