The short answer: owning a home in Istanbul costs less in tax than most buyers expect, and more in building fees. The property tax is 0.2% a year of the home's registered tax value, which is usually far below its price. Earthquake insurance (DASK) is compulsory and renewed every year: up to about 3,500 TL for a 100 m² concrete flat. The cleaning tax comes with the water bill at 4 TL per cubic metre. The largest cost is usually the monthly building fee (aidat), set by each building: district averages ran from 645 TL to 13,134 TL a month in late 2025. Utility bills come on top.
At a glance
| Cost | Who sets it | When you pay | 2026 figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property tax | The law, on the tax value | March to May, and November | 0.2% of the tax value |
| Building fee (aidat) | The owners' meeting | Every month | 645 to 13,134 TL a month (district averages, 2025) |
| Earthquake insurance (DASK) | A state tariff | Once a year | 897 to 3,465 TL for 100 m² of concrete |
| Cleaning tax | The law | With each water bill | 4 TL per m³ of water |
| Water, gas, electricity | The utility companies | Every month | As you use them |
Property tax
The annual property tax (emlak vergisi) is 0.2% of the home's registered tax value in Istanbul. You pay it to the district municipality in two equal instalments: the first between March and May, the second in November. You can pay at the municipality or, in many districts, online with your tax number. A late payment adds a surcharge, currently 3.7% a month.
The year you buy. The seller pays that year's tax and you pay from the next 1 January. A change of owner must be declared to the municipality by the end of the year, or within three months if you buy between October and December.
From 2027 the tax values rise each year by the official revaluation rate, so expect the bill to rise with them. A home with a tax value above 17,711,000 TL can also owe the valuable housing tax, unless it is your only home. Our property tax guide has the rates and the 2026 changes.
The building fee (aidat)
Every apartment building and complex charges a monthly fee for its shared costs: cleaning, lighting, lifts, the caretaker, security, gardens and pools, and the manager. Under the Condominium Law No. 634:
- The owners' meeting approves the yearly budget. Until it does, the manager runs a provisional one, and since May 2026 that cannot rise by more than the official revaluation rate of the year before.
- Staff costs are shared equally. The caretaker, security, the gardener and the boiler operator cost every unit the same. Other costs go by each unit's share of the land, unless the management plan says otherwise.
- Late payment costs 5% a month. A tenant is liable alongside you, up to the rent, and an unpaid debt can become a legal mortgage on your unit.
What you pay depends more on the building than on the district. A December 2025 survey by the Professional Facility Managers Association (PTYD), covering more than 21,000 complexes, found monthly averages of 13,134 TL in Beşiktaş, 11,214 TL in Sarıyer, 9,024 TL in Şişli and 645 TL in Adalar. A complex with a pool, a gym and round-the-clock security costs much more than an ordinary apartment block. Before you buy, ask for the last year's fees and the management plan (yönetim planı), which can also rule out short lets or pets.
Earthquake insurance (DASK)
Compulsory earthquake insurance covers the building for one year and must be renewed every year. The premium depends on the size, the type of structure (a concrete or steel frame, or anything else) and the risk group of the address, one of seven. For a 100 m² concrete flat with a policy starting in November 2026:
- the cover is 1,228,800 TL (12,288 TL per m², up to a maximum of 2,605,100 TL);
- the premium is between 897 TL in the lowest risk group and 3,465 TL in the highest.
The figures rise every month in line with producer prices. A valid policy is checked when the title is transferred and when you open water and electricity accounts. Since 5 September 2026 the seller's policy ends on the day of the sale, so you need one in your own name. Going without costs no fine, but DASK pays only policyholders. It does not cover your furniture or damage beyond its limit; optional home insurance can.
Cleaning tax
The environmental cleaning tax (çevre temizlik vergisi) pays for rubbish collection. For homes in Istanbul it is 4 TL per cubic metre of water in 2026, added to the İSKİ water bill. It is paid by whoever lives in the home, so a tenant pays it. At 10 m³ a month, that is 480 TL a year.
Water, gas and electricity
- Water: İSKİ. Gas: İGDAŞ. Electricity: CK Boğaziçi on the European side, Enerjisa on the Asian side.
- Open each account in your own name, with your title deed, passport and tax number. Foreigners apply in person at İSKİ and İGDAŞ offices.
- Water and electricity need your DASK policy.
- Each company takes a one-off deposit: in 2026, 1,965.60 TL for water and 4,097 TL for gas with a combi boiler.
An example year
A 100 m² flat in a concrete building in Şişli, with a registered tax value of 4,000,000 TL, lived in by its owner:
| Cost | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Property tax, 0.2% | 8,000 TL |
| Earthquake insurance, highest risk group | 3,465 TL |
| Cleaning tax, 10 m³ of water a month | 480 TL |
| Building fee, 9,000 TL a month | 108,000 TL |
| Total, before bills | about 120,000 TL |
The building fee is nine tenths of it, which is why it is worth checking before you choose a building.
If you rent it out or live abroad
- Renting out. The tenant normally pays the bills, the cleaning tax and the monthly building fee; the property tax and DASK stay with you. Write it into the contract. Rent is taxed in Turkey: see our guide to renting out property.
- Paying from abroad. Pay the property tax online, renew DASK online or through any insurer, or have a local manager do both with a power of attorney limited to running the home.
- Residence permit. If your home gives you a permit, add the cost of each renewal: a 964 TL card fee, a permit fee that depends on your nationality, and health insurance. See our residence permit guide.
Related guides
- Property Taxes in Turkey: every tax from buying to selling
- Renting Out Property in Turkey: tenants, short lets and tax on rent
- Residence Permit Through Real Estate: the rules for a home you live in
- Buying Property in Turkey: the steps of a purchase
Sources
- Property Tax Law No. 1319 (opens an external site): articles 8, 9, 23, 30 and 33
- Condominium Law No. 634 (opens an external site): articles 20, 22 and 37, as amended by Law No. 7579 in May 2026
- DASK: tariff and premiums (opens an external site)
- Law No. 6305 on Disaster Insurance (opens an external site): articles 10 and 11
- Official Gazette, 21 August 2026: the seller's DASK policy ends on the sale (opens an external site)
- Official Gazette, 31 December 2025: the 2026 cleaning tax amounts (opens an external site)
- Official Gazette, 13 November 2025: the late payment surcharge set at 3.7% (opens an external site)
- CNN Türk: PTYD's 2025 building fee survey (opens an external site)
- İSKİ: subscriptions for foreign nationals (opens an external site)
- İGDAŞ: subscription contract and deposits (opens an external site)
- Presidency of Migration Management: card fee and permit fees (opens an external site)
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. It reflects the rules and amounts as of November 2026, and most amounts change every year.
Frequently asked questions
5 questions foreign buyers ask us most, grouped by topic.
The basics
How much does it cost each year to own an apartment in Istanbul?
Mostly the building fee. The property tax is 0.2% of the registered tax value, compulsory earthquake insurance is up to about 3,500 TL for a 100 m² flat, and the cleaning tax is a few hundred lira. For a 100 m² flat in Şişli that comes to about 120,000 TL in 2026 before bills, nine tenths of it the building fee.
How much is the building fee (aidat) in Istanbul?
Each building sets its own. A 2025 survey of more than 21,000 complexes found district averages from 645 TL a month in Adalar to 13,134 TL in Beşiktaş. Ask for the last year's figures and the management plan before you buy.
Taxes
When do I pay the property tax?
In two equal instalments, the first between March and May and the second in November, to the district municipality. Late payment adds 3.7% a month. In the year you buy, the seller pays; you pay from the next 1 January.
Insurance
Is earthquake insurance compulsory in Turkey?
Yes. The DASK policy runs for one year and is renewed every year. It is checked at the title transfer and when you open water and electricity accounts. There is no fine without it, but no payout after an earthquake either.
Renting and living abroad
Who pays these costs if I rent the home out?
The tenant normally pays the bills, the cleaning tax and the monthly building fee. The property tax and the earthquake insurance stay with you as the owner. Write it into the tenancy contract.
