Türkiye to ban rental of cars older than five years

ANKARA

Türkiye has unveiled a sweeping draft regulation set to fundamentally restructure its car rental industry, introducing stricter standards for operators while strengthening consumer protections.

Prepared by the Trade Ministry and opened for public and sectoral consultation, the regulation aims to improve service quality, curb informality and eliminate long-standing customer grievances.

Under the proposal, vehicles older than five years or with more than 100,000 kilometers on the odometer will no longer be eligible for rental, with the exception of classic cars.

Rental companies will be required to own at least five vehicles outright and maintain a minimum fleet of 10 cars in total.

Periodic maintenance must be carried out on time and vehicles lacking valid insurance or comprehensive coverage will be barred from service.

Consumer rights form a central pillar of the reform. Insurance and comprehensive coverage will be included in the rental price and cannot be made subject to additional fees.

Without a court ruling, companies will be prohibited from charging customers for “loss of value.”

Upon request, baby seats, navigation devices and highway toll transponders (HGS) must be provided free of charge, while winter tires will be mandatory during seasonal conditions if demanded by the renter.

The draft also caps security deposits at a maximum of three days’ rental for bookings of up to six days and seven days’ rental for longer or weekly agreements.

Deposits must be refunded within seven days of vehicle return and customers will be entitled to cancel a prepaid reservation up to 24 hours before pickup without penalty.

In major cities, companies will also be required to include at least two hybrid or electric vehicles in their fleet — one of which must be domestically produced.