Over 22,000 short-term rental permits issued amid rising demand

ISTANBUL

The number of "Residential Properties with Tourism Rental Permits," introduced to prevent price increases following the rise in daily home rentals, has reached 22,939 in the real estate and tourism sectors.

The western province of Muğla has the highest number of permitted tourism rentals in Türkiye, with 6,573 properties registered for tourism purposes, according to data from the Culture and Tourism Ministry.

It is followed by Antalya with 4,899 houses, Istanbul with 2,250, and İzmir with 1,959, respectively.

As vacationers seek to reduce holiday expenses, many are shifting from all-inclusive luxury resorts to daily rental homes, leading to a rise in the number of properties available for short-term rental in Türkiye.

This trend, fueled by online trading platforms and popular rental apps, has provided numerous homeowners, with additional income opportunities. However, the expectation of high profits has negatively impacted the real estate sector, resulting in increased rental prices and disputes between landlords and tenants, as well as housing shortages.

In response to these challenges and to regulate short-term rentals, the Culture and Tourism Ministry implemented the rental permit regulation on Jan. 1, 2024.

Since then, homeowners must obtain a permit for tourism-related rentals. The legislation allows property owners with a "Tourism Rental Permit" to lease their homes to domestic or foreign guests for up to 100 days at a time. Landlords renting out properties without permits face significant fines, with penalties of 100,000 Turkish Liras imposed per unlicensed rental and 500,000 liras for continued violations.