Calis Beach and Fethiye Turkey Discussion Forum
Calis Beach Forum => Expat & Property Owners Q and A Forum => Topic started by: Schofield on August 14, 2015, 10:04:49 AM
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There seems to be some dispute on our complex regarding who can stay in our apartments. A couple of owners claim that only the owners can stay and that friends and family (who do not pay any rent) are not allowed as according to Turkish law it is considered as a business. We are told that anybody staying in our apartments must register with the passport police.
Does anybody know whether it is true.
Many thanks in advance for any advice.
Janine
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Part bollox, part truth.
Unless there is an extremely restrictive set of site rules relating to property occupation (which I seriously doubt!), then friends and family can use your property whenever you wish them to. It's not a business although if the Maliye turned up and started asking questions, it'd be better for friends to have a written permission (from you) to stay in the property.
Technically, all tourist and temporary visitors are required to register with the tourist Polis - hotel records are open to inspection at any time by the Polis for this purpose. However, given the number of private properties, and private rentals, this requirement for independent visitors has fallen by the way side. You'd probably get an odd reaction if you popped down Fethiye harbour and tried to do it these days.
Let your friends and family enjoy your property and tell the EPK know-it-alls to bugger off.
JF
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Many thanks, John. It puts my mind at rest. I'll pass on your advice regarding written permission. Janine
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To be honest, its advice we've never taken ourselves when friends are using our place!
The Maliye (tax man) are always on the look out for property owners renting out their property and not paying tax - if they did visit (as a result of a phone call p'raps?) then a letter from the owner giving permission and stating that the occupants are friends or family will usually satisfy them that no money is changing hands.
JF
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Hi,
Thanks for the post Janine,
We have friends going out in 2 days time and are concerned that the trouble maker next door is going to give them grief.
Why do people always have to cause trouble....the majority on the complex are lovely people its just 2 people that have ganged up to cause as much mayhem as possible.
Unfortunately they wont be forcing me out!!! that i can guarantee!!!!
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Don't take it personally, most complexes have one unit occupied by obnoxious jobsworth types who's life purpose is to share their misery around the site.
I think it's part of Turkish condominium law.
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We are spoilt as we have 2 and there are only 12 apartments on the complex!
We have now been threatened by one owner that he will inform the authorities as soon as guests arrive to stay.
So, I hope that JohnF is right & that a written permission from the owner is sufficient to solve the unpleasant situation.
Janine
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You have to ask yourself, "what authorities are they going to call?". Do they speak sufficient Turkish to speak to anyone "in authority"?
Other than the possibility (in their eyes) of you evading rental income tax, you're not breaking any laws so just get on with your life!
JF
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mmm..he IS turkish...
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They tried this on our complex a few years back, I told them that it was my property and as such I will decide who can stay and not them. We then had the tax threat raised but again I said that my friends and family don't pay to stay and if I had any paying guests a record would be kept and any tax due would be paid.
We heard nothing more.
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mmm..he IS turkish...
Ahhh... serves me right for assuming it was a foreigner.
Advice still stands anyway, pretty much as Rimms said as well.
JF
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From a tax point of view, the only people allowed to stay in your apartment, without you needing to declare potential income and therefore a possible tax liability is the parents or children of the owner. All other friends or family could potentially give rise to a tax liability, even if they pay no rent to you. It's under the Turkish "low or no value" for tax income section of the Turkish tax guide. You are also allowed to earn approx 3,300tlr (each name on Tapu) without declaring anything to the tax man. Hope this helps, especially if someone maybe trying to "shop" you.