As a newbie to Bogotá, I just had to go through the headaches of finding an apartment rental, which is not something I have done for over five years! It was definitely overwhelming at first trying to pick out a neighborhood, find something that would accept my small dog Riley, let me rent short term, and was in my budget. However, I was able to do most of my searching before I arrived and ended up getting a studio apartment in Chapinero near Quinta Camacho that ticked off all my boxes.

Here are a few tips on finding an apartment rental in Bogotá, Colombia.

Decide on the neighborhood

I had visited Bogotá extensively before deciding to move here part-time so I more or less knew what neighborhood I wanted to be in. But this is probably not the case for everyone. What if you’ve never been before and have no idea where to start? I wrote a post on The Best & Safest Neighborhoods To Stay In Bogotá for a breakdown of the main neighborhoods but there are a lot of other factors to take into account. What will your daily commute be? Do you want to be somewhere quiet or in the center or everything? Is there a supermarket nearby? Do you need parking for a car, etc? I chose Chapinero because it’s safe, has a vibrant, young population, great restaurants, and rent is considerably cheaper than being in more upscale areas like Parque 93 or Parque Virrey. But there are definitely parts of Chapinero you don’t want to stay in as well. I think before signing any kind of lease you should stay a week or two in an Airbnb and really walk around each neighborhood to find the vibe you like.

Walk around

Sometimes it’s best to do some boots on the ground apartment hunting. If you’re in a neighborhood that you really like then walk around and look for “Arriendo” signs in the windows and give them a call or send a Whatsapp message.

Airbnb

I love using Airbnb when I travel and it offers a turnkey solution to staying in an apartment rental. The electricity, furniture, appliances, and everything you need is ready for you to move in. You just pay and the place is yours. You can actually rent by the month and many places offer discounts for long-term stays. However, the amount of monthly rental options tend to be few or expensive as many Airbnb apartments are occupied by people visiting for a few days. Renting via Airbnb works great for a month stay, but for longer stays, the next options could be better.

Facebook Groups

The Bogota Short Term Rentals Facebook Group is a goldmine of affordable rooms, apartments, and studio apartments that are mostly geared towards university students moving to Bogotá to study. I only wanted to rent something for three months so in my situation this ended up having the best options and it’s where I found my studio apartment. However, the majority of postings on this page are rooms in shared apartments with only a few studio or 1-bedroom listings so it may not be the best option for everyone. If you’re looking specifically for something in Chapinero there is also the “Rommates y habitaciones solo en Chapinero” Facebook Group that you can join.

Facebook Marketplace

Facebook continues to be a useful tool to search for apartments in Bogotá with their Facebook Marketplace section. You can search neighborhoods by keywords and then it’s also a good tool to find furniture for your apartment later on.

OLX

OLX is the Craigslist of Colombia and has 1000’s of rental options in Bogotá. If you’re looking to rent something for 6 months or longer, this is the best website to start your search. It’s also nice that you can filter the search for the number of bedrooms, price, location, etc.

Do you have any other tips for finding an apartment rental in Bogotá? Leave a comment below.