Owners who want to rent out apartments or villas to holidaymakers in Türkiye, through platforms such as Airbnb or directly, must follow a specific legal framework introduced in late 2023. The rules matter especially in tourist areas such as Istanbul, Antalya, Bodrum and Fethiye, where many foreign owners hold property.
The law and the permit
Law No. 7464 on Renting Property for Tourism Purposes was published in the Official Gazette on Nov. 2, 2023. It covers rentals of residential property to tourists for periods of up to 100 days.
Before signing such a rental, the owner must obtain a permit from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The property must display a plaque issued by the ministry at its entrance.
A key condition is consent from neighbours. All owners of independent units in the building must unanimously approve the short-term rental. In complexes with several blocks, only the owners in the relevant building need to agree.
There are also limits on large-scale operators. If one person owns more than three units in a building, permits can be granted for no more than 25% of them, and a business licence is required above certain levels.
Fines and other obligations
The law sets out escalating administrative fines. As published, an owner caught renting without a permit faced a fine of 100,000 liras and was given 15 days to obtain one. Continuing without a permit after that led to a 500,000-lira fine, and further violations to fines of 1 million liras. Current amounts may differ from those originally published.
Subletting is prohibited. Owners must also record and report guests' identity details, entries and exits, as hotels do under the Identity Reporting Law. The permit can be cancelled if the property is used in ways that violate public order, public security or public morality.
High-standard residences governed by the Condominium Law are exempt if their management plan allows short-term rentals and they provide reception, security and daily cleaning services.
Separately, the Ministry of Trade is extending its electronic listing verification system to foreign owners, meaning properties will need identity and title checks before they can be advertised on online portals.
Sources
- New Rules on Short-Term Leases (Güleryüz Partners)
- Expats beware: Türkiye's new property rules target foreign buyers and sellers
Photo: Mustafa yumrutaş / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
