Mediation failing to resolve landlord-tenant disputes
Gülistan Alagöz-ISTANBUL
Nearly half of landlords and tenants in Türkiye have failed to settle their disputes through the mediation scheme.
The mediation arrangement aimed at helping landlords and occupants find a midway solution took effect at the start of September and many people rushed to apply to benefit from it.
The government introduced the scheme when courts were overwhelmed by cases filed by property owners and tenants.
According to the new regulation, before going to court, the parties should first exhaust the mediation option.
Over the past five weeks since the scheme began, only 55 percent of landlords and tenants reached an agreement through mediation.
There are several reasons why the mediation scheme fails, according to experts.
For one, tenants do not want to evacuate the apartment because they fear they will not be able to find an affordable new home, the experts said.
“There is a huge gap between the rent the landlords are asking and the tenants are willing to pay. So, negotiations between the parties collapse.”
Tenants are aware that if landlords go to court after the mediation fails to yield any results, such court cases will take around three years, they noted. “Tenants want to take advantage of this.”
The number of applications for mediation since Sept. 1 has reached 30,000, according to the figures provided by Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç.
Representatives from the real estate industry pointed to some deeper problems and said those issues should be addressed first to overcome the disputes arising from high rents.
Home supply should be increased, they said.
“The homeownership rate has been on the decline, which means a stronger demand for rental residential properties. More homes should be built for low- and medium-income groups and loans at favorable conditions should be offered,” they said.
