Turkey New Governmental Regulations

[Onur103]

Hello All

I am an Airbnb host since 2018 in Turkey. Me and my wife has our own properties in İstanbul , Antalya , Bodrum and İzmir. 

as all of you have heard of it ; now Turkish government is preparing a new regulation for the Airbnb units in Turkey. 

as they are preparing this regulation; they didnt get feedback from any of us as far as I hear from the gossips; they only cooperate with hotel owners.

I would like to prepare a community on this topic for future to act all together. 

I will be glad for all members to come and give comments on this topic to have a future community. I am so much happy to pay tax and give information to police and related parties. But some strange rules are being discussed like to get approval from neighbours. 

lets come together and discuss.

[Carlos300]

Onur :

The New York City Politicians are Trying to Destroy Airbnb !!

Because the Hosts and Airbnb did Not Fight Hard Enough,

They Lost the Court Battle, and Now Comes the New Laws.

I Told Everyone that What Happened in New York City,

will have a Domino Effect Through Out the Country,

and Now the World.

Carlos.

[Onur103]

Carlos, yes it is happening now. We are expecting the law these days. There is some gossips that we have to get approval from other houses in the apartment. If I own the house and if I dont ask anybody to rent it monthly; why should I ask neighbours approval. Or they may ask a fire stairs for the building. Anyway hope they took clever actions and we try to do our best as the community. Why also Airbnb doesnt help to host for discussions with the government.

[Carlos300]

Yes Onur. You are 100 % Right.

[Amel1946]

Hello, I would like to know if it’s an official law or just rumors ?

[Barış23]

It just passed a few weeks ago from the TBMM, it's official now, I've deleted my listings even though I'm the land owner of my own house.

[Helen3]

STR regulations have been introduced in areas throughout the world for many years due to the impact of STRs on local communities. @Carlos300 

They are nothing to do with the new STR restrictions being introduced in New York. 

[Carlos300]

helen :

And I was Mostly Refering to the Host "ONUR" in the Country of Turkey.

And for Your Information, "MY" Many Airbnb Guests Told Me, that Thanks to what Happened in New York City, Many Cities are Starting to Create Short Term Renting Laws.

Carlos.

[Helen3]

There have been STR regulations in Turkey for quite a few years. 

I'm surprised to hear your guests would think that STR regulations in NY would have anything to do with STR regulations being introduced elsewhere when many countries and areas including in the US  have had STR regulations for many years before the new regulations were introduced in your city.

[Carlos300]

helen :

What is different is the ~~~ ENFORCEMENT.

[Julide-and-Alper0 · Accepted solution]

Concerns and Suggestions Regarding New Airbnb Regulations in Turkey

Dear Airbnb Community Center and Hosts from Türkiye,

As longtime Airbnb hosts in Turkey, approaching our tenth year of hosting guests in Ankara, we have immensely enjoyed the experience of sharing our homes and witnessing the happiness of our guests. However, we find ourselves growing increasingly concerned about the impending regulations that could potentially impact the future of Airbnb in Turkey.

It has come to our attention that the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which has a significant stake in the travel industry and hotels, is considering new regulations that may have far-reaching consequences for hosts like us. While we anticipated some level of regulation, the proposed requirements appear to be disproportionate and unrelated to the unique nature of Airbnb hosting.

One of the most significant concerns is the demand for fire escapes in our properties. In Turkey, a vast majority of buildings do not have fire escapes, and this requirement places an undue burden on hosts. Additionally, the use of hotel management systems and the Identity Notification System would result in additional expenses.

Another challenging aspect is obtaining permission from each building occupant, which is likely to involve a complex bureaucratic process, paperwork, and various certificates. This could potentially transform hosts into professional hotel or hostel owners, complicating our engagement with Airbnb and regular rental activities.

We anticipate that hosts may need to establish formal companies and engage certified public accountants, incurring additional costs. While we understand the need for taxation, Airbnb should engage with the Turkish government to ensure taxes are paid on the profits generated in Turkey. This can pave the way for meaningful discussions on regulations for hosts.

We firmly believe that hosts in Turkey should contribute their fair share in taxes, but the current tax system is challenging for hosts as they cannot deduct all expenses from their Airbnb income.

We urge the tax office to work on practical solutions to address this issue.

In summary, we propose a constructive approach:
1. Instead of imposing a complete ban, regulations should be designed to make Airbnb hosting feasible while ensuring compliance with reasonable standards.
2. Airbnb should proactively engage with the Turkish government to address tax concerns, as exemplified by similar tech companies elsewhere.

We hope that our concerns are heard, and a balanced approach is taken that preserves the vibrant Airbnb community in Turkey while addressing valid regulatory concerns.

Warm regards,

Alper

[Julide-and-Alper0]

I think it's crucial to inform Airbnb hosts in Turkey about the potential regulatory changes and mobilize them to address the issue collectively.

[Carlos300]

WELL SAID !!

[Barış23]

Well said, thank you for being a perfect voice for all of us in Turkey who is doing AirBnb.
I really hope and wish those are actually seen by the AirBnb authorities.

My question is, are you people still doing the AirBnb and keeping your listings active ( my listings are still active ), if you do, are you still feeling safe from any possible future tax penalties or any other thing? 
Right now, I'm not feeling very safe because of any law that can pass very soon and I'm really not sure if those may include the revenues we get right now. I know it sounds ridiculous but welcome to Turkey, any law that comes up may include the past actings also, which makes me think if it's wiser to deactivate my listings from now on or not.

[Julide-and-Alper0]

we put a new rule starting 2nd of January, 2024. We do not accept reservations under 100 day.

The new law ruined our Airbnb system.

Airbnb company is silent and as far as we know doing nothing on this issue.

Airbnb should come and establish a legal company which pay taxes to Türkiye and get an A class tourism agency certificate, then we can go on renting our properties as we did before without any restriction.