markup over the headline rent on entry
deposit, commission, first month of aidat, DASK and meter connections
Segments
Long-term apartment rental
Contracts run a year or more, paid monthly; the deposit is capped by law at three months. Beyond rent you pay aidat, utilities and DASK insurance — the real cost of moving in runs about a third above the advertised rate. Renewal increases are capped at the twelve-month average inflation.
Checked 2026-08-16·Where we look: 6
usual contract term
below a year the renewal cap does not protect you
statutory deposit cap
TBK art. 342; demanding more is unenforceable
What the payment covers and what it does not
| Rent | per contract |
|---|---|
| Aidat (service charge) | separate, monthly — cleaning, lift, security, pool. In a complex with a pool it differs from an ordinary building several times over — compare rent plus aidat, not rent |
| Heating | depends on the system — with an individual kombi the occupant pays by meter; with central (merkezi) heating the cost is apportioned across flats and arrives through aidat |
| Water, electricity, internet | on the tenant — transferring the meters requires a DASK policy |
| DASK | compulsory |
| Emlak vergisi (property tax) | on the owner — it cannot be shifted onto the tenant by contract |
Law that applies to this segment
| TBK md. 344 | Cap on rent increases On renewal, rent may not rise by more than the twelve-month average TÜFE. Any clause providing for more is void. The protection covers the sitting tenant and does not apply to a new contract — hence the gap between the sitting rate and the entry rate. Checked 2026-08-17 |
|---|---|
| TBK md. 342 | Security deposit The deposit may not exceed three monthly payments. It is paid to an account or handed over against a receipt; cash without a document does not count as paid, and cannot be recovered later. Checked 2026-08-17 |
| 32 sayılı Karar | Contract currency Between residents of Türkiye, pricing and rent in foreign currency are prohibited. Where one party is not a Turkish citizen, a foreign-currency contract is permitted. Acquiring Turkish citizenship removes that exemption — the rule reverses for the same person. Checked 2026-08-17 |
| NVİ | Address registration Address registration conditions both residence permit renewal and a place in a state school. It requires a notarised lease, not a hand-signed one. Checked 2026-08-17 |
| DASK | Compulsory earthquake insurance A DASK policy is compulsory and conditions the connection and transfer of water and electricity meters. Without it, utilities will not be transferred to a new occupant. Checked 2026-08-17 |
What to check here specifically
- Whether the heating type is written into the contract or only mentioned aloud
- Aidat for the last three months — ask for the receipts, not a spoken figure
- Whether the building has an iskan: without it meters cannot be transferred
- Whether the lease is notarised — address registration and permit renewal depend on it
- Whether the mahalle is open for foreigner registration
- The inventory of furniture and appliances if the flat is eşyalı
- Who pays the agency commission and how much
- Whether the term is eleven months — that is a way around tenant protection
Common mistakes and schemes
- A cash deposit without a receipt. Formally it was never paid, and it will not come back
- An eleven-month contract “to keep it simple”. It removes the renewal cap
- Demanding a Turkish guarantor (kefil) as a condition — common, but negotiable
- “We will clarify the aidat later.” It is always clarified upward
- Paying rent in cash where the law requires bank transfer — a risk in any dispute and in a tax audit
Who this suits and who it does not
+
- those staying over a year and applying for a residence permit
- families who need address registration for a school place
−
- winterers staying three or four months — a different regime and a different contract
- anyone counting on a permit purely because they rent: that no longer works
13turk · service desk
Next comes a conversation
We publish no properties. Options are assembled around your dates, budget and citizenship — and discussed in person.
Questions
Is a three-month deposit lawful?
Yes — three is the statutory cap under article 342. Demanding more is unenforceable even when written into the contract.
Can the rent be raised above inflation?
On renewal, no: the cap is the twelve-month average TÜFE. But the limit does not apply to a new contract with a new tenant.
Can the rent be set in euros or dollars?
Between residents of Türkiye, no. Where one party is not a Turkish citizen, a foreign-currency contract is permitted. Once Turkish citizenship is acquired, the exemption stops applying.
What changed
| 2026-08-17 | Alanya: reports of reopening not confirmed Agency publications claim Alanya’s neighbourhoods reopened on 4 June 2026. No act appears in the Official Gazette and the Göç İdaresi file is dated 31 August 2022. Until confirmed, we treat them as closed. |
|---|---|
| 2026-06-04 | Law no. 7582: twenty years free of tax on foreign income For new tax residents, foreign pensioners included. Published in the Official Gazette on 4 June 2026. |
| 2026-04-01 | Licence number became mandatory in listings Short-term rental platforms must display the izin belgesi number. Letting without a licence carries fines up to 1,000,000 lira on repeat, payable by the owner. |
Nearby pages
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