By Trevor Hogarth · Last updated October 25, 2026
Cartagena is the most popular city in Colombia for short-term rentals, and a lot of foreigners who buy here plan to rent their apartment on Airbnb when they’re not using it. Before you do that, you need to understand two things: the rules you have to follow, and what the market actually earns in 2026, which is less than many people expect.
This guide covers both. If you’re deciding whether Cartagena makes sense for you as a place to live, start with my full cost of living in Cartagena breakdown, which covers rent, groceries, utilities and healthcare. If you’re still deciding whether to make the move, my story about moving from Canada to Colombia covers how it went for me.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change, so confirm everything with a Colombian lawyer or contador before you buy or list a property.
Is Airbnb legal in Cartagena?
Yes. Short-term rentals are legal in Cartagena and across Colombia, but the property is legally a vivienda turística (tourist home), and that comes with obligations. Renting for stays of less than 30 days without following them can lead to fines and the listing being suspended.
The rules you need to follow
1. Register the property in the RNT
Every unit rented for short stays needs its own entry in the Registro Nacional de Turismo (RNT), which you do through the local Cámara de Comercio. The RNT must be renewed every year between January 1 and March 31. If you miss the renewal, the registration is automatically suspended, and reactivating it costs one monthly minimum wage paid to FONTUR (about 1.75 million pesos in 2026).
Airbnb and other platforms ask for your RNT number, and it should appear on your listing.
2. Check that your building allows it
This is the rule that catches most foreign buyers. If the apartment is in a building or complex under propiedad horizontal (which is almost every apartment in Cartagena), the building’s bylaws (reglamento de propiedad horizontal) must expressly allow tourist use. If they don’t, you can’t legally rent short term, and changing the bylaws normally requires a vote of owners holding 70% of the building’s ownership coefficients.
Before you buy anything for Airbnb, ask for the reglamento and read the section on use of the units. Some buildings in Bocagrande and the Walled City are built around tourist use. Others, including many residential buildings in Manga and Crespo, prohibit it.
3. Register every guest
Tourist accommodation providers must register each guest using the Tarjeta de Registro de Alojamiento (TRA), the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism’s guest registration system. Foreign guests are also generally reported to Migración Colombia. Your property manager usually handles this, but you’re responsible if it doesn’t happen.
4. Carry liability insurance
The General Tourism Law (Ley 2068 de 2020) requires tourist homes to have civil liability insurance covering guests and third parties.
5. Pay the tourism contribution
RNT-registered providers pay a quarterly parafiscal tourism contribution of 0.25% of their tourism income. You can’t add it to the guest’s bill.
6. Don’t bother the neighbours
Noise and disturbances fall under the national police code. In residential areas such as Manga and Crespo, complaints from neighbours are how most enforcement starts.
Taxes on Cartagena rental income
- Income tax: Colombian tax residents pay the progressive scale (0% to 39%). Non-residents generally pay 35% on Colombian-source rental income.
- Platform fees: Airbnb charges most hosts in Colombia a host-only fee of about 15.5% per booking.
- IVA (VAT): Depending on your income and how you’re set up, you may have to charge IVA on lodging. This is exactly what you should ask a contador about.
- Property tax (predial) and building fees (administración): You pay these whether the apartment is booked or not. Buildings that allow tourist use often charge higher administración.
What Cartagena short-term rentals earn in 2026
This is where expectations and reality often split. The data from the last year:
| Metric | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median occupancy | About 50% | Airbtics, Sept 2025 – Aug 2026 |
| Median nightly rate | About 93 USD | Airbtics, Sept 2025 – Aug 2026 |
| Median yearly revenue per listing | About 17,000 USD | Airbtics, Sept 2025 – Aug 2026 |
| Average nightly rate (all listings) | About 122 USD, down 18% year over year | AirDNA via The Latinvestor, to Sept 2026 |
| Average gross rental yield | 5.22% (Q3 2026) | The Latinvestor |
Two things stand out. First, nightly rates have been falling as more apartments have been listed. Second, Cartagena’s average rental yield is one of the weakest among Colombia’s big cities. A well-run, well-located apartment can still do well, but the “buy anything, put it on Airbnb, cover your costs” days are over.
Seasonality
Demand peaks around December–January and June–July (Colombian school holidays and North American winter), with Holy Week (Semana Santa) and long weekends (puentes festivos) also strong. May is usually the weakest month. Budget for some empty months.
Which neighbourhoods work best for short-term rentals?
- Walled City (Centro Histórico) and Getsemaní: The highest nightly rates and strongest tourist demand, but also the highest purchase prices, noise, and older buildings that need maintenance.
- Bocagrande and Castillogrande: Beach-area towers, many built for tourist use. Very competitive; reported gross yields are around 4.9%.
- Manga: More residential and cheaper to buy, with reported gross yields closer to 7.9%. That figure is mostly long-term renting, and many buildings prohibit short-term rentals, so check the bylaws.
- Zona Norte (Cielo Mar, La Boquilla, Serena del Mar): Newer beach developments near the airport. Good for families and longer stays, but further from the old city.
Changes coming to Colombia’s short-term rental rules
In July 2026 the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism published a draft decree updating the RNT rules for tourist homes and booking platforms. Industry groups such as Asohost say it would add hotel-style paperwork for hosts. As of October 2026 it is still a draft and has not been signed. If you’re buying with short-term rental income in mind, ask your lawyer about its status.
Short-term rentals and the cost of living in Cartagena
Short-term rentals don’t just matter to owners. They are one of the reasons rent in Cartagena is higher than in most Colombian cities: apartments in tourist areas are often worth more on Airbnb than rented to a local tenant, which pushes long-term rents up, especially furnished rentals in Bocagrande and the old city.
If you’re moving to Cartagena rather than investing, that’s useful to know when apartment hunting. Neighbourhoods like Manga and Crespo usually offer better value for long-term rentals. My Cartagena cost of living guide has current rent ranges by area.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an RNT to rent my apartment in Cartagena on Airbnb?
Yes. Any property rented for stays of under 30 days needs its own RNT, renewed every year between January 1 and March 31.
Can my building stop me from renting on Airbnb?
Yes. If the building’s reglamento doesn’t expressly allow tourist use, you can’t legally rent short term there.
Can foreigners own and rent out property in Cartagena?
Yes. Foreigners can buy property in Colombia and rent it out, but the same rules apply, and non-residents generally pay 35% tax on Colombian rental income.
Is Airbnb in Cartagena still profitable in 2026?
It can be, but margins are thinner than a few years ago. Median occupancy is around 50% and nightly rates fell about 18% over the last year, so run the numbers with realistic occupancy, platform fees, administración, taxes and management costs.
Related guides
- Cost of living in Cartagena, Colombia (2026)
- Living in Cartagena as an expat or retiree
- Best cities to live in Colombia for foreigners
- Colombia Cost of Living Calculator
About the author
Trevor Hogarth — I’m a Canadian who moved to Colombia in 2020. I’ve lived in Medellín, Antioquia, and Ibagué, Tolima, and the costs on this site come from real life here, not guesses. Read my story: moving from Canada to Colombia →