Parliament has passed a new law introducing stricter regulations on apartment and residential complex maintenance fees, aiming to prevent arbitrary increases in dues while expanding oversight of property management practices. The regulation was approved on Thursday and will take effect after publication in the Official Gazette.
The new regulation introduces changes to the responsibilities of residential complex managers, the approval process for operating budgets and the determination of maintenance fees and advance payments collected from residents.
Under the law, property managers will be responsible for the general administration and maintenance of residential complexes, including repairs, cleaning services, elevator and heating system operations, air conditioning systems and insurance procedures. Managers will also oversee the collection of advance payments from property owners until operating budgets are formally approved.
One of the key provisions is aimed at preventing excessive or arbitrary fee increases. Advance payment amounts collected by managers must now receive approval from the condominium owners’ assembly, while operating budgets will also need to be approved during general assembly meetings.
If no approved operating budget exists, managers will be required to prepare a temporary operating plan and submit it to property owners without delay. The temporary plan must then be approved or amended by the condominium owners’ assembly within three months.
The law also sets limits on how operating budget amounts can increase. If an existing operating budget remains in force, adjustments in temporary budgets cannot exceed the annual revaluation rate applied for the previous year.
New rules were also introduced for changing residential management plans. Amendments will require the approval of at least two-thirds of the independent units represented on the collective building representatives’ board. Any provisions in current management plans that contradict the new legislation will no longer be enforceable.
The regulation comes amid growing public complaints in recent years over sharply rising maintenance fees in large residential complexes and apartment sites across Türkiye, particularly in major cities such as Istanbul and Ankara.
