Regulation to be introduced to control short-term rentals in Turkey

ISTANBUL

Realtors and homeowners renting their properties for a short-term without a contract will be penalized if they fail to register tenants’ information with the authorities and do not pay taxes, in a measure that is expected to prevent terror and prostitution-related crimes, daily Star reported on Oct. 19.  

According to a regulation drafted by the Customs and Trade Ministry, realtors and homeowners who fail to notify their temporary tenants’ information will be able to be prosecuted on terror-aiding charges. 

Under the current regulations, realtors and homeowners are able to rent their houses and apartments for a short amount of time, and even on a daily basis. These actions require no records or contracts for the renting party, but they bear the risk of facilitating illegal activities by terrorist organizations aiming to remain low profile while plotting attacks. 

In order to eliminate such opportunities for illegal groups, the new regulation requires all realtors and homeowners to collect information on short-term tenants and notify the authorities for each rental activity they carry out.    

A similar measure was introduced by Istanbul’s Fatih Municipality in the aftermath of the deadly June 28 Atatürk Airport attack by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), as the perpetrators were found to have rented an apartment for a short time in the district ahead of the attack. 

Fatih Mayor Mustafa Demir said his municipality took steps to combat the uncontrolled rental of apartments in 2015. 
“This is not only Fatih’s problem. Yes, terrorists have stayed in Fatih but they have also stayed in Pendik. They could have stayed in Taksim too. [We] conducted work in March 2015 and made a decision at our council:

Home pensions will only be made within the borders of Eminönü. This decision passed through the Metropolitan Municipality Council. It will be on the agenda of the Council of Monuments within a month,” Demir said in July 4.