The short answer: yes, a foreign owner can rent out a home in Istanbul, and a long-term tenant needs no permit. The tenancy follows the Turkish Code of Obligations, which favours the tenant: rent rises are capped at renewal, and you cannot end a tenancy just because its term is over. Letting a home for 100 days or less is a different business. It needs a permit from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the permit needs the agreement of every owner in your building. Either way, the rent is taxed in Turkey and paid through a bank.
At a glance
| Long-term tenant | Stays of 100 days or less | |
|---|---|---|
| Permit | None | From the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, before the first guest |
| Your neighbours | No say | A notarised, unanimous decision of all owners in the building |
| Rent | Rises capped at renewal | Set freely |
| Ending it | Only on grounds the law lists | Each stay ends on its agreed date |
| Tax | Rental income tax, declared each March | Usually treated as a business, with VAT |
Renting to a long-term tenant
The contract. Put it in writing, in Turkish or in Turkish and English side by side. Write down the rent, the deposit, the term (usually one year), the payment day and who pays the monthly building fee (aidat); tenants usually do. A contract can also be signed on e-Devlet, the state portal; for now, that is optional.
The deposit can be at most three months' rent. The law has the tenant put a cash deposit into a bank savings account that cannot be withdrawn without your consent.
Rent rises. When the tenancy renews, the rise is capped at the 12-month average change in consumer prices, which TÜİK publishes each month. The temporary 25% cap on homes ended in July 2024. After five years, either side can ask a court to set a new rent, taking rents for similar homes into account.
Ending a tenancy. The tenant can leave at the end of the term by giving written notice at least 15 days before. Otherwise the contract renews for another year on the same terms. You cannot end it because the term is over. The law lets you end it, through a court or the enforcement office, when:
- you, your spouse, your children or your parents need the home to live in;
- the building needs major works that make living in it impossible;
- the tenant promised in writing, after moving in, to leave on a date and did not;
- you had to send two justified written warnings for late rent in one rental year; or
- the rent is still unpaid 30 days after a written notice.
After ten years of renewals, you can end it without a reason by giving notice at least three months before the end of a rental year. Since September 2023, most rent disputes must go to a mediator before they can reach a court.
Payment through a bank. Every rent payment must go through a bank or the post office, whatever the amount. Cash rent can be fined for both landlord and tenant, and bank records are how the tax office finds undeclared rent.
Currency. When you and your tenant both live in Turkey, the rent is set in Turkish lira. The exceptions are narrow, so agree on lira unless a lawyer confirms one applies to you.
Short-term and holiday lets
Since 1 January 2024, renting out a home for 100 days or less at a time, for any purpose, falls under Law No. 7464. The permit (izin belgesi) must be in place before the first stay is agreed. What it takes:
- Every owner in the building agrees. The application needs a notarised, unanimous decision of all the flat owners in your building. In a gated complex (site), only your own building votes.
- A limit per owner. In a building of more than three units, one owner can hold permits for at most a quarter of them. An owner who wants permits for more than five units in one building also needs a business licence.
- A home fit for guests: at least a bed, a bathroom, a living area and a kitchen, a fire extinguisher, smoke detectors in the rooms, and a card with the house rules and the way out. No more than 12 guests.
- An application on e-Devlet. The ministry's provincial office decides within 30 days, and a plaque from the ministry goes at the door.
- Duties after the permit: report each guest's identity to the police, as hotels do, pay the tourism share, and expect an inspection at least every two years.
Only the owner can hold the permit. A tenant who sublets for short stays is fined, and anyone who runs the bookings for you must be a licensed A-group travel agency.
Branded residences are the exception that matters most in Istanbul. A residence with a reception, security, daily cleaning and hotel-style services, whose management plan allows short-term letting, can get permits without the neighbours' vote and without the one-quarter limit.
Fines. Letting without a permit costs 100,000 TL per home under the law. Fines are raised every January, so in 2026 it is about 180,600 TL. Carry on after the 15 days you are given, and the fine is about 903,000 TL, then about 1.8 million TL (500,000 TL and 1,000,000 TL in the law). Booking platforms must take down a listing without a permit when the ministry asks.
Tax works differently from a tenancy. The Revenue Administration treats regular holiday letting as a business, with VAT and accommodation tax on top of income tax, and monthly returns. Have an accountant set it up before the first guest.
In practice, getting every owner in an Istanbul apartment building to agree is the hard part, and many complexes' management plans rule out short lets altogether. If your building will not agree, a long-term tenant is the legal route.
Tax on the rent
Rent from a long-term tenant is taxed in Turkey whether you live here or abroad. For 2026, the first 58,000 TL of home rent is tax-free, once per owner. You deduct 15% of the rest as a lump sum, or your actual costs with receipts, and pay 15% to 40% on what remains. You declare between 1 and 31 March 2027 and pay in two instalments, by 31 March and 31 July.
Our rental income tax calculator works out the tax and explains when the exemption is lost and the rules for owners abroad.
If your property gave you residency or citizenship
- Residence permit. A permit based on owning a home needs the home to be your residence. A home that is rented out does not qualify, and renting it out later puts the permit at risk. See our residence permit guide.
- Citizenship. You can rent out a property bought for Turkish citizenship. The note on the title deed stops you selling it for three years, not letting it.
Renting out from abroad
Most owners who live abroad use a local manager. Give them a power of attorney limited to renting: signing and ending tenancies and collecting the rent, with no power to sell or mortgage. Our power of attorney guide explains the form it must take. Have the rent paid into a bank account in your name, so every payment is on record.
Our property management service finds and checks tenants, collects the rent and looks after the home, and we can introduce you to an accountant for the tax return.
Related guides
- Rental Income Tax Calculator: the tax on your rent, worked out
- Property Taxes in Turkey: every tax from buying to selling
- Residence Permit Through Real Estate: the rules for a home you live in
- Power of Attorney in Turkey: acting in Turkey without travelling
Sources
- Law No. 7464 on renting homes for tourism (opens an external site)
- Regulation on renting homes for tourism, as amended (opens an external site)
- Turkish Code of Obligations No. 6098 (opens an external site): articles 315, 342, 344, 347, 350 and 352
- Revenue Administration (GİB): 2026 rental income guide (opens an external site)
- e-İkamet: required documents for a short-term residence permit (opens an external site)
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. It reflects the rules as of November 2026. Have a lawyer check your tenancy contract, and an accountant your tax return.
Frequently asked questions
6 questions foreign buyers ask us most, grouped by topic.
The basics
Can foreigners rent out property in Turkey?
Yes. A foreign owner can rent out a home in Turkey on the same terms as a Turkish owner. A long-term tenant needs no permit. Stays of 100 days or less need a permit from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Long-term tenants
How much can I raise the rent?
At renewal, by no more than the 12-month average change in consumer prices, which TÜİK publishes each month. After five years, either side can ask a court to set a new rent, taking rents for similar homes into account.
Can I ask the tenant to leave when the contract ends?
Not for that reason alone. The contract renews each year unless the tenant gives notice. You can end it only on grounds the law lists, such as needing the home for yourself or your family, or two justified written warnings for late rent in a year. After ten years of renewals you can end it with three months' notice and no reason.
Short-term lets
Can I rent out my Istanbul apartment on Airbnb?
Only with a permit from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which needs a notarised, unanimous decision of every owner in your building. Letting without one is fined per home, about 180,600 TL in 2026, and booking platforms must take such listings down when the ministry asks.
Tax and residency
Do I pay tax on rent if I live abroad?
Yes. Rent from a property in Turkey is taxed in Turkey wherever you live. For 2026 the first 58,000 TL of home rent is tax-free, and the rest is declared in March 2027.
Can I rent out a property I bought for a residence permit or citizenship?
A property bought for citizenship, yes; the note on the title deed only stops a sale for three years. A home that gives you a residence permit, no; it must be your own residence, and renting it out puts the permit at risk.
