Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Hottest topic of Alanya is about your guests

 


Recently the most discussed topics related to real estate in Alanya is without doubt the amendments to the law about short time rental of privately owned property.

This has led to several other discussions that are also relevant for owners of private properties that do not rent out their property.

Mainly two questions are being discussed....

- When are people that are staying in my property to be considered as commercial rentals?

and

- Must I register my guests with the local authorities and how is that done?

 

On social media platforms a fierce discussion has been going on. So far most information available has been 3rd party information such as "according to.... ", "we were told that... ", "local authorities said that... " and so on.

In this blog post we will take a slightly different approach. We will take a look at the actual laws and form an opinion based on what the laws and regulations say.

Before we start please note this carefully:

- This information is not for those who actually rent out their property commercially.

- By the word "guest" we mean one or more people such as any kind of family, friend or acquaintance that has been allowed to use your property in Turkey on a none-commercial basis while you are not using it.
Or in other words: When you let someone you know stay in your property for free while you are not present.

- By the word "rental" we mean one or more people that use your property and pay for it.

Let us dig deeper into this.

When are guests considered as commercial rentals?

In the law there is no specification of this. The obvious answer to the question must be, that guests are guests and rentals are rentals.
So guests you allow to stay for free, rentals are paying you..

During an info meeting held recently in Alanya it was stated by local tax authorities that "only 1st degree relatives would be considered as none-commercial guests and that everyone else would be considered as commercial rentals."

But when looking at the actual law, there is no such distinguishing between guests and rentals.

So this is a statement not supported by the actual law and from a more logical point of view it does not make much sense that your uncle can not use your apartment while you are away without being viewed as a commercial renter.

It is also important to mention that it is not you that must prove that you are not engaged in commercial rental activities.
It is the local authorities that must prove that you have commercial and paying rentals in your property.

So obviously there is a misalignment between the actual law and what local authorities say. This obviously can lead to some unpleasant situation for everyone involved.
We believe that the actual law will prevail and that you as before can let guests stay in your property without facing any trouble.

Now let us take a look at the second topic.

 

All guests using your property must be registered with police or gendarmerie

At the info meeting held police and gendarmerie informed that "property owners are obliged to keep local police and gendarmerie informed about who is staying in the property while the owner is not present."

But by taking a look at the law no such registration system is mentioned, nor does it exist or have ever existed in recent times.

On social media links to government web sites for doing this registration of guests have been circulating together with physical paper copies for manual registration of guests.

But these websites and forms are all for commercial use and the system is for hotels, camp grounds, boarding schools, hostels and other places that are renting out accommodation.

As a fact, no system for registering private guests exists nor is there any kind of law that requires private people to register anywhere when staying in other privately owner property as a guest, no matter if the property owner is present or not.

A system for registering your home address obviously exists, just like it does in any other country. But that system has nothing to do with registration of the guests in your property.

This is also not a "touristic" thing just for foreigners, since there is nothing in the law that specifies that foreigners are subject to a different set of rules than Turkish people.

Let us try to look at this from a different angle and do a little experiment:

Mustafa lives in Alanya and his childhood friend Kemal lives in Istanbul. Now Kemal goes one week to Ankara to visit his parents. While Kemal is away, he allows Mustafa to travel to Istanbul and use his apartment there.
Will Mustafa register this stay in Kemals apartment anywhere?
Try asking any Turkish person you know, and they will look at you with a strange face and say "Registrer, why? Of course not..."

And there you have your answer.....

So what now?

That is a good question which is hard to answer. Obviously there is a big difference between what is being said and what is supported by facts of the law.

How it could come to this we could really not figure out. But the result has been that wrong information suddenly becomes solid facts.
And when the disinformation is spread via social media and newsletters from estate agents and management companies it is causing a lot of confusion.

We are not saying that we know and understand everything better and more correct than all others.

But we are saying that a lot of the information that is currently circulating is not backed by facts, it is purely based on what someone has heard or what someone said.

That a lot of this misinformation comes from local authorities is unfortunate, but that does not make the information more valid.

This entire blog post should not be taken as a fact sheet, but more as a contribution to the ongoing discussion from the perspective of what the law says.


Should any of you out there have any kind of solid information we would like to hear from you. 

Until more information and clarification is available we would recommend the following actions can be taken.

None of it is required by law, but it might help misunderstandings from happening.


- When allowing guests to use your property, then provide them with a signed letter in Turkish and English that allows them to use the property for free as guests and explain your relationship. Include passport copies of all parties as well as a copy of the title deed.

- Prepare some information that establishes the relationship between the guests and the owner such as photos or posts from social media accounts.

- Inform your administrator, caretaker and maybe your neighbours that guests will visit your property.


Hopefully we will all soon have some clarification and alignment of what is solid information and what is not.

Until that we have to be patient and do not go into panic. Because in reality there is not much to panic about.

With that, thank you for reading!

 


//// Additional info and links ////

The law related to registration is called the "kimlik bildirim kanunu" and is available here:

https://www.mevzuat.gov.tr/mevzuat?MevzuatNo=1774&MevzuatTur=1&MevzuatTertip=5

Even with a simple google translation it is clear to everyone that this law is related to places such as hotels, motels, camp grounds, schools, dormitories, hostels, rental of rooms by either private entities or by public institutions.
In Turkish these places are called "konaklama" which translates to "accommodation".

In the text you will see wording such as "private, public and official accommodation" used.
In this context "private" does not mean your private home. It means privately owned places with accommodation which primarily is hotels, rental apartments, hostels and other privately held places that offer paid accommodation.  

It has no relevance or connection to private properties that have private guests staying.



And before you ask: No, we did not form our opinion based on a google translation. We, two independent lawyers related to our company as well as another independent lawyer not related to our company has all expressed the same legal opinion.

In the "kimlik bildirim kanunu" a few articles have relevance to private persons.


Article 7 describes temporary relocations, such as going to spend the entire summer in your mountain house.

It also mentions that the "head of the family" must register in case the family that he or she represents stay for more than 30 days.
So in case you have guests staying for more than 30 days a registration is needed, no matter if you as owner are present in the property yourself or not.

As a side note, it is worth considering not allowing guests to stay more than 30 days unless you are present in the property yourself.
This because it might be hard to justify why guests, who do not pay rent, are staying +30 days in your property without the owner not being present.
But again, there is nothing in the law that requires guests to stay less than 30 days.
 

In article 11 it is described that complex managers, caretakers and board members in complexes with privately owned properties are obliged to check if any unauthorized people are staying in the units or common areas such as garages and other facilities.


If asked, owners and rentals are obliged to cooperate with managers, caretakers and board members to provide proof of their connection to the complex.


So what does this mean? It means that your caretaker, board members or your administration company has the right to ask anyone present in your complex to identify themselves and provide information on their connection to the complex.


But the initiative to do this lies with the caretaker/ administrator and not with you as owner, guests or visitor to the complex.




Another example that we have seen is that local authorities have told property owners that they should fill the form named "tesis bildirim formu".
An example of that form can be found here, where the chamber of commerce of Malatya has made it available online.

https://www.malatyaosb.org.tr/newsfile/D92DFE5B-2DFA-4025-8A58-AC38B06973CC.pdf

The form is actually not for individual people. It is a form where a place such as a workplace, hotel or any kind of other place provide their contact information to the gendarmerie.

In other words, who should the gendarmerie contact in case they want to speak to the responsible person or manager from that place.

More detailed information about the "tesis bildirim sistemi" can be found here:

https://www.jandarma.gov.tr/kurumlar/jandarma.gov.tr/Jandarma/Uygulamalar/KBS/KBS_Tesis_2_Uygulama_TD.pdf

According to their manual the system is divided into two parts:


Page 11: Konaklayan işlemleri

- This is for accommodation such as hotels, motels, camp grounds etc.

Page 16: Çalışan işlemleri
- This is for staff and personal, most often someone that live where they work or where the workplace is responsible for the accommodation.


Again, this has nothing to do with private homes and their private guests.




 








 

 

Thursday, February 15, 2024

Did you read our new e-magazine ?

 


With the end of 2023, we have prepared a new issue of our magazine. 

In this issue of our magazine, you will see new flavors, trips that we can recommend, articles that you will enjoy reading and new houses that we offer for sale. 

This magazine took a little longer than the previous issues. It contains more pages and more news. 2023 was a busy year at first and then a quiet one. 

We hope that 2024 will be much better for everyone. 

We think you will like our new magazine and wish everyone a good read.








Monday, February 12, 2024

A New Update for You: Floor Plans

 


At 2Base, we continue to make it easier for you to choose the most suitable and fitting property.

This is why we are introducing floor plans for our properties.

Thanks to the floor plans you will be able to see the living space of a house to the finest detail, you will be able to examine many details such as the arrangement of beams and columns, the general and relative positions of the rooms, where the windows are located and much more. 

The size of the kitchen, bathroom and all rooms are now available.

One of the most important benefits of the floor plans we are doing is that you can view them in both 2D and 3D. 

To get access to the floor plan of a property just order the sales presentation of the property via our web site or contact us via email, social media or our chat.

We always strive to provide the most correct and accurate information on our properties. Our floor plans is another step in that direction.

We look forward helping you find your dream home in Alanya.

Keep following us and have a pleasant week.




Monday, January 15, 2024

First up, then down


 First up, then down

 Last couple of years have been quite turbulent for the real estate markets in Turkey and Alanya.

A lot of different topics have been on the agenda and in this blog post we will try to give an overview of the most discussed topics as well as the current status of the market.

 

Current market status

The first part of the year the market started on a high note before coming to an almost complete stop in terms of sales.

Many like to explain the lack of sales with simple explanations that fit into their own agenda, be it a political, financial, business or private agenda.

The correct explanation is as always not that black and white, and the current situation on the real estate market is not due to just one event, but a mix of several circumstances.

 

Lets take a brief look at them here.

 

The perfect storm

In 2022 we saw the perfect storm on the real estate market fuelled by the unfortunate events in Ukraine, Russians deciding to leave their country and settle somewhere else to avoid being called for military service and a market that was already on the rise before the war started.

This led to prices going up by as much as 300% and buyers acting in panic and purchasing whatever real estate they could get their hands on.

Quite naturally we have not entered a quiet period since a peak is always followed by a valley.

Many Russians have decided to leave Turkey again and move on, while those who stay

have already purchased the properties that they need.

Prices peaked at a level higher than what the market can now support, and we are again seeing discounted units and price adjustments on all properties across the market.

The calm after the perfect storm is the main reason why the real estate market in Turkey and Alanya is currently in a limbo without much movement.

 

But there are also other factors that contribute, so let us take a look at them too...

 

Resident permits

Currently buying a property is more or less the only way of obtaining a resident permit in Alanya, since applications done on other terms are all being rejected.

Lately new legislation has been introduced making it even harder since the property purchase needed must exceed a value of 200.000 USD.

This naturally limits the pool of potential buyers who purchase a property to obtain a resident permit.

Furthermore some areas such as Mahmutlar, Kestel, Kargicak and Avsallar are still completely closed down for obtaining a resident permits no matter the value of the property you buy.

 

Short term renting has been closed down

New legislation has also been introduced for those who rent out their properties on short term basis.

Without going into details these new rules make it more or less impossible to rent out any apartment for a period of less than 100 days.

This will obviously hold some investors back from investing in property with the intention of renting it out on short term basis via Airbnb or other short term rental web sites.

At 2Base we do not work with rental properties, but we feel sorry for those businesses and property owners who are doing short term rentals.

Not everyone likes to stay in a hotel, and for them renting an apartment in Alanya for 2, 3 or more weeks is a great opportunity for both the customer and also for Alanya as a city.

This is not possible anymore, at least not in a legal way.

Shame on those who came up with these new laws regarding short term rentals!

 

So what now?

At the moment the market is in a vacuum, waiting to see who will blink first.

Will buyers return soon to get the momentum of the market back and keep the current level of high prices?

Alternatively, will sellers blink first by lowering the prices so that buyers again find the price level attractive?

Currently our best guess is that buyers have the best cards on their hands and we do not see any indication that a new and larger wave of potential buyers will suddenly appear in the market.

So probably prices need to take another dip until investors start to pick up some bargain properties and end buyers looking for a holiday home at the Turkish rivierra again find the price level appealing and within their budget.

 

But who knows, things do not always go as predicted in Turkey and in the end things might turn out completely different....

It would not be the first time that the real estate market in Turkey and Alanya took a turn completely different too all predictions... 




Monday, December 18, 2023

Side Underwater Museum

 


There are many museums and historical artefacts in the Antalya region. You know many of them. 
However, the most interesting of them is the underwater museum in Side.

 
This museum is 20 metres deep in the sea and is the first and only underwater museum in Turkey. 


Side Underwater Museum, a collection of 117 pieces made by Turkish sculptors, can be seen closely by diving into the sea. 
Certified divers generally like the Poseidon statue, which is the largest statue with a height of 3.5 metres and a weight of 5 tons.


The sculptures in the museum are made of materials compatible with underwater and are manufactured in a way that does not harm sea creatures.


There are 3 stages for diving in the museum. 
1st stage is between 3-8 metres and anyone can dive for this stage.


The 2nd and 3rd stages are between 8-20 metres deep and you need to get a professional diving certificate to dive in these stages. 


For more information, we leave the phone number of the person responsible for the underwater museum below. 

Have a pleasant dive!

Mr Sahin
+90 533 030 37 51



Friday, October 13, 2023

A Spark is Enough to Start a Fire!


Hello everyone,
Today we will talk about a sensitive issue, forest fires.
With the increase in temperatures in the summer months the forest areas are very dry and often forest fires occur.
Since Alanya is one of the regions with the highest temperature in Turkey, we experience forest fires in the region every year.
Forest fires can be caused by many natural causes such as high temperature, lightning strikes and so on.
However, the most common causes of forest fires today are uncontrolled burning, smoking and agricultural work.
In other words, forest fires that are started by humans.
 
Fire Fighting Aircraft in Turkey
When forest fires need to be extinguished, ground interventions are often insufficient.
That is why firefighting airplanes and helicopters are very important for all countries.
Turkey has 2 unmanned aerial vehicles, 3 airplanes, 1 unmanned helicopter and 38 helicopters for aerial firefighting.
When a fire is reported, these helicopters and planes take off from their base and intervene in the areas where the fire is burning.
This is a very dangerous operation and is quite spectacularly to watch.
So our deepest respect goes out to all the pilots and crew involved in this kind of operation.
 
How to Report a Fire?
'112' is at the top of the emergency assistance numbers in Turkey. It is an emergency number created for 6 different institutions.
By calling this number, you can report police, ambulance, gendarmerie, fire brigade, coast guard and forest fires.
With the number '112' you can contact the emergency call center in English, Arabic, German and Russian and you can request Emergency Assistance with this number even if you are using a foreign phone number.
This beautiful nature belongs to all of us and we should all do our best to protect it.
We therefor urge everyone to be careful when visiting the forest areas during the dry periods.


Monday, September 4, 2023

Hello sellers, this is happening in Alanya


For those of you following the trends of the real estate market in Alanya you have seen how the curve has been only upward over the last couple of years.
During the last quarter of 2022 the market peaked created by a high demand combined with a shortage of properties to sell.
Hence properties that were previously sold at around 75.000 Euro would now sell at 179.000 Euro.
In other words, for some properties prices went up almost 150%.
Since then, the market has slowed down and prices have dropped slightly since the absolute peak around October 2022.
But still we are at a level that doubles the prices over the last couple of years.
Currently there is no shortage of properties in the market and the demand has settled back into a more normal level.
This means that standard key points are back in play and that the market currently is just as much sellers as buyers market.
As a seller you there for again need to pay attention to the following key points:
 
Pricing
Properties above market price will not get sold. Some agents will deliberately promise to sell your property for an unrealistic high price, and then later try to make you accept a lower offer at the real market price. Do not fall for this trick.
Appearance
Your property should look fresh, clean and appealing. Make sure that it is clean and not cluttered with your private belongings, clothes and shoes. Maybe spend a little money doing a fresh-up. Make sure that your agent will help you achieve this.
2Base does and you can read more about it here.
Marketing
In a normal marked no properties get sold be themselves. They need to be marketed and presented professionally. 
Make sure that professional photo and video presentations are done and most importantly make sure that your agent will market your property. By marketing we mean paid marketing, not just sharing a link on some social media platform.
 
To sum up, it is still possible to sell your property in Alanya for an excellent price compared to what was possible 3-5 years ago.
But it is not possible to sell for quite as much as end of last year. So expectations must be adjusted to the current market and do not forget that currently as buyer has several alternatives to choose from, so you should always try to make your property as presentable as possible.
 


 

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Latest info for buyers of properties in Alanya






A lot has been going on in Alanya over the last couple of years, and for a long period seller was king and the market belonged fully to the sellers.
 
Those times are over and the buyers have again gained a good position in the market, leaving us with a market dominated equally between seller and buyer.
 
So for those who are potential buyers, here are our recommendations for key points that you should definitely keep an eye on:
 
Pricing 
Some sellers still believe that they can sell for the same price as last year when the market peaked. Be careful that you buy at market price, not at a overprice based on last years market.
 
Off plan vs ready build 
The upward trend has increased the number of new constructions significantly. Many of these constructions are done by newly established constructors. When choosing a off plan property please only do so in close collaboration with a market professional that can clearly point out the risks related to this.
Dont get us wrong, going for an off plan property can be the perfect choice and a great investment. But the risk is significant, so make sure that you are fully aware of what you are getting into.
 
Finally we want to give some sellers and buyers a little tip, or at least something to think about.
 
Currently a major part of all properties are sold to customers who want to settle in Turkey for a longer period. This means that the customer needs a resident permit, and currently the easiest way to have a resident permit issued is by buying a property.
 
But not all properties can be used for this, since some areas or no longer issuing more resident permits to foreigners since the quota in those particular areas has been reached.
As an example, a property purchased in Kargicak, Mahmutlar, Kestel and Avsallar can not be used for obtaining a resident permit, since the quotas for resident permit on those area has been reached.
But a property from among others Demirtaş, Oba, Cikcilli or Alanya center can be used.
 
This is nothing new and has been a hot topic of discussion on both local and social media.
Obviously, it is a positive thing for a property to be located in an area that is still open for resident pemit whereas it has a negative effect on the price in case the property is located in an area where no more resident permits are being issued.
 
This can change any moment and these changes often happen with very short notice and without any prior warning.
 
So here is something to think about:
 
I am trying to sell a property in an area where resident permits are still being issued 

All currently open areas are at risk of being closed down for issuing more resident permits, so be careful that you do not try to squeeze the lemon too much and by that do not manage to sell before the area - possibly - stops issuing resident permits.
 
I am trying to sell a property in an area where resident permits are currently not being issued 

This has already had a negative impact on the price. In case you are not in a hurry to sell, then maybe consider waiting until the area again starts issuing resident permits. Then prices should go up in your area.
 
For all scenarios mentioned above, the risk is obviously that it might take a long time before any changes happen, and they might not happen at all.
Also, even if they do happen, no one knows what the market trends look like at that time.
 
Timing is everything but when it comes to properties in Alanya the timing is impossible to get right, since changes are happening fast and without prior warning.
 
Furthermore, the market in Alanya are influenced and affected by so many local, foreign and international factors that trying to forecast the upcoming market trends is more or less impossible.

Even with 20 years of experience we can never tell what tomorrow brings in Alanya. 
All we can do is make our best guess and use our gut feeling.