How rent increases work in Turkey in 2026

What is the rent increase rule in Turkey in 2026?

The ordinary rule for a Turkish residential lease renewal is in Article 344 of the Turkish Code of Obligations. The parties’ agreement for the renewed period is valid only up to the change in the Consumer Price Index’s twelve-month average for the previous rental year. This is a legal ceiling for the ordinary renewal calculation, not a promise that every property must rise by that amount.

The relevant number is commonly called the TÜFE 12-month average. It is not the one-month change, a property’s estate-agent asking price or a general claim about inflation. The renewal date, prior rent, contract wording and whether the lease has passed five years must be identified before doing the arithmetic.

How do I calculate a Turkey rent increase step by step?

Use this sequence for an ordinary Turkish-lira residential renewal:

1. Identify the renewal. Read the signed lease and establish the date on which its next rental year begins. Record the rent actually payable in the previous rental year, not a hoped-for market rent.
2. Find the applicable TÜİK percentage. Obtain the current twelve-month average CPI change for the relevant renewal period from the Turkish Statistical Institute. Save the publication and the date used.
3. Apply the formula. Maximum increase = previous monthly rent × CPI percentage ÷ 100. New monthly rent = previous monthly rent + maximum increase.
4. Check the contract and five-year status. A lower agreed amount may be possible. A five-year review, foreign-currency clause, court decision or special amendment can change the analysis.
5. Write the result down. Keep the calculation, the renewal date, the CPI publication, the signed addendum and the payment record together.

Worked example: a hypothetical rent-increase calculation

The following figures are deliberately hypothetical. They do not state the current 2026 TÜİK rate.

Item	Hypothetical amount
Previous monthly rent	TRY 20,000
Hypothetical twelve-month CPI average	30%
Increase: TRY 20,000 × 30%	TRY 6,000
Hypothetical new monthly rent	TRY 26,000

For a real renewal, replace 30% with the current TÜİK figure applicable to that renewal and check the exact prior rent. Round and state the amount consistently in the addendum. If the landlord’s calculation uses a different base, ask for the calculation in writing before accepting or disputing it.

Has the temporary 25% rent cap expired?

Law No. 7456 added a temporary residential rule for renewal periods from 2 July 2023 through 1 July 2024, including both dates. It validated agreements only up to 25% of the previous rent; where the twelve-month CPI change was lower, the lower change applied. That measure does not provide the ordinary rule for later renewal periods.

For a 2026 renewal, the ordinary Article 344 method applies unless a later amendment applies. Check the current legislation and the renewal date before relying on a social-media post, an old calculator or a clause copied from the temporary-cap period. The tenancy and eviction service can review the lease and written proposal for a landlord or tenant.

What changes after five years of a Turkish tenancy?

Article 344 treats a lease lasting more than five years, or renewed after five years, differently from a routine annual calculation. At the end of the five-year period and each later five-year period, a judge can determine the rent by considering:

• the twelve-month average CPI change;
• the condition of the rented property;
• comparable rental values; and
• fairness in the circumstances.

The court-set amount is not an automatic permission to demand any advertised figure. Evidence should identify comparable properties carefully, explain the property’s condition and show the complete rent and renewal history. After a five-year determination, later annual changes still follow the Article 344 principles until the next review point.

A landlord who sends a large increase just because five years have passed may still need the proper written and court route. A tenant who assumes that the annual CPI ceiling answers every five-year case may also miss an important distinction. Obtain advice before refusing payment, signing a new lease or filing a rent-determination claim.

What if the rent is in a foreign currency?

Article 344 states that when rent is agreed in foreign currency, the rent generally cannot be changed until five years have passed, subject to the Turkish Currency Protection Law and the hardship rule in Article 138. This is not the same as converting a lira rent at a preferred exchange rate each year.

After five years, the court considers the Article 344 factors and also takes changes in the foreign currency’s value into account. Check the original currency clause, payment currency, conversion records, five-year dates and any later written amendment. A foreign tenant or landlord should not assume that an exchange-rate movement alone settles the amount.

Can a landlord and tenant negotiate the increase?

Negotiation can produce a lower or otherwise lawful agreed amount for an ordinary renewal, but the result should be recorded. A short written addendum should identify the property, parties, renewal period, new monthly rent, due date, bank account and any agreed treatment of deposit or utilities. Keep the signed Turkish text and a translation for clarity.

A landlord should not describe an unagreed market price as automatically payable. A tenant should not rely on a verbal promise while paying a different amount without documenting the position. If discussions fail, keep messages civil and specific: ask for the legal calculation, identify the amount paid and avoid changing possession or payment arrangements without advice.

What should I do when a rent-increase dispute starts?

Begin with documents, not a guess about the correct percentage:

1. Keep the lease, amendments, title or authority information and previous rent receipts.
2. Ask the other party to state the renewal date, prior rent, percentage, calculation and proposed new amount in writing.
3. Compare the percentage with the current TÜİK twelve-month average and check whether the lease is at or beyond five years or uses a foreign currency.
4. Continue to preserve payment evidence and communications. Do not destroy a message because it is in Turkish; obtain a translation or explanation.
5. Establish whether the intended claim requires mandatory mediation before a court case.
6. If an enforcement document, notice or court paper arrives, record its service date and obtain advice on the response route.

Since 1 September 2023, most tenancy disputes must first pass through mandatory mediation before a court claim. The statutory rule has an exception for certain evictions pursued through non-judicial enforcement, so it is important to classify the claim rather than assume mediation is always required or always unnecessary. A failed mediation does not decide the rent question.

What are the common rent-increase mistakes?

Using the wrong index. The Article 344 rule refers to the twelve-month average CPI change, not whichever monthly inflation figure appears first in a search result.

Applying the old 25% cap forever. The temporary period ended with renewal periods through 1 July 2024. A 2026 calculation needs the ordinary rule unless a new amendment applies.

Ignoring the renewal date. The percentage and previous rent must be tied to the correct rental year. A message sent in a different month does not rewrite the lease date.

Treating market rent as the legal ceiling. Market evidence can matter in a five-year court review, but an advertisement does not itself set the ordinary annual increase.

Missing the five-year distinction. A routine annual calculation and a court’s rent determination are not interchangeable.

Relying on an oral agreement. Without a clear written record, parties may later disagree about the amount, date, currency or payment account.

Ignoring related short-term letting rules. A landlord who changes from a long-term tenancy to holiday accommodation should also read the holiday rental permit service. A purchase, title or co-ownership problem may require the property-law service instead of a rent calculation alone.

What should Fethiye landlords and tenants know?

The calculation is national, but the file is local. Fethiye’s justice organisation includes Sulh Hukuk and Asliye Hukuk courts and enforcement courts. Which court or office is competent depends on the claim, property, parties and procedure; a villa in Çalış, an apartment in Fethiye centre or a seasonal home in Göcek does not automatically use the same route.

Keep the property’s full address, district and neighbourhood details with the lease. Confirm the current mediator application route, enforcement office and court before filing. If the dispute also concerns a holiday-rental permit, building consent or change of use, separate those questions so a rent calculation is not treated as a complete licensing answer.

When should I ask a lawyer to review a rent increase?

Obtain legal help before signing a new lease or rejecting a demand where the tenancy is five years old, the rent is in foreign currency, the contract is bilingual or unclear, the increase is disputed, a written notice has arrived, or an enforcement or mediation file has started. Av. Seyfullah Yanatma can review the lease, calculation, correspondence and local procedural documents in English and Turkish within the agreed scope.

For landlord or tenant representation, continue to the tenancy and eviction service. For a property owner changing from long-term rent to short stays, read the holiday rental permit service. A transaction-specific question can be sent through the contact page.