Terms and Conditions of Annual, Monthly and Daily Rentals in Turkey

Citizens of some countries, such as Iranians can stay in Turkey without a visa for a full 3 months and in return, they must stay completely outside of Turkey for the next 3 months. In other words, within a 180-day period, they have the right to stay without a visa for only 90 days.
Istanbul, as the heart of Turkey, annually hosts millions of tourists, immigrants and investors who wish to rent a house either short-term (daily and monthly) or long-term (annually) or are property owners looking to rent out their homes. Therefore, in this article we have explained the terms and conditions of renting in Turkey. We suggest you stay with us until the end of this article.

Different Methods of Renting a House in Turkey

Tourists who travel to Turkey with their families and prefer not to stay in separate hotel rooms and be more comfortable can opt to rent houses on a daily or monthly basis. Students who are studying in Turkey and do not wish to stay in university dormitories, and whose stay is long-term, can rent houses annually.
Also, individuals who have received work permits may prefer to rent a house annually instead of buying one. Depending on the needs of those seeking to rent house in Turkey, there are various methods for doing this:

Short-Term Rental (Daily or Monthly)

Houses that are rented short-term are legally required to obtain a short-term rental permit from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. These houses must meet specific conditions as per government regulations to ensure that the comings and goings of travelers do not disturb other neighbors. These houses are intended for times when you plan to stay in Turkey for less than 3 months.

Long-Term Rental (Annually)

Individuals who have obtained residency in Turkey through educational or work methods and intend to stay in Turkey for more than 3 months can proceed to rent a house annually. These houses do not require any permits from any ministry or organization and can be any type of property under any conditions.

Difference Between Annual Rental and Short-Term Daily–Monthly Rental in Turkey

The conditions for annual rentals are completely different from daily–monthly rentals. Knowing this helps rental applicants, especially investors who intend to buy property and then rent it out, to make better choices:

• Furnishing: Houses that are rented annually can be furnished or unfurnished, but in daily–monthly rentals, the houses must be furnished.
• Contract: In annual rentals, a one-year contract is signed, but in daily–monthly rentals, no contract is concluded between the tenant and the owner.
• Payment Method: Payment methods in annual rentals can be monthly or every few months, depending entirely on the landlord’s request, but in short-term daily–monthly rentals, the full amount is paid upon entering the house.
• Rental Amount Stability: The annual rental amount is fixed throughout the year according to the contract, but the short-term daily–monthly rental price varies depending on the season, reaching its peak in spring and especially summer.
• Cost Efficiency: In an annual rental contract, the agreed monthly amount is less than half of the monthly amount in a short-term monthly rental, and the daily rental rate in an annual contract is one-third of the daily rate in a short-term daily rental.
• Utilities and Maintenance Fees: In short-term daily–monthly rent, the cost of electricity, water, gas, internet, and, if there are amenities (pool, gym, sauna, etc.), the building maintenance fees are included in the received amount. In annual rentals, the agreed amount does not include costs of water, electricity, gas and building maintenance fees.
• Permits: Short-term daily–monthly rental houses need to obtain a permit from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, whereas annual rental houses do not require this permit.
• Residency Requirements: Annual houses are rented to individuals who have a residence permit in Turkey, whereas for short-term daily–monthly rentals, there is no need to have a residence permit.

Now that the difference between annual rental and daily–monthly rental has been explained, if you are looking for high income from rentals, purchase houses that you can rent out short-term on a daily–monthly basis. For buying these types of houses, you can get help from hometurkie consultants.

Laws of Daily–Monthly House Rental in Turkey

Under Turkish law, short-term daily–monthly rental houses must have a permit from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Upon accepting a tenant, the tenant’s information and documents must be registered in the police security system so that in case of any issues, they can be easily investigated by the police.

Advertisements for daily–monthly rental houses in Turkey are placed on websites and applications such as Airbnb or Booking. Each traveler writes their opinions about the accommodation on the site after using the house, rating is based on cleanliness, accessibility, owner’s behavior and price, so that future applicants can rent the house considering these reviews and ratings.

The rental amount is determined at the owner’s discretion based on the value of the household items, building quality, accessibility and other amenities, and must be paid before the guest enters the house via the provided credit card or bank transfer.
In cases where the guest has not registered their credit card on the site, an amount as a deposit is taken from the tenant, which is returned to the tenant at the end of the rental period unless the tenant has caused damage to the objects and items in the house. If the homeowner rents out their house short-term without obtaining an official permit, and a complaint is made to the police, the government will fine the owner over 100,000 lira.

Laws of Annual House Rental in Turkey

As previously mentioned, one-year property rentals are possible for tenants who have a Turkish residence permit (educational, work, or tourist) or have obtained Turkish citizenship. In this type of rental, an amount equal to two months’ rent is held as a deposit by the landlord, which is returned in full if no damage has been done to the house at the time of vacating.

Depending on the landlord’s request, rent may be received in advance monthly, every 3 months, every 6 months, or even a full year in advance. At the end of each year, the landlord can increase the rent based on the inflation index announced by the government, and if the tenant does not agree, they will be forced to vacate the property.
If the tenant fails to pay their rent for two consecutive months, the landlord can issue a vacate notice from the Notary Offices, and after the tenant’s 30-day legal deadline to vacate, if the tenant still has not paid the overdue rent and vacated the house, the landlord can file a complaint in court and proceed to evict their property. If you encounter problems with your tenant in Turkey, you can read about the legal procedures in the article “Solutions for Tenants Who Do Not Pay Rent.”

Important Points Regarding Annual Rental Laws in Turkey

In 2024, the annual rental laws in Turkey have undergone changes, which we will explain below:

• Official Registration: Annual rental contracts must be officially registered at Notary Offices with the presence of both landlord and tenant.
• Rent Increase Rights: In previous years, the tenant had the right to stay in the property for up to five years, and if a tenant was regularly paying their rent but did not agree to increase the rent in the new year, the landlord could not proceed to evict their property. In 2024, to support landlords, a new law was enacted giving landlords the right to increase the rent amount according to the inflation rate announced by the government.
• Eviction Conditions: The landlord is not allowed to request the tenant to vacate the house before the agreed time, but if the tenant fails to pay rent for more than two months and there are complaints from neighbors about the tenant, the landlord has the right to issue a notarial notice and then evict their property.
• Utility Debts: The water, electricity, and gas meters of the house will be in the tenant’s name, and if there are any energy consumption debts when the tenant moves out, the debt remains in the name of the previous tenant and is not considered a debt of the landlord or the next tenant.
• Early Termination: If the tenant decides to vacate the property before the end of the contract, they must come to an agreement with the landlord to get back the deposit amount for the property.
• Property Damage: If the tenant damages the house when handing it over to the owner, they must pay the repair costs to the landlord.

How Much Is the Cost of Renting a House in Turkey?

The amount of rent for a house or apartment in Turkey depends on various factors such as the property’s location, neighborhood, in-house amenities, proximity to shopping centers, tourist and recreational centers, proximity to public transportation, size of the house, number of bedrooms, etc. On average, the rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Istanbul starts from 15,000 to 40,000 lira.
In addition to the rent amount, you also need to pay other costs, which include:

• Contract Verification Fee: Paying the cost of rental contract verification to the official Notary Office.
• Utility Registration Costs: Cost of transferring water, electricity, and gas to the tenant’s name (In Turkey, water, electricity, and gas must be in the name of the person residing in the house. The tenant is obliged to immediately after the contract visit these departments and, by presenting the rental contract, residence permit, and approximately 1,000 lira, proceed to transfer the utilities to their name.)
• Real Estate Commission: Paying the rental commission to the real estate office (The commission is equivalent to 12% of the total annual rent amount and 18% value-added tax.)

Conclusion

We hope that in this article you have become well acquainted with the terms and laws of annual, monthly, and daily rentals in Turkey. If you want to rent a house in Turkey or are looking to rent a house or apartment annually for living in this country with work and study purposes, you can discuss it with our expert consultants. Our team’s specialists are ready to answer your questions and provide you with advice.