Turkey: New era for Airbnb: Tourism Residence Permit Certificate

A new era has begun in Turkey regarding Airbnb and other short-term housing rental platforms. With Law No. 7464 on Renting of Residential Properties for Tourism Purposes and Amendments to Certain Laws, which came into effect on 1 January 2024, it has become mandatory for those who wish to rent a house for less than 100 days to obtain the so-called "Tourism Residence Permit Certificate" from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism before entering into a rental agreement.

CONDITIONS FOR OBTAINING THE PERMIT

To obtain a tourism residence permit certificate, the following conditions must be met:

- The applicant must be the owner of the property to be rented,

- The applicant must have the unanimous consent of all unit owners in the building in which the property to be rented is located,

- The property to be rented must be suitable for tourism purposes.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR THE PERMIT APPLICATION

- Application form,

- Copy of the title deed,

- A document showing the unanimous consent of all the unit owners in the building where the property to be rented is located,

- Documents showing that the fire, electricity, water, sewerage, and structural safety of the property to be rented is adequate,

- Documents showing that the property to be rented is regularly cleaned and maintained.

HOW DO I APPLY FOR A PERMIT?

An application for a tourism residence permit certificate can be made online via the Ministry of Culture and Tourism website or in person at the Ministry.

PERMIT APPLICATION PROCESS

The application will be evaluated by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and finalised within 3 months from the date of application. If the application is approved, the applicant will be issued with a Tourism Residence Permit Certificate.

PERMIT FEE

The fee for the Tourism Residence Permit is set by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and applies from the date of application.

FINES FOR LETTING WITHOUT A PERMIT

Anyone who rents out a property for touristic purposes without a permit will be fined 100,000 TRY for each property rented and will be given 15 days to obtain a permit. At the end of the 15-day period, those who continue their touristic rental activities without a permit will be fined 500,000 TRY and given another 15 days to obtain a permit and continue their activities. The administrative fine to be imposed on those who continue their activities without a permit at the end of this period will be 1 million Turkish Liras.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REGULATION

The requirement for a tourism residence permit certificate came into force on 1 January 2024. However, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism must make the necessary preparations for the implementation of the regulation.

The requirement for a tourism residence permit certificate is a positive development, as it will reduce the informality of Airbnb and other similar platforms and increase tax revenues. In addition, regulating rental activity will create a safer environment for consumers. However, it is not yet clear how this regulation will affect rental prices. At this point, the implementation of the regulation will be crucial.

Autor: Emre Kurt
Autor: Müge Şengönül