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In Türkiye’s major cities, particularly Istanbul, average monthly rent is nearing ₺30,000 (around $740), while in Anatolian cities they are around ₺20,000 to ₺22,000.
Tenants who rented their homes before 2020 continue to pay much lower amounts, giving them a significant advantage. However, this situation is causing growing frustration among landlords, leading to a noticeable rise in rent determination lawsuits.
Across the country, rental housing prices have risen sharply since the last quarter of 2020. Post-pandemic market changes, rising construction costs, and a decline in housing supply have driven rents to unprecedented levels.
Tenants who rented before this period remain subject only to annual legal increases. For example, a tenant paying ₺5,000 in 2020 may now be paying around ₺12,000 to ₺15,000, while the same property could be rented for up to ₺30,000 if it were vacant.
Under the Turkish Code of Obligations, when a rental contract reaches five years, a landlord who cannot agree with the tenant on a new price can file a rent determination lawsuit.
Lawyer Selin Akiner said the process has now reached the legal stage for many landlords and tenants. “Courts ensure that the current rent is redefined according to market conditions.
The timing is critical; if the case is not filed before the start of the new rental period, the decision applies to the following year,” she said.
Courts have seen a significant increase in such cases, especially in major cities, affecting both tenants and landlords. Case durations are reported to range between six and eight months. Experts are calling on both sides to carefully follow the legal process to protect their rights.
Real estate consultant Mehmet Celik said landlords increasingly believe that using only the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for rent increases is insufficient.
“In the past, we were mostly concerned with renting vacant apartments. Now, we are being asked for comparable court case files and detailed analyses of regional market values for apartments with sitting tenants. Landlords no longer focus only on finding new tenants; they also want to update rent for existing tenants according to current market conditions. For contracts older than five years, it is a legal process for the court to set a new rent based on market value. As awareness grows, both landlords and tenants have started to act more carefully,” he said.
Celik added that high rent is also prompting action from tenants. “Especially those living in central districts are moving to the outskirts of cities to find more affordable housing,” he said.
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