How to Choose a Management Company?

Why You Need a Management Company in Turkey

Buying a property in Turkey is just the beginning. The real challenge for a foreign owner is competent management of the asset, especially if you live outside the country. A management company takes on the full service cycle: from cleaning common areas and paying utility bills to finding tenants and providing legal support. Without a reliable partner, the owner risks facing neglected housing, overdue payments, and even fines.

The legal basis for managing apartment buildings and residential complexes in Turkey is laid down in the Condominium Law (Kat Mülkiyeti Kanunu, Law No. 634). This law regulates relations between owners, the procedure for holding general meetings of residents, and the powers of the management company. Knowing the basic provisions of the law is a significant advantage for a foreigner when choosing a management company.

What Services a Management Company Provides

Before choosing, it's important to understand exactly what a management company should do. The standard package of services in Turkey includes:

• Maintenance and cleaning of common areas — entrances, corridors, elevators, staircases, lobby areas;
• Maintenance of the complex's infrastructure — swimming pools, saunas, hammams, fitness rooms, playgrounds, gardens, and parking lots;
• Security and video surveillance — round-the-clock security of the territory, access control;
• Technical maintenance — repair and prevention of engineering systems, elevators, generators, water supply;
• Payment of utility bills and taxes — electricity, water, gas, garbage collection, municipal tax;
• Rental management — finding tenants, signing contracts, monitoring payments, dispute resolution;
• Financial reporting — regular reports on expenses and income to the owners.

An important point: in new residential complexes during the first two years after commissioning, the developer construction company usually takes care of order. After this period, the owners at a general meeting have the right to choose a new management company or approve the current one.

Key Criteria for Choosing a Management Company

Reputation and Reviews

The first thing to start with is to study the reputation. Look for reviews from real property owners: on Russian-language forums, in Telegram chats, in Facebook groups dedicated to life in Turkey. Google the company name + "reviews" — both in Russian and in Turkish (şikayet — "complaint"). Please note: the absence of negativity sometimes indicates not impeccability, but the company's limited experience.

Transparency of Tariffs and Aidat

Aidat is a mandatory monthly fee for the maintenance and servicing of the residential complex. Its amount is set at the general meeting of residents and can range from 50 to 200 euros and above depending on the level of the complex, the number of services, and the region. Clarify with a potential management company:

• what exactly is included in the aidat and which services are paid additionally;
• how often the tariff is revised;
• is there a special assessment (demirbaş) for major needs, such as equipment replacement;
• what is the commission for renting out — in the Turkish market, it usually amounts to 10–20% of the monthly rent or a fixed annual payment.

Experience with Foreign Owners

For a foreign owner, it is critically important that the management company:

• has Russian-speaking or English-speaking staff on board;
• understands the nuances of obtaining a residence permit (ikamet) and citizenship through real estate;
• can provide reports and documents in a language you understand;
• has experience in remote interaction — online payment acceptance, email reports, video calls.

Range of Services and Flexibility

A good management company offers a personalized approach. If you are not planning to rent out the apartment, you do not need the tenant search package. If you come for a month a year, basic maintenance may be enough for you. Discuss whether services can be combined to suit your needs. Reliable companies always accommodate and do not impose unnecessary options.

How to Check a Management Company: A Step-by-Step Guide

1. Check the website and social media. A professional company maintains an up-to-date website, publishes news, and has an active presence on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube. Pay attention to the recency and quality of publications.
2. Request registration documents. The management company must be officially registered in Turkey. Ask to provide a tax registration certificate (vergi levhası) and the Trade Registry Gazette (Ticaret Sicil Gazetesi).
3. Talk to other owners. If you have acquaintances in the same complex or area, ask them. The best source of information about the real state of affairs is those who already pay aidat and see the results of the management company's work every day.
4. Request a sample report. Ask to see what the monthly report that owners receive looks like. It should be detailed, with a breakdown of expense items.
5. Assess the response time. Write a query to the company and measure the response time. If an email is answered after days or ignored, this is a warning sign.

How to Change a Management Company

If the current management company does not suit you, Turkish law gives owners the right to change it. The procedure looks like this:

1. Initiate a general meeting of residents (Kat Malikleri Kurulu). This usually requires the support of at least 1/3 of the owners.
2. Vote to change the management company. The decision is made by a majority of votes — more than half of the total number of owners. Importantly: votes are counted not by the number of people, but by shares in the property right.
3. Draw up the meeting minutes and notify the previous company of the contract termination.
4. Sign a contract with the new management company on the terms approved by the meeting.

Tip: if there are many foreign owners in the complex who rarely visit Turkey, arrange a power of attorney (vekaletname) in advance for someone who can represent your interests at the meeting.

Conclusion

Choosing a management company for a property in Turkey is a decision that directly affects the safety of your investment and comfort. Take your time, study the market, ask a potential management company as many questions as possible, and be sure to talk to real clients. A reliable management company is not just an executor, but your partner that protects your interests, ensures transparency of expenses, and allows you to generate income from the property without headaches, even if you are thousands of kilometers away from Turkey.