Law No. 7464, “On Renting Housing for Tourism Purposes”, came into force on 1 January 2024 with a number of key provisions:
Housing may be rented to tourists for up to 100 days at a time. Rentals shorter than 100 days are considered short-term.
Short-term rental of housing is possible only with the appropriate permit (licence) issued by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Owners must obtain the consent of all residents of the building. It is also possible to include short-term rentals in the management company’s charter, requiring the consent of 75% of residents.
Licence applications are submitted through the electronic E-Devlet system.
To obtain a licence, local residents must provide a copy of their identity document (kimlik) and notarised consent from all residents of the building.
Foreigners must provide a copy of their passport, a tax number or foreigner identification number (from their residence permit, beginning with 99), and notarised consent from all residents.
Legal entities must provide a tax number and a trade registration number, or a MERSİS number if they are registered in the Trade Registry.
The documents submitted are reviewed by the Provincial Directorate and, if discrepancies are found, rejected with reasons given. Procedures relating to licence applications must be completed within 30 days.
A plaque stating “Housing for tourists” must be displayed at the entrance to the rented premises, together with information that the housing is supervised by the Ministry.
There are also requirements for housing comparable to hotel standards, such as:
– A limit on the number of guests. Capacity is calculated on the basis of up to 2 people per room. Even if there are more rooms meeting these conditions, no more than 12 people may stay in one dwelling, excluding children under three years of age.
– The owner’s responsibility for cleaning before new tenants arrive, pest control and guest registration.
– The apartment must contain at least the essentials: hot and cold water, a kitchen, a living area, a smoke detector, a bathroom, a bed with bed linen, blankets, bedspreads, towels and so on.
– An evacuation plan indicating the escape staircase must be displayed on the door.
Residences (high-quality housing): residential complexes with more than one building block that meet minimum housing conditions and provide reception, security, daily cleaning, dry cleaning, laundry, transport, catering services and shops, medical services, a gym and a swimming pool.
If more than one application is submitted on behalf of the same individual or legal entity for several dwellings in the same complex, building or residence, one licence certificate is issued; however, a separate plaque is issued for each dwelling.
If all dwellings in a residence are rented out by the Housing Management, a single licence certificate and plaque are issued in the name of the Housing Management.
Let us see how things work out in practice.
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