Maintenance fees in Istanbul are rivaling rents! They have reached eye-watering levels

Apartment and residential complex maintenance fees in Istanbul are burning pockets. While the lowest fees start at 1 thousand 100 liras, this figure rises to as high as 65 thousand liras in luxury complexes. This astronomical increase in housing expenses is forcing citizens to move.

While maintenance fee increases across the city average 50 percent, they have risen by up to 100 percent in some regions.

According to Consumer Confederation President Lawyer İbrahim Güllü, the average maintenance fee in Istanbul is around 2 thousand 400 liras. Maintenance fees, which vary by district, are at 5 thousand 750 liras in Beşiktaş, 4 thousand 800 liras in Şişli, 4 thousand 400 liras in Kadıköy, 1 thousand 100 liras in Çatalca, and an average of 1 thousand 250 liras in districts such as Silivri, Sultangazi, and Arnavutköy.

IN SOME REGIONS, IT HAS RISEN TO AS HIGH AS 65 THOUSAND TL

In regions such as Beykoz and Beşiktaş, where villa complexes are concentrated, maintenance fees have reached eye-watering levels, rising to as high as 65 thousand liras.

While rent or sale prices were previously taken into account when determining the value of a home, the maintenance fee has now become one of the most important criteria. Some landlords even see high maintenance fees as an opportunity to evict their tenants.

So, what can be done against exorbitant maintenance fee increases? Lawyer Güllü stated that high maintenance fee decisions can be challenged and offered the following suggestion: “If one wishes to object to the maintenance fees determined at apartment or complex meetings, this objection must be notified in writing and annotated in the meeting minutes.”