For a decade, short-let operation in Turkey sat in a grey zone. You could operate an Airbnb from a residential apartment with essentially no licensing friction. The 2024 Tourism Residence Law ("Konut Tipi Turizm İşletmeleri" law) closed the gap.
Key changes in force from January 2024, tightened further in 2025:
1. Permit required. Short-let properties (rented out for less than 100 days per tenant) must obtain a "short-term rental permit" from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
2. HOA consent required. For apartments in a multi-unit building, the HOA ("Apartman Yönetimi" or "Site Yönetimi") must unanimously approve short-let use. This is the killer rule — most Istanbul apartment buildings now vote against.
3. Cap on properties per owner. Individual owners are limited to a small number of permitted short-lets (specifics vary by municipality). Large operators must incorporate and use the commercial tourism-operator licence.
4. Tax declaration. Short-let income is now explicitly treated as commercial rental and taxed accordingly — higher rate than standard residential rent.
Who's affected most: Istanbul operators with small portfolios who relied on residential-zoned apartments. Many have converted to long-let or sold.
Who's less affected: coastal holiday rental areas (Antalya, Bodrum, Fethiye) where purpose-built tourism residence complexes already hold commercial licensing and HOAs are friendly to short-let. These complexes have seen rental premiums as Istanbul short-let supply collapsed.
Practical takeaway: if your Turkey investment thesis depends on short-let income, buy in a purpose-built tourism complex with existing licensing. Residential-zone short-let is no longer a viable default in 2026.