Year on year the short-term rental accommodation for tourists in Turkiye has seen a rapid increase. Tourists and travelers alike find that these accommodations are more economical and prefer renting apartments instead of staying in hotels. Unfortunately, this impacts the country’s tourism revenues in that many renters do not make tax returns on income earned.
If we take an example of the number of accommodations/properties in four areas alone around Turkiye which were listed on the AirBnB site before January 1st this year, you can see below that there was a very high amount listed on there.
- Istanbul—50,000 properties.
- Antalya—30,350 properties.
- Izmir—11,400 properties.
- Bodrum – 7,150 properties
The government swung into action and brought into law new regulatory procedures governing short-term rentals to include daily rentals which came into effect and started to be enforced from January 1st this year.
It became obligatory that those renting out their home or part thereof for 100 days or less were now required to follow procedures to obtain permission to rent accommodation to tourists.
A special license/permit is now required for short-term rentals which aims to streamline the rental market, and importantly, to make sure that all citizens and visitors are protected which includes both landlord and tenant.
The government department will also, because of the new law, be better able to record income earned, prevent non-disclosure of earnings, better reporting of visitors to the country and other individuals, which will help also prevent criminal activities.
Law requirements for short-term rental housing:
- 12 persons excluding children under 3 years old is the maximum occupancy.
- Each bedroom can accommodate up to two people.
- No matter how many bedrooms you have the occupancy can only be 12 people.
Also, each accommodation must have:
- Hot and cold water
- Kitchen
- Living area
- Smoke detector.
- Bathroom
- Beds with bedding
- Towels
- On or at each door, an evacuation plan showing the fire escape.
- The owner must ensure that cleaning and sanitizing is complete before each new tenant arrives.
Short-term license application process:
You must submit your application to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism via the E-Devlet site which is the country’s E-Government portal which all residency permit holders here have access to. The duration of the rental should not exceed 100 days.
Each applicant must also get the approval of all other property owners in the building.
Alternatively, a relevant clause can be introduced into the charter of the apartment building management company which would need the approval of 75% of the Owners.
In January 2024 you were told that you must apply for the short-term rental license within the first month following the 1st of January 2024.
You will be fined if you did not meet this deadline.
Physical applications are not accepted.
Documents you need to present along with your application to obtain the tourism house license.
- A copy of your Turkish identity card or passport if you’re a Turkish citizen and a copy of passport with the identity number if you’re a foreigner
- The license application form
- A copy of your title deed
- Your address certificate.
- Fire report certificate.
- Approval from the floor owners for the apartment building
- A declaration of accuracy where you acknowledge that the information you’ve provided is correct and the documents are authentic.
- A copy of the identity card (kimlik)
- Notarized written consent of all occupants of the house/apartment.
- Tax number.
Companies or Businesses need to provide:
- Company Tax Number
- Registration number in the Turkish Commercial Register
House Plaque
Once your application has been successful, you will receive a Tourism house license plaque.
It must be placed on the outside door of the house or apartment rented under a short-term rental agreement. This plaque lets everyone know that the accommodation is used for temporary guest accommodation and is under the control of an authorized ministry.
Physical Inspections of properties and Fines
There have been reports circulating on social media and the national press recently about owner properties are indeed being spot checked and being handed down fines or boarded up.
The law of the land states, very clearly, that within 30 days of your application being successful and the issuing of your permit or license, there will be a physical inspection of the accommodation which ensures minimum standards at the very least are in place for short-term paying guests.
Should it be found during this physical inspection that the property does not meet the minimum standards, the permit holders will be subject to an administrative fine of 100,000 TL. The applicant will also be given 15 days to remedy any deficiencies and bring the property up to standard.
On the second inspection, if these deficiencies have not been remedied within the 15-day period, the permit will be canceled.
If the first inspection determines that the property meets the minimum requirements, but changes/corrections are needed in the information on the document, no administrative fine will be imposed. The permit will be amended and updated according to the findings of the inspection.
If you ever rent your property for tourism purposes without the daily rental license, you risk severe penalties as the fine starts from 100000 TL.
Possible questions from owners, Tenants, visitors
- Can I apply anytime during the year?
- What if my application is refused?
- Must I declare the identity of my guests to the Police and how?
- Will I be fined for failing to report my guests to the police?
- Can I rent daily with the tourism house license?
- What about my family and Friends?
- How much does the permit/license cost?
For Answers to any questions or worries you may have, please contact The Foreign Citizen Advice Centre, Kusadasi : support@adviceturkey.org or trish@theegeeye.com / Whats App: 009 05318560546
