Istanbul’s districts: Şişli, Beşiktaş, Beyoğlu and Sarıyer at a glance.

01

Why these four together

Şişli, Beşiktaş, Beyoğlu and Sarıyer are four districts on Istanbul’s European side running parallel to the Bosphorus, intertwined with business centres and universities. What they share: proximity to the metro and Bosphorus transport, high tenant mobility, a notable share of foreign and corporate tenants, and old apartment stock standing next to new residences. Investment housing concentrates along this line; tenant turnover is frequent. The same principles hold for Istanbul’s other 35 districts; these four were chosen as examples.

This guide gives no rent figures. Rent differs greatly between two streets in the same district, and between two buildings on the same street; a current range can only be given after seeing the property.

02

At a glance

The four districts’ clear differences for letting; detail in each district’s own guide:

03

Three rules that apply in all four

• —In an old building, check the title type — condominium ownership (kat mülkiyeti), construction servitude (kat irtifakı) or shared title (hisseli tapu) — and the DASK policy before letting; utility transfer and the lease depend on them.
• —In a new complex, write the amount and scope of the dues into the lease; in law the duty to contribute to common expenses is the unit owner’s (Law No. 634, Art. 20). Even where the lease places ordinary dues on the tenant, management may pursue the owner, and the tenant’s joint liability is capped at the rent they owe (Art. 22/1).
• —Where tenant turnover is frequent, the move-in and move-out inventory is redone every time; it is the only basis for a deposit set-off.