Renting property in Turkey – What to look out for?

Renting in Turkey as a foreigner can be tricky – language barriers, Turkish customs, and legal rights can cause confusion and problems. Read through our guide of the things to look out for when renting property in Turkey

Finding the right home

Today, searching for a rental house can be done quite easily on line, as well as from various real estate agents located in the region you are looking at. At this stage, wherever you find the home you are looking for, make sure to visit the neighbourhood a few times. This will help you better understand the neighbourhood and your potential neighbours. In addition, prepare in advance the questions you will ask the person concerned when you go to look at the house. Write down all the information about the house for easy comparison with other houses you have looked at.

Carry out legal diligence in full

Landlords want a good tenant and tenants want a good landlord. To achieve a happy ending, legal diligence is vital. These are the checks tenants should insist on – a genuine and thorough landlord or professional agent would comply with each and every request:

1. Ask to see the landlord’s ID and title deed (tapu) – make sure the names match;
2. If an agent is involved ensure that they are authorised by the landlord with a power of attorney (POA) – ask to see that that the landlord has appointed the agent in question. Request to see the ID of the agent and ensure it matches the name and ID number on the POA.
3. It sounds silly but make sure the address of the property on the contract matches the title deed and the physical address that you visited.
4. Speak with the management of the building to ensure the landlord is the owner of the apartment and that there are no maintenance fees overdue.
5. Ask to see the DASK policy – this is the mandatory earthquake policy that every landlord must have by law.

Contractual checks

One of the most important points to consider when renting a house is the lease agreement. Here are some pointers to ensure a smooth transaction:

1. Ensure that the landlord or the landlord’s proxy is the signatory to the contract;
2. Double check the address details again;
3. Note the start and end date of the contract as it would be different to the date of signature;
4. You would be expected to provide a guarantor – this is quite normal;
5. Check the bank details for the rent – ensure it is the landlord’s account details. If the landlord prefers a third party to receive the rental income, they should confirm this in writing to you, and that third party should prove that they have a PoA that covers this legally;
6. Check the rental due dates – it should give you a five working day window;
7. If you are making a deposit, the contract should note this and note the conditions it will be refunded.
8. The contract should include a list of items given with the apartment and the conditions of those items. It should also note the general conditions of the paintwork. This is important even if the apartment is offered as unfurnished.
9. Make sure the owner has signed every page and signed and dated the final page;

Renewal of rental contracts

Currently all rental contracts are renewed automatically on the one year anniversary of the contract. In Turkey, Landlords are given an upper limit of rental increase, in line with inflation. In 2022, the government introduced a law limiting this to a maximum of 25%.