Property Management in Türkiye for Absentee Owners: What It Covers, What It Costs and What to Check

Many foreign owners leave a flat or villa in Türkiye empty for months while they are abroad. A local property manager can look after it, but services, prices and legal limits vary widely. This guide covers what to expect and what to check, as of November 2026.

Key points

• Your building manager (yönetici), elected under the Condominium Law, runs the common areas of the building. A private manager you hire looks after your own unit. They are different jobs.
• Give a private manager only the authority they need. A special, time-limited power of attorney (vekaletname) is safer than a general one, and you can revoke it at any time.
• DASK earthquake insurance runs for one year and must be renewed every year.
• A manager cannot simply let your home to holidaymakers. Lets of 100 days or less need a ministry permit under Law 7464, and anyone other than the owner may run them only through an (A) group travel agency.
• On long lets, rent rises on renewal are capped at the 12-month average of consumer inflation (TÜFE): 31.23% for November 2026 renewals.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Check your own case with a lawyer, notary or accountant (mali müşavir).

What property management covers

Common services, sold as a package or one by one, are:

• Key holding and access for cleaners, tradesmen and guests.
• Regular inspections after storms, heavy rain or power cuts, with dated photos sent to you.
• Bills and payments: checking that electricity, water, internet and building dues (aidat) are paid on time.
• Liaison with the building manager about aidat and meeting notices.
• Repairs: arranging tradesmen and sending you quotes and invoices.
• Winterising and opening up: turning off water, checking drains and gutters, and preparing the home before you arrive.
• Letting: finding and vetting tenants, collecting rent, check-in and check-out, and dealing with the legal rules below.

Fee models

We found no reliable, current 2026 survey of property management fees in Türkiye, so we do not quote figures. Ask for written prices. The main models are:

• Fixed monthly or yearly fee. This usually covers key holding and a set number of inspections, with extra visits and call-outs charged separately.
• Percentage of rent. This is common when the manager also lets the property. Check whether it applies to gross or net rent, and whether cleaning and laundry are extra.
• Pay-as-you-go. You pay per visit or job.

Whatever the model, ask about markups on tradesmen’s invoices and how often you get statements. Our guide to the annual costs of owning property in Türkiye covers the other bills to budget for.

The building manager (yönetici) is not your property manager

The Condominium Law (Kat Mülkiyeti Kanunu, Law No. 634) sets up the building’s own management. Under Article 34, owners can give the job to one person, either an owner or an outsider, or to a board of three. A building with eight or more independent units must appoint a manager. Firms can also be chosen, and the appointment normally lasts one year.

Under Article 35, the yönetici’s duties relate to the building as a whole. They include:

• maintaining and repairing common areas;
• insuring the main building;
• collecting owners’ shares of expenses and advance payments (aidat);
• keeping the money in a bank account opened in the building’s name.

The yönetici accounts to the owners’ meeting, but does not act for you inside your flat. If a pipe bursts in your kitchen, fixing it is your job, not the building’s.

Aidat matters for absentee owners. Under Article 20, an owner who pays late owes delay compensation of 5% a month, and the yönetici or another owner can sue or start enforcement proceedings. If your private manager is meant to pay aidat for you, ask for proof of each payment.

Power of attorney (vekaletname)

General vs special. Under Article 504 of the Turkish Code of Obligations, some acts need special authority. These include transferring real estate or burdening it with a right such as a mortgage, starting lawsuits and settling disputes. A general POA does not give these powers, and a phrase such as "all powers" (her türlü yetki) is not enough. Lawyers advise a POA that is limited in time and subject, naming the property and each power. Only grant the power to delegate to someone else (tevkil) if you need it.

Signing it. In Türkiye, a notary (noter) draws it up. If you do not speak Turkish, a sworn translator must be present. Have your passport ready, and your foreigner ID number and tax number if you have them. Abroad, you can sign at a Turkish consulate. A POA signed before a foreign notary usually needs an apostille and a sworn Turkish translation. Our guide to powers of attorney for property explains each route.

Risks. A broad POA in the wrong hands can be used against your interests. Never give a property manager authority to sell or mortgage.

Revoking it. Under Article 512, you can revoke a POA at any time. Make a revocation (azilname) at a notary or consulate and have it served on the agent. Since circular 2025/6 of the Land Registry, revocations for land registry purposes can also be made online through webtapu or at any land registry office. Fax, email and post are not accepted. Send a copy to banks and other offices where the POA was used. With an e-Devlet login, the Notaries Union’s "Kişi Vekaletnameleri Sorgulama" service shows the POAs issued in your name.

Paying bills from abroad

• Automatic payment. Turkish banks let you set an automatic payment instruction (otomatik ödeme talimatı) for electricity, water, gas, phone and internet bills from an account or credit card. If the balance is short, the payment can fail, so check your statements.
• e-Devlet. With an e-Devlet password, you can use the services that utility companies and municipalities offer there. Some electricity and water providers allow subscriptions, cancellations or bill payments online. Search for your provider’s name on e-Devlet to see what is available.
• Property tax. Emlak vergisi is paid in two instalments, the first between March and May and the second in November. The second 2026 instalment is due by 30 November. It can be paid through e-Devlet, the Revenue Administration’s (GİB) systems, municipal websites or contracted banks.

DASK and home insurance

Under the Disaster Insurance Law (Law No. 6305), compulsory earthquake insurance (DASK) is the owner’s responsibility. It runs for one year and must be renewed every year. A valid policy is checked when water and electricity subscriptions are opened, and the land registry will not process a sale without one. Diary the renewal date or make it the manager’s job.

DASK covers the building only. It does not cover contents. Voluntary home insurance (konut sigortası) can cover contents and other risks such as water damage. Check the policy’s conditions for homes left empty for long periods. See our earthquake safety and DASK guide.

If the manager lets your home

Holiday lets. Under Law 7464, a let of 100 days or less for tourism purposes needs a permit from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism before the first booking. The duty to obtain it is the landlord’s. In a building with several units, all other owners must agree. The permit holder is responsible for reporting guests’ identities to the police or gendarmerie.

Article 3 of the law also says that if anyone other than the landlord lets the home, they may do so only through an (A) group travel agency. Tenants may not sub-let for tourism. The only exception is some high-end residences whose management plan allows short lets, where a residence management company can hold the permit.

In 2026, renting without a permit brings a fine of 180,617 lira per home, rising to 903,088 lira if it continues and 1,806,177 lira after that. Our short-term rental law explainer has more detail.

Long lets. Leases fall under the Code of Obligations. On renewal, the rent increase cannot exceed the 12-month average change in TÜFE, which is 31.23% for November 2026. Our guide to renting a home in Türkiye explains leases from the tenant’s side.

Tax. You, not the manager, are the taxpayer. GİB’s February 2026 guide for non-residents says owners living abroad must declare Turkish rental income unless it was fully taxed through withholding. Returns are filed in March for the previous year. For 2026 income, 58,000 lira of residential rent is exempt for those who qualify. Company tenants generally withhold 20% of the rent. Short-term letting income is disputed: the Council of State (Danıştay) has suspended a 2025 GİB instruction treating permit holders as businesses, and a final ruling is pending. See our rental income tax guide for foreign landlords.

Red flags

• The manager offers holiday lets with no permit or travel agency licence.
• They ask for a general POA, or one covering sale or mortgage.
• They pay your rent into their personal account with no statements.
• There are no invoices (fatura) for repairs, or there are unexplained markups.
• They will not put the fee, services or notice period in writing.
• They cannot tell you when your DASK policy expires or show aidat receipts.

Checklist: what to put in the contract

1. Services and frequency: inspections per month, photo reports and response times.
2. Fees: the model, what is included, extras and how tradesmen’s markups work.
3. Spending limit: repairs above an agreed amount need your written approval.
4. Money: rent and deposits paid into your own account, with monthly statements.
5. Keys: who holds copies and a key log.
6. Insurance and renewals: who renews DASK and home insurance, and by when.
7. Letting: permit status, agency details, guest registration and who files taxes.
8. Ending the contract: notice period, return of keys and documents, and a final account.
9. POA: a separate, limited and time-bound document, revoked when the contract ends.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Can my building’s yönetici look after my flat while I am away?

A: Only if you agree a separate private arrangement. Under the Condominium Law, the yönetici manages common areas, building insurance and aidat collection, not the inside of your unit.

Q: Does a property manager need a power of attorney?

A: Not for key holding or inspections. For dealing with offices or signing documents, use a special, time-limited vekaletname that lists each power and excludes sale and mortgage.

Q: How do I cancel a power of attorney from abroad?

A: Make an azilname at a Turkish consulate or a notary and have it served on the agent. For land registry purposes, you can also revoke online through webtapu. Fax, email and post are not accepted.

Q: Can my manager rent my home to tourists under their own name?

A: No. A permit is needed for lets of 100 days or less, the duty to obtain it is the owner’s, and anyone else may let the home only through an (A) group travel agency.

Own a home in Türkiye or planning to buy? Download our free property guide for a step-by-step checklist.

Sources

• Kat Mülkiyeti Kanunu (Law 634) arts. 34-42: yönetici owner or outsider, 8+ units mandatory, one-year term, art. 35 duties (common areas, building insurance, advances, bank account in building’s name), accounting, agent liability (Hukukçular Evi)
• Apartman ve sitelerde yönetici seçimi: 8+ units, legal entities may serve, duties incl. insurance, advances, bank account (Mıhcı Hukuk)
• KMK art. 20 aidat delay compensation 5% a month; art. 22 tenant joint liability (Hukukçular Evi)
• Unpaid aidat: 5% monthly delay compensation, suit and enforcement by manager or owners, KMK art. 25 (Hukuki Haber)
• Turkish Code of Obligations arts. 504, 512, 513: special authority, ‘her türlü yetki’ insufficient, revocation at any time, azilname, limited POA advice (Hukukçular Evi)
• Foreigners at Turkish notaries 2026: documents, sworn translator, apostille for foreign POAs (FFK Partner Hukuk)
• TKGM circular 2025/6: revocation via webtapu, land registry office, notary/consulate; fax, email, post not accepted (Hukuki Haber)
• e-Devlet services of Türkiye Noterler Birliği incl. Kişi Vekaletnameleri Sorgulama
• Automatic payment instructions for utility bills via bank account or card; failed payment risk (Enuygun Finans)
• Bill payment methods incl. automatic instruction and e-Devlet electricity/water payments (Hesapkurdu)
• e-Devlet subscription services: provider-specific subscription, cancellation and query services (e-Yaşam Rehberi, Oct 2026)
• Property tax second instalment 1-30 November 2026; payment channels incl. e-Devlet, GİB, municipalities, banks (Takvim)
• Property tax second instalment due 30 November 2026; payment channels (TGRT Haber)
• Disaster Insurance Law No. 6305: art. 10 owner obligation, renewed every year; art. 11 land registry and water/electricity checks (TSB text)
• DASK required for utility subscriptions and property transactions; annual policy renewed yearly (Hesapkurdu)
• Law No. 7464 art. 3: permit before contract, landlord’s duty, others only via (A) group travel agencies, residence management exception, Law 1774 guest identity notification, subletting ban (Lexpera)
• Law 7464: 2026 fines 180,617 / 903,088 / 1,806,177 TL, unanimous consent, intermediaries (Av. Mert Çelik)
• Law 7464: 2026 fines, unanimous owner consent, identity notification, A-group agencies and residence management companies (Harbiye Hukuk)
• November 2026 maximum rent increase 31.23%, 12-month average TÜFE (CNBC-e, 3 Nov 2026)
• 2026 Kasım ayı azami kira artış oranı 31.23%, TBK art. 344 (Muhasebe News)
• GİB Kira Geliri Rehberi for non-residents (Dar Mükellefler), February 2026: declaration duty, exemption, tax office, 20% withholding by company tenants (via Alomaliye)
• Vergi Bülteni 2026/02: 2026 residential rent exemption 58,000 TL (PwC Türkiye)
• 2025 rental income declaration Q&A: 1-31 March filing, March/July instalments, 2026 exemption 58,000 TL, non-residents must declare (Alomaliye)
• Airbnb vergisi: Danıştay stay of GİB letter 7877, objection rejected 29 June 2026, merits ruling pending (Öner Hukuk)

Photo: Dosseman / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons