Finding lodgings and accommodation is not easy. It is more difficult in a foreign land. And to make matters worse it gets more difficult if you cannot speak the language of that country. That has been my experience in Colombia.
I have rented rooms and apartments in many locations i.e., Medellin, Cali and Bogota. In all cases with no exceptions I had a difficult time renting a room or an apartment. This is in part, my fault as I am not fluent in Spanish.
Fist it is not easy to find a furnished apartment in Colombia. If you do, it is likely a foreigner who is renting it. Colombians usually do not trust others with their furnishings. In fact it is not unusual to rent an apartment that has absolutely no electrical outlets for lights. Not only are the bulbs removed but the outlets are also gone!
Allot of foreigners believe they can find cheap accommodation in Bogota, for example. They also believe that if they pay for rent with many months in advance they will be able to secure any apartment.
This is simply not true.
Colombians have a pattern they follow when renting and it is fostered by Real Estate companies. The real estate companies deal with everything including plumbing and electrical issues as one example. This takes allot of pressure off the owners. It also builds a wall between the owners and persons renting their properties.
I have rented in the community away from the foreigner invested communities. I rented in places where no foreigners have ever lived. I never felt that my life was in danger where I lived. In fact, I felt very secure. People knew me in the area and offered to help me if I fell ill. They would often greet me on my way home and offer me a drink.
The world had a misconception regarding Colombia and Colombians. The movies love to portray Colombians as all 3rd world narco crazed animals. This is not what Colombians are like. Quite the contrary. Colombians are kind, considerate, fun loving and family oriented. 99.99 % of Colombians are against anything to do with drugs. Colombians look down on people who do drugs of any kind. Most Colombians believe that only low class people use drugs.
Anyway, I do regress. The point I am trying to make is that there is very affordable places to rent in Colombia. It all depends on your lifestyle in terms of where you want to rent. In Bogota for example there are many areas where you can find accommodation. The areas in Bogota are divided in estradas. The lower the strata the cheaper the rent. And, this is the same with security. You will see allot more security in the higher estradas.
I like to rent a room or apartment in Bogota while I am looking for long term accommodation. I always stay at this Bogota, Colombia lodging when I travel to Bogota.
I have rented rooms and apartments in many locations i.e., Medellin, Cali and Bogota. In all cases with no exceptions I had a difficult time renting a room or an apartment. This is in part, my fault as I am not fluent in Spanish.
Fist it is not easy to find a furnished apartment in Colombia. If you do, it is likely a foreigner who is renting it. Colombians usually do not trust others with their furnishings. In fact it is not unusual to rent an apartment that has absolutely no electrical outlets for lights. Not only are the bulbs removed but the outlets are also gone!
Allot of foreigners believe they can find cheap accommodation in Bogota, for example. They also believe that if they pay for rent with many months in advance they will be able to secure any apartment.
Colombians have a pattern they follow when renting and it is fostered by Real Estate companies. The real estate companies deal with everything including plumbing and electrical issues as one example. This takes allot of pressure off the owners. It also builds a wall between the owners and persons renting their properties.
I have rented in the community away from the foreigner invested communities. I rented in places where no foreigners have ever lived. I never felt that my life was in danger where I lived. In fact, I felt very secure. People knew me in the area and offered to help me if I fell ill. They would often greet me on my way home and offer me a drink.
The world had a misconception regarding Colombia and Colombians. The movies love to portray Colombians as all 3rd world narco crazed animals. This is not what Colombians are like. Quite the contrary. Colombians are kind, considerate, fun loving and family oriented. 99.99 % of Colombians are against anything to do with drugs. Colombians look down on people who do drugs of any kind. Most Colombians believe that only low class people use drugs.
Anyway, I do regress. The point I am trying to make is that there is very affordable places to rent in Colombia. It all depends on your lifestyle in terms of where you want to rent. In Bogota for example there are many areas where you can find accommodation. The areas in Bogota are divided in estradas. The lower the strata the cheaper the rent. And, this is the same with security. You will see allot more security in the higher estradas.
I like to rent a room or apartment in Bogota while I am looking for long term accommodation. I always stay at this Bogota, Colombia lodging when I travel to Bogota.
