Medellin authorities moved swiftly on Friday after short-term rental prices that had surged to extreme levels ahead of Bad Bunny’s three concerts this weekend suddenly collapsed, following intervention by Airbnb and the city administration.
According to official estimates, more than 100,000 visitors are expected in Medellin between January 23 and 25, driven not only by the Puerto Rican artist’s concerts but also by Colombiatex de las Americas, one of the region’s most important textile industry events.
Medellin cracks down on Airbnb price gouging ahead of Bad Bunny concerts
On Thursday afternoon and early Friday, listings on platforms such as Airbnb showed nightly prices reaching between COP 11 million and COP 31 million. By midday Friday, however, prices had dropped sharply, with new listings ranging from COP 200,000 to COP 3.9 million per night.
The issue gained national attention as social media users shared extreme cases on TikTok and X. For the three-night period coinciding with Bad Bunny’s shows, some listings reportedly reached COP 31 million (USD 8,504), while others climbed as high as COP 98 million (USD 26,885). In high-demand neighborhoods such as El Poblado and Laureles, prices ranged from COP 3.5 million to COP 19 million, depending on location and property type.
Other areas, including Belen, Buenos Aires and downtown Medellin, also saw inflated prices, with listings between COP 1.4 million and COP 11.6 million for the same period.
Mayor Federico Gutierrez directly addressed the situation during a Friday morning press conference, condemning what he described as abusive practices by some hosts. He accused them of canceling confirmed reservations under false pretenses in order to relist properties at prices up to 20 times higher.
“Regarding those who dishonestly canceled bookings to relist them at prices 10 or 20 times higher using false excuses, I spoke with Airbnb’s representative for Latin America,” Gutierrez said. “Their calendars will be blocked so they cannot rent during those days, and I have even asked that they be removed from the platform.”
The mayor emphasized that while the city does not have the authority to regulate prices set by private platforms, it could not ignore behavior that risks damaging Medellin’s image as a tourist destination.
“As mayor, I do not decide how much a hotel or a platform charges; that is governed by supply and demand,” he said. “But when cheaters break the rules, they generate distrust across the entire sector and harm the economy.”
City officials warned that such practices not only affected thousands of fans hoping to attend Bad Bunny’s three concerts but also threatened the long-term sustainability of Medellin’s tourism industry. The Mayor’s Office confirmed it has opened a direct communication channel with Colombia’s Superintendence of Industry and Commerce to support users who believe they were victims of abusive pricing.
“Tourism must be protected,” Gutierrez said. “I will not allow what has been built to be damaged by a few who do things wrong.”