Türkiye moves to mandate resident approval for site fee hikes

ANKARA

Turkish officials are preparing new legal safeguards that will require the explicit approval of residents before any increase in apartment or residential complex maintenance fees, commonly known as site dues or monthly maintenance charges, can take effect.

Under a draft bill approved at the Turkish parliament’s public works committee, management companies and site administrations will no longer be able to raise monthly fees unilaterally.

Any increase will only be allowed after residents are presented with a detailed breakdown of expenses related to the site and formally approve those costs.

In Türkiye, millions of people live in gated communities or apartment complexes, which are managed collectively.

Residents pay monthly fees to cover shared expenses such as security, cleaning, landscaping, elevators, generators, parking areas and general maintenance of common spaces.

In larger complexes, these fees can also include social facilities like gyms, pools or shuttle services.

While the system is meant to reflect actual operating costs, residents have long complained about sudden and steep increases, often imposed without transparency or prior consultation.

Adil Karaismailoğlu, chair of the committee, said the new rules aim to address these concerns directly.

"From now on, no increases to site dues can be implemented without a clear justification of costs and a modern, transparent record of all expenditures — all of which must receive the residents' formal approval,” Karaismailoğlu explained. “With this in place, I anticipate that such grievances and complaints will significantly diminish."