Security Deposits in Colombian Commercial Leases
Differences in requirements, flexibility in deposits, and bank guarantors in contracts for commercial premises and establishments in Colombia.
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There is a frequent myth in Colombian real estate, derived from the famous prohibition of the "deposit month" and "double guarantee." Although this is an unbreakable ban for any residential apartment or home, these statutes do not apply to commercial premises, corporate businesses, or industrial establishments.
Superior Commercial Flexibility
A commercial lease governed by Title 1, Chapter 1 of the Commercial Code rests on the fundamental principle of "Free Contractual Will" (Libre Voluntad Contractual) between equivalent business entities.
Commercial law does not establish prohibitions on receiving cash deposits or setting up funds, months in advance, or other equivalent consignment quotas as it rigidly does to protect the inherently fragile population of residential housing.
1. Can You Ask for a Cash Deposit for a Commercial Space?
Yes. Two legal entities (or formal registered merchants) negotiating specifically for the transactional branch of an SME or industrial warehouse can draft and agree upon a "Contingencies/Material Risks Deposit Clause." You, as a commercial property owner, have the legitimate civil right to request:
- One, two, or 'x' amount of months as an advance, deductible only on the final termination date following property inspection.
- Large pre-authorized bonds to cover not only the walls but integral adaptations, heavy machinery, or adherent mercantile obligations placed on your side of the common project.
- Collateral sums destined for legal safeguards or fiduciary protections with local real estate trusts (fideicomisos), generally seen for strong retail chains located in triple-A locales or massive corporate spaces.
However, the amount and exact method must be impeccably defined on paper. In Colombia, mercantile customs ("Costumbre Probada de Fianza en Bogotá" or others) will take precedence in decisions by local superintendents in the absence of rigorous and granular detail in the contract.
2. Policies and Insurance (The Preferred Practice)
Just as in residential practices, commercial owners often wrap themselves in the corporate buffer of insuring rent via a third party with Pólizas De Arrendamiento (Rental Insurance). This is still vastly preferable to holding millions in transitionary cash tied up and subject to accounting battles with owners or tenants over damages regarding an internal business remodel. With policies, the insurer handles the chase and pays you promptly.
3. Essential Requirement (Restitution Acts and Inflationary Costs)
Be very careful with the phrasing of the deposit. If you assume a commercial deposit that you will hold for ten (10) consecutive unbreakable years, upon transferring the retail chain or liquidating an office, some accounting courts might require you not only to return it without any deductions if there's no visual proof of damage, but to abide by inflationary indexations in court.
Therefore, it is legally recommended to explicitly indicate the strict exemption from inflationary interest on the deposit and to stipulate a base liquidation for anticipated pre-inspections that explicitly excludes pre-established national economic penalties affecting the held capital over a decade.
Manage the collection upon entry of policies digitally without fearing legal backlash or illegally crossing residential statutes. Implement massive corporate tracking smoothly with customized safeguards and limit warnings tied to the commercial wing of your real estate portfolio exclusively using Landager.
Back to the Commercial Leases in Colombia Overview.
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