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 2026-08-17·Where we look: 6
usual contract term
a shorter term does not remove the renewal cap (TBK 344, 347)
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; Tebliğ 2008-32/34 md. 8/1–3 | Contract currency Between residents of Türkiye, the price and other payments under sale and lease contracts for property in Türkiye may not be set in foreign currency or indexed to it. The exception is a contract in which the buyer or tenant is not a Turkish citizen: there, foreign currency is permitted. If only the seller or landlord lacks Turkish citizenship, the price must be in lira. Once the buyer or tenant acquires Turkish citizenship, the exemption no longer covers them. Checked 2026-09-28 |
| 5490 sayılı Kanun md. 49–50; YUKK Uyg. Yön. md. 22 | Address registration If the residence permit is issued in Türkiye, the address must be registered within 20 working days of receiving the permit document. Without registration the permit cannot be renewed, and children are enrolled in kindergarten and school according to the address in the NVİ database. The address is confirmed with a supplier contract or a bill for electricity, water, gas, a landline or home internet. A notarised lease is required not by NVİ but by the migration authority (Göç İdaresi), for the residence permit application. Checked 2026-09-28 |
| 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 — without it the residence permit application is incomplete
- 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
- The lease term and your notice date: tell the landlord at least 15 days before the term ends, or the lease renews for a year on the same terms (TBK 347)
Common mistakes and schemes
- A cash deposit without a receipt. Formally it was never paid, and it will not come back
- Believing an eleven-month contract lets the landlord raise the rent freely later. The one-year renewal and the renewal cap apply to it too (TBK 344, 347); the only exception is a let of six months or less of a property meant for temporary use (TBK 339)
- 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. After five years of tenancy, a court can set a new rent with comparable rents in mind (TBK 344). 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: neither in foreign currency nor indexed to it. The exception is a tenant without Turkish citizenship: then the rent may be set in foreign currency. If only the landlord lacks Turkish citizenship, the contract must be in lira. Once the tenant acquires Turkish citizenship, 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 people who became Turkish tax residents from 1 January 2026 after three years without residence. Published in the Official Gazette on 4 June 2026; procedure set by General Communiqué No. 333 of 4 July 2026. |
| 2025-10-10 | Permit number replaces the copy in listings An amendment to the regulation under Law 7464 (Official Gazette of 10 October 2025, No. 33043, in force on publication): every listing and advertisement for a home with a tourist-letting permit must now show the izin belgesi number legibly, instead of a copy of the permit. The duty lies with the permit holder; this rule does not address platforms. |
Nearby pages
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