The law, which makes it mandatory to obtain a permit from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to rent residences for tourism purposes, was published in the Official Gazette.
All eyes turned to the regulation regulating how the law will be implemented. While it is stated that the regulation will come into force in November, those who have rented unregistered daily houses so far have panicked.
To apply for a document, people who want to rent their house must get approval from all flat owners living in the apartment block. It was learned that some people bought expensive gifts to persuade their neighbours or offered to pay the common expenses of the apartment alone.
Comment on the Process from Didim Tourism Association
Semih Erdem, a member of the Didim Tourism Association and also a hotel manager, confirms that people are in a panic mood and said, “With the law coming into force, we observed that those who had previously rented their homes unregistered are worried.
“Some describe obtaining approval from all flat owners as a difficult condition. However, the residents of the apartments are concerned about their security.
“It is understandable to hear that.
“Families may be concerned if it is not clear who rented a house in the building and for what purpose it is used.”
Semih Erdem, A member of the Didim Tourism Association
Erdem said that the daily house rental business contributes to tourism in the region and said, “I have previously mentioned in our meeting about the Airbnb news, that the structure of tourists coming to hotels and those renting houses is different and they both contribute to the region. However, in addition to the security reason I mentioned above, there is also the aspect of tax evasion. People who rent houses outside and do not pay taxes need to be prevented.”
Finally, Erdem said that we will see together how the regulation will be implemented and added, “It is important to strike a balance that will protect the property owner’s right to rent a house but also consider the peace of those living in the same apartment.”
Turkey sees 128 pct surge in house rents in one year
While the average house prices in Turkey increased by 103 percent in October compared to the same period last year, rental prices surged by 128 percent.
Rental prices in Turkey experienced a staggering 127.9% increase in October compared to the same period last year, according to real estate valuation firm Endeksa.
The rise was particularly pronounced in major cities. Istanbul saw a 91% surge in rental prices, while Aegean İzmir experienced a 131% increase, and the capital Ankara recorded a 178% hike.
The average rent for a 100 m2 house in Istanbul has reached 17,111 Turkish liras ($594). In other words, a minimum wage employee earning 11,402 liras can only cover 67 percent of the house rent with their salary. The same rate is 82 percent in Ankara and 75 percent in İzmir.
Housing sales fell by 8.7 percent in October compared to the same month of the previous year, according to reporting of Esra Toptaş from Habertürk. Despite this decrease, the average house prices in Turkey increased by 103 percent in one year.
Istanbul witnessed an 89.6 percent surge in house prices, while Ankara and İzmir experienced notable 121.1 and 98 percent increases respectively. Similarly, house prices in southern tourist destination Antalya rose by 91 percent, southeastern Adana by 74.7 percent, Aegean Muğla by 110 percent, and northern Trabzon by 99.3 percent.
The average price for houses with similar features in Istanbul stands at 4.2 million liras, with a square meter costing around 35,500 liras as of 2023.