Rent increase in Turkey 2026: legal cap and rent court case

For residential and covered commercial premises in Turkey, an agreed rent increase (kira artışı) for a renewed rental period may not exceed the change in the consumer price index (TÜFE) based on twelve-month averages over the previous rental year (Article 344(1) of the Turkish Code of Obligations No. 6098, TBK). The temporary 25 percent cap on residential rents ended on 1 July 2024; for periods renewed after that date the CPI cap applies again.

This article sets out the statutory framework: which rate counts, what happens without an agreement, how rent is reset after five years, and what to keep in mind if you live in Germany or the Netherlands and let or rent property in Turkey.

Rent increase in Turkey: which rule applies?

Under Article 344(1) TBK, agreements on the rent for renewed rental periods are valid only if they do not exceed the change in the CPI based on twelve-month averages in the previous rental year. The rule also applies to leases of more than one year.

The cap has been tied to the CPI since an amendment by Law No. 7161; before that, the article referred to the producer price index (ÜFE). According to the overview on mevzuat.gov.tr, the amendment applies from 1 January 2019.

The cap covers only residential and covered commercial premises. It does not apply where property that by its nature is meant for temporary use is let for six months or less (Article 339(1) TBK). For holiday lettings, see Short-term rental in Turkey: permit rules.

The law does not state a figure. The rate comes from the monthly CPI bulletin of TÜİK, the Turkish Statistical Institute. Check the current value in the official bulletin (data.tuik.gov.tr); news sites sometimes quote different numbers for the same month.

When did the 25 percent cap end?

Provisional Article 1 TBK, added by Law No. 7409 of 8 June 2022, capped increases on residential leases renewed up to 1 July 2023 at 25 percent of the previous year's rent. Provisional Article 2, added by Law No. 7456 of 14 July 2023, extended the same cap to periods renewed between 2 July 2023 and 1 July 2024 (both dates included).

Both provisions applied to residential leases only; commercial premises remained subject to the CPI cap throughout. The current TBK text on mevzuat.gov.tr (as of October 2026) contains no new temporary cap for the period after 1 July 2024. For residential leases renewed after 2 July 2024, the limit is therefore again the CPI rate under Article 344(1) TBK.

No increase clause in the lease: what then?

If the parties have not agreed on an increase, the tenant does not have to start paying more on their own. On the landlord's claim, the court sets the rent on an equitable basis, taking the condition of the property into account and again only up to the CPI rate (Article 344(2) TBK).

So the CPI rate caps the court as well. Within that cap, the court may also order a smaller increase in view of the property's condition.

If a tenant under a fixed-term lease does not give notice at least fifteen days before it expires, the lease is extended for one year on the same terms; the landlord cannot end it merely because the term has expired (Article 347(1) TBK). Leases therefore often run for many years, and the increase comes up again each year.

How is rent reset after five years?

For leases of more than five years, leases renewed after five years, and at the end of every further five-year period, the court sets the rent for the new rental year (Article 344(3) TBK). It looks at:

• the change in the CPI based on twelve-month averages,
• the condition of the property,
• comparable rents (emsal kira bedelleri).

Here the CPI rate is not a ceiling but one of the factors. Where rent has fallen well below market level after years of capped increases, comparable rents can lead to a larger rise. The rent set in this way then changes in later years under Article 344(1) and (2) again.

Rent determination case: timing and mediation

A case to determine the rent (kira tespit davası) can be filed at any time (Article 345(1) TBK). When the judgment binds the tenant depends on when it is filed:

1. If the case is filed at least thirty days before the new period starts, or the landlord has notified the tenant in writing of the increase within that time and files by the end of the following rental period, the rent set by the court applies from the start of the new period (Article 345(2) TBK).
2. If the lease contains a clause on increasing the rent for the new period, rent set in a case filed by the end of that period also applies from its start (Article 345(3) TBK).

The competent court is the civil court of peace (sulh hukuk mahkemesi, Article 4(1)(a) of the Code of Civil Procedure No. 6100). Mediation must come first: since 1 September 2023, applying to a mediator (arabuluculuk) is a precondition for court action in disputes arising from a lease, except eviction through enforcement without a judgment (Article 18/B of Law No. 6325 on Mediation in Civil Disputes).

Which month's rate counts?

The law refers to the "previous rental year" but does not say which TÜİK monthly figure is to be used.

This point is disputed. The following is an interpretation of the statutory text; there is no express provision on it in the law, and no binding court decision was verified for this article. In the author's assessment, the twelve-month average rate in the latest CPI bulletin published before the new rental period begins comes closest to the "previous rental year". Which monthly figure a court would use in a dispute is not certain.

Points for landlords and tenants living abroad

You let your flat in Turkey. The TBK does not require any particular form for a lease. A written lease with the start date and an increase clause still makes things easier to prove later. You can handle increase letters, mediation and court action through a representative in Turkey holding your power of attorney.

Rent agreed in euros? If the rent is agreed in a foreign currency, it may not be changed until five years have passed, subject to Law No. 1567 on the Protection of the Value of the Turkish Currency; Article 138 TBK on excessive hardship remains reserved (Article 344(4) TBK). After five years, paragraph 3 applies, also taking changes in the value of the foreign currency into account. Whether rent may be agreed in a foreign currency at all depends on the rules based on Law No. 1567; check the current rules before signing.

You rent in Turkey. If the increase demanded exceeds the twelve-month CPI rate, the law treats an increase agreement as valid only where it does not exceed that rate (Article 344(1) TBK). Keep the letters and payment records.

This article does not cover German or Dutch tenancy or tax law; for those, consult a lawyer or tax adviser authorised in that country. For other property matters, see Real estate law.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 25 percent rent cap still in force in Turkey in 2026?

No. It applied only to residential leases renewed up to 1 July 2024 (Provisional Articles 1 and 2 TBK). Since then, the cap is the twelve-month average CPI rate (Article 344(1) TBK).

Where can I find the current rent increase rate in Turkey?

In TÜİK's monthly Consumer Price Index bulletin, as the change "based on twelve-month averages" (on iki aylık ortalamalara göre).

Does the cap apply to commercial premises too?

Yes, covered commercial premises fall under Article 344 TBK. The 25 percent cap did not apply to them.

Can rent be raised freely after five years?

No. If the parties do not agree, the court sets the new rent based on the CPI rate, the condition of the property and comparable rents (Article 344(3) TBK). Mediation must be tried first (Article 18/B of Law No. 6325).

Sources

• Turkish Code of Obligations No. 6098 – mevzuat.gov.tr (Articles 138, 339, 344, 345, 347; Provisional Articles 1 and 2)
• Code of Civil Procedure No. 6100 – mevzuat.gov.tr (Article 4)
• Law No. 6325 on Mediation in Civil Disputes – mevzuat.gov.tr (Article 18/B)
• TÜİK data portal – Consumer Price Index

Questions about your case

If you would like to clarify for a lease in Turkey how much of an increase is allowed on renewal, or how a rent determination case with mediation works once five years have passed, you can book an online video, telephone or in-person meeting in Düsseldorf on the appointment page. To send a written question, use the contact form. Meetings are held in Turkish and cover only the Turkish law side of the matter (§ 206 BRAO); for German or Dutch law, please consult a lawyer authorised in that country. It helps to have the lease, the start date, the rents of recent years and any increase letters exchanged between the parties at hand.