Aidat in Turkey - what is it?

When purchasing apartments in the Republic of Turkey, it is important to take into account not only their cost and the costs of completing the purchase and sale transaction, but also the constant maintenance costs. In particular, every owner should understand what aidat is in Turkey.

Aydat in Turkey is a regular payment that is collected from tenants and owners of apartments located within a residential complex for the maintenance of internal infrastructure.

Aydat is a key cost for Turkish property owners. In Turkish, the word aidat is written as “aidat”, and literally means “contribution” or “collection”.

In housing complexes in Turkey, in most cases, developers provide all the amenities for a comfortable stay for homeowners. They may include recreation areas, playgrounds, fitness rooms, both outdoor and indoor swimming pools, Turkish baths, parking, tennis courts, SPA and much more.

What is included in the aidat

There are two types of aidat in Turkey:

• Fixed. This is a certain exact amount accrued monthly to cover the current costs of maintaining the residential complex.
• Target. This kind of aidat has its own definition in Turkish - Demirbas Aidati. It occurs only if any unforeseen repair work needs to be carried out in the house, new technical equipment needs to be installed, utility lines need to be repaired, etc.

Please note that different bank accounts are used to make payments for monthly and target dates.

What is included in Turkish aidat?

The amount of aidat includes the provision and maintenance of such a variety of infrastructure requires the involvement of the services of specialized maintenance personnel.

The most expensive items in the monthly payment for the maintenance of residential complexes are considered to be the salaries of workers involved in security, administration, and care of the local area. In particular, literally every modern Turkish apartment building has a concierge or gatekeeper (kapici), as well as a cleaner and gardener.

We will pay special attention to the position of concierge. In the Republic of Turkey, this is a very respected job of the complex manager, to whom all the most important information flows and the solution of various service issues depends.

Kapici often hires maintenance staff, provides up-to-date utility billing information, conducts resident meetings, and takes on other tasks. In small residential complexes, the gatekeeper can keep order on the territory, independently clean entrances and take out garbage, and care for green spaces. As a rule, the concierge is provided with a separate apartment for living on the ground floor, the rent of which is paid by all owners.

In addition to the costs of salaries of the main service personnel, homeowners make monthly payments for:

• cleaning the area around the house, entrances, lobby, fitness room, that is, all public areas;
• watering and mowing the lawn, maintaining landscape landscaping;
• professional pool cleaning;
• electricity for lighting the local area and entrances, as well as for water for irrigation and swimming pool;
• purchase of household chemicals and various consumables;
• maintenance of utilities, etc.

Residents have the right to adjust the list of services, and therefore the amount of the monthly payment.

How is the aidat amount calculated?

In Turkey, the owners of apartments within a residential complex are directly involved in resolving issues related to the maintenance of common areas. For this purpose, meetings of residents are held regularly - once or twice a year or as needed. Owners are warned in advance about the meeting. Information about the meeting is posted on the notice board in the lobby, and is also communicated by personal letter by e-mail.

To manage the house, an elected chairman from among the active homeowners is appointed, or a management company and manager are hired. If the house is small, then all maintenance tasks are solved by kapydzhi. In large residential complexes, as a rule, maintenance issues are delegated to a service company, to whose account the owners’ money is transferred.

How is the aidat amount calculated?

The legislation of the Republic of Turkey provides for the Condominium Law, according to which the amount of regular maintenance payments is established only at a formal meeting of homeowners.

The amount depends on several factors, such as:

• residential complex level;
• range of services provided.

That is, the higher the status of the residential complex and the more extensive its internal infrastructure, the more expensive the idat. Residents at the meeting determine what services they want to use and what they are willing to refuse, thereby adjusting the cost of the aidat.

A roll call vote is taken for each item. If at the first meeting all decisions were not made due to the absence of more than half of the owners, then the issues are transferred to the second meeting. The second time, a quorum of residents is not required, and all decisions will be made regardless of the number of homeowners present, which is recorded in the minutes.

Once a decision has been made on the scope of services provided, a representative of the service company prepares an invoice for the owners. The amount indicated in the invoice is divided equally by the number of apartments purchased within the residential complex. In addition, the size of the payment does not depend on the number of residents and square footage of the apartments.

At the end of the year, the manager reports on financial expenses: where and how much money was spent.

How much does idat cost?

The cost of the aidat depends on the status of the residential complex and the size of the internal infrastructure. Owners of Turkish apartments pay an average of $50–300 monthly.

For this amount, each apartment owner has the right to use all the amenities in the residential complex without making any additional payments.

How and who pays idat

Aidat is paid by each owner of an apartment in a residential complex. Including those owners who do not currently live in their apartments. If the property is rented, then these monthly costs fall on the shoulders of the tenants.

Aidat is paid every month, or the amount can be paid in advance - several months/six months/year.

You can pay for the maintenance of the residential complex in two ways:

• In cash. The required amount is transferred against receipt to the manager of the service company. Sometimes, by agreement with the residents, the payment is transferred to the kapydzhi, who in return must give receipts for payment of the aidat.
• By bank payment. The safest way to pay aidat in Turkey is directly to the details of the management company. Important condition: indication of the purpose of the money transfer, written in Turkish or English. In addition, you should not forget about the payer’s house address and apartment number.

What happens if you don’t pay idat

According to Turkish laws, at the initial stage the manager charges homeowners a penalty and a fine of 5% of the debt amount.

Against persistent defaulters whose debt has exceeded several months, a complaint is filed in court. By a court decision, the owner is obliged to pay the entire debt. If he does not do this within the period established by law, then the real estate may be forced to be sold. The profit received goes to pay off the debt for servicing the residential complex.

In addition, if you do not pay the aidat, the functioning of the infrastructure of the residential complex is disrupted. Since without wages, the work of all personnel will cease - from the manager and security guards to the cleaners. In a short time, all public facilities will become unusable, and the surrounding area will look abandoned.

If you are planning to purchase an apartment in Turkey, we recommend taking into account the cost of monthly expenses in advance, even at the stage of choosing an object. By collaborating with the licensed company Altop Real Estate, you are guaranteed to receive objective information about the conditions of maintenance of the property you like from our specialists. We will help you choose exactly the option that will satisfy you in all respects, be it layout, quality of construction or the amount of utility bills. Contact us! We are available 24/7.