How do condominium fees (aidat) work in Türkiye in 2026?

Property Ownership Law No. 634 binds kat malikleri to the yönetim planı (building management plan) and to shared expenses. Unless owners agree otherwise, staffing costs for doormen, heating staff, gardeners and guards are split equally. Insurance, maintenance, reinforcement, manager pay and operating costs for common facilities usually follow each unit's arsa payı (land share). You cannot refuse aidat by saying you never use the lift, pool or parking.

Article 20 lets the manager or other owners pursue unpaid shares through lawsuit or enforcement. Late full payment triggers a statutory delay charge of five percent per month on the unpaid share. Article 22 also pulls in people who occupy the unit under a lease or similar right: they share joint liability with the owner, but a tenant's exposure is capped by the rent amount, and qualifying payments are deducted from rent. That is why unclear aidat wording in a lease is more than a private promise.

Ask for the current monthly aidat, any special assessment, the latest işletme projesi (operating budget) and recent meeting minutes before you sign or bid. Separate aidat from electricity, water, gas and internet when you compare homes; those household bills are covered in utilities, internet and transport.

A small Ankara walk-up may charge modest aidat for cleaning, lift service and a shared water boiler. A large Istanbul or Izmir site often bundles güvenlik, asansör (lift) contracts, landscaping, pools, generators and sometimes central ısıtma (heating). Compare total occupancy cost, not rent alone: a lower asking rent with a heavy compound fee is not a bargain. Confirm whether winter heating is in the aidat, billed by meter, or left to a kombi (individual gas boiler) inside the flat.

When you check rent levels across Turkish cities, treat published aidat as a live figure that can rise after a building meeting. Buyers planning ownership should read the same documents during due diligence alongside whether foreigners can buy property and property purchase costs. Unpaid aidat and delay charges can attach to the unit and complicate a sale or handover even when the previous owner promised a clean slate.