Regulation
Can I List a Residence on Airbnb? The High-Specification Housing Exemption
Yes — and the process is easier in a residence than in an ordinary apartment block. The Regulation on the Tourism Rental of Residences exempts buildings that meet the definition of “high-specification housing”.
Please note: this content is for general information and does not replace legal advice. How the legislation applies depends on the specific case and on the building's title, planning and management-plan position. Consult a property lawyer before applying, and confirm the current text against the Official Gazette and Ministry of Culture and Tourism sources.
Why do most sources answer this question wrongly?
Since Law No. 7464 came into force, the most repeated claim has been: “Airbnb requires the unanimous consent of every owner in the building.” That is true — but incomplete. The unanimity requirement applies to ordinary residential buildings; the regulation exempts three types of housing from it.
Incomplete information is expensive in practice: investors who assume unanimity is impossible in a 300-unit residence never begin the process, and sales offices cannot raise the opportunity with them. Yet in regulatory terms, a residence is a better fit for this business.
What is “high-specification housing”?
The regulation defines high-specification housing by its service infrastructure. What matters is not the title deed classification or the name of the development, but the services the building actually provides.
It means “residential buildings containing more than one unit, with spaces for reception, security and daily cleaning services, and able to provide at least two of the following: health services, dry cleaning, laundry, transport, catering and shopping services, a gym and a swimming pool.”
Regulation on the Tourism Rental of Residences, art. 4
The definition splits in two:
Required: the presence of spaces for reception, security and daily cleaning services. All three are needed.
At least two of these suffice: health services, dry cleaning, laundry, transport, catering, shopping services, gym, swimming pool.
Most residence developments built in Istanbul since 2015 already meet this definition — a gym and a pool are close to standard. The critical point is whether the reception and daily cleaning service spaces genuinely exist.
Why is unanimity not required in a residence?
The regulation expressly excludes three types of housing from the unanimity requirement: high-specification housing, detached houses and properties held on a timeshare basis. The reasoning holds up — these buildings already operate under professional management with a hotel-like service structure, and the neighbourly relationship is not the same as in an apartment block.
“For applications concerning high-specification housing and detached houses, a unanimous decision is not required.”
Same regulation, art. 5
Apartment block versus residence
| Requirement | Ordinary apartment | High-specification housing (residence) |
|---|---|---|
| Unanimous owners' decision | Required — one objection stops the process | Not required |
| 25% limit in one name | Applies | Does not apply |
| Management plan annotated on the title | — | Required |
| Planning documentation | — | Required (within art. 19 of the Planned Areas Zoning Regulation) |
| Bulk application by an operator | Per owner | Possible in the name of the management or marketing operator |
| Room to grow a portfolio | Limited per building | No limit |
Here is the real difference for an investor: without the 25% limit, a large number of apartments in a single residence can be operated under one roof. That lowers the operating cost per apartment markedly — the same cleaning team, the same reception, the same storeroom. It is the only structure in short-term rental where economies of scale actually work.
Does your residence count as high-specification housing? A checklist
Before applying, confirm these six points in writing with the building management. If they are not all met, the process reverts to the ordinary residential regime and unanimity is back on the table.
Does the building have a reception space, and is it actually staffed?
Does it have a security space and service?
Is there a daily cleaning service space?
Are at least two of health services, dry cleaning, laundry, transport, catering, shopping services, gym and pool provided?
Is the management plan annotated on the land registry? (Confirm with the land registry office.)
Does the management plan contain any provision prohibiting short-term letting?
The last point is the most critical. Exemption from unanimity does not override a prohibition in the management plan. If the plan expressly prohibits short-term letting, you risk a legal dispute with the building management even with a permit in hand. Check this clause before buying.
Which documents are required for a residence application?
In place of the unanimous decision, an application for high-specification housing requires documents proving the building's status. In practice the main ones are:
The title deed or a document showing the right of use.
The management plan annotated on the land registry. This shows the building's service structure and intended use.
Planning documentation — an official document showing the building was constructed in an area within art. 19 of the Planned Areas Zoning Regulation.
Where the application is in an operator's name, the entity's tax number, trade registry details, signature circular and the owner's consent.
Where the application is in a marketing operator's name, additionally the consent of the management operator and a travel agency licence.
Proof of payment of the permit fee.
A concession for properties let before 1 January 2024: where a home can be shown to have been let short term before the law came into force, the high-specification housing provisions can reportedly be applied without the zoning condition. If you have a tenancy agreement or booking record from before 2024 for your residence, keep it.
For sales offices: why this makes selling easier
The first question an investor asks when buying in a residence is what the rental yield will be. In most developments, an answer based on long-term rent is not enough to convince them. Being able to present the short-term rental option concretely and on a legal footing lets you position the same apartment with a different yield story.
But care is needed. What can and cannot be said to an investor:
| Can be said | Should not be said |
|---|---|
| “This development meets the definition of high-specification housing; no unanimous decision is required for the permit.” | “Airbnb is unrestricted here, no permit needed.” |
| “The management plan contains no provision prohibiting short-term letting — it can be confirmed at the land registry.” | “There's no need to look at the management plan.” |
| “Occupancy and rate data from comparable developments falls in this range; let's work out your own projection together.” | “We guarantee this much rent.” |
| “The activity counts as commercial income; registration and tax obligations follow.” | “You can think about the tax side later.” |
The statements in the right-hand column are not merely wrong; they generate disputes after the sale. The right approach puts the legal framework and a realistic yield projection into the sales conversation together.
The metrobus line: which area brings which guest?
The metrobus runs 44 stops between Beylikdüzü Tüyap and Söğütlüçeşme. Its value for short-term rental is that it links guests to both sides of the city without a change. But the stops are not alike — the demand profiles of four main areas diverge clearly.
| Area | Transport advantage | Dominant guest profile | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zincirlikuyu Metrobus stop 38 | Next to Gayrettepe station: M2 metro and, via M11, Istanbul Airport | Business travel (the Levent–Maslak finance corridor), corporate guests | Busy midweek, empty at weekends; low cancellations, high nightly rate |
| Mecidiyeköy Metrobus stop 37 | M2 metro and an M7 interchange; one of the city's busiest interchanges | Health tourism (the Şişli hospital corridor), business travel, shopping | Mixed demand; health tourism brings long stays, low seasonality |
| Kağıthane M11 and M7 station | Direct to Istanbul Airport on the M11; to Mecidiyeköy on the M7 | Airport transit, new business districts, medium-term stays | Heavy new residence supply — competition rising, pressure on rates |
| Cevizlibağ Metrobus stop 26 | Direct access to the historic peninsula on the T1 tram | Cultural tourism, university and hospital visitors, budget segment | Access to tourist demand at a lower entry cost; high turnover |
These area notes describe the general character of demand; concrete occupancy and rate expectations need analysis development by development.
Three questions when choosing an area
Do you want cash flow or total return? Zincirlikuyu and Mecidiyeköy produce cash flow through predictable midweek demand. Cevizlibağ offers higher percentage returns on a lower entry cost.
How fast is supply growing in the area? Kağıthane has heavy new residence supply; if demand growth does not outpace it, nightly rates come under pressure. Measure this development by development.
How important is the airport link? On short stays, travel time is the single feature guests value most. Locations on the M11 have a structural advantage here.
Three risks of short-term rental in a residence
The legislation makes residences easier, but operationally they have their own difficulties. Weigh all three before investing.
1. The management plan and building management
Holding a permit does not mean building management will make the process easy. Some residences apply additional rules on guest access, parking and use of common areas. Find out about them in writing before buying.
2. Service charges
Residence service charges are markedly higher than an ordinary apartment block's, because of the services provided. That cost continues when occupancy falls and affects the net return directly. Work out your return net of service charges — we set out the method step by step in our income calculation guide.
3. Concentration of supply
The absence of the 25% limit is as much a risk as an advantage: when a large number of apartments in the same residence go onto short-term rental, competition within the building drags rates down. Before investing, check how many apartments in that building are already operating short term.
About PeraHomes
PeraHomes is an Istanbul-based short-term rental and hospitality operations company. For residence and high-specification housing portfolios it handles the permit process, listing management, data-led revenue management and guest operations on the owner's behalf. It also works with property sales offices on a “sale plus short-term rental management” partnership model.
Service area
Istanbul — including along the metrobus and metro lines (Zincirlikuyu, Mecidiyeköy, Kağıthane, Cevizlibağ, Beyoğlu, Şişli, Fatih, Kadıköy)
Specialism
Residence and high-specification housing portfolios
Channels
Airbnb, Booking.com, direct booking
Web
perahomes.com.tr
Is your residence within the scope of high-specification housing?
We check the building's service infrastructure, the management plan annotation and the planning position, and assess free of charge whether an application is possible. If you are a sales office, we also run bulk assessments for the developments in your portfolio.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I list a residence on Airbnb?
Yes, and the process is easier than for an ordinary apartment. The regulation does not require a unanimous owners' decision for a permit application concerning high-specification housing. The residence must meet the service definition, the management plan must be annotated on the title, and planning documentation must be provided.
What is high-specification housing?
Residential buildings with more than one unit, containing spaces for reception, security and daily cleaning services, and able to provide at least two of health services, dry cleaning, laundry, transport, catering, shopping services, a gym and a pool.
Is a unanimous owners' decision required in a residence?
Under the regulation, no unanimous decision is required for high-specification housing, detached houses or properties held on a timeshare basis. In a residence, the risk of a single owner in a 200-unit building stopping the process disappears.
Does the 25% limit apply in residences?
The rule limiting permits in one person's name to 25% of the homes does not apply to high-specification housing. That is a decisive advantage for investors looking to build a portfolio within a single residence.
Can a management company make the application?
Yes. The regulation allows applications for high-specification housing to be made by the property operator or a marketing operator. An application as a marketing operator requires the consent of the management operator and a travel agency licence.
What if the management plan prohibits short-term letting?
Exemption from unanimity does not override a prohibition in the management plan. If the plan expressly prohibits short-term letting, a permit still leaves you at risk of a legal dispute with the building management. Confirm this clause at the land registry before buying.
Are residences on the Istanbul metrobus line suitable?
Zincirlikuyu and Mecidiyeköy serve business travel and health tourism, Kağıthane the airport metro link, and Cevizlibağ tram access to the historic peninsula — each appealing to a different guest profile. Each area produces a different occupancy and rate profile; the choice depends on whether you prioritise cash flow or total return.
Are there drawbacks to short-term rental in a residence?
Three risks stand out: additional rules imposed by the management plan and building management, service charges above those of an ordinary apartment block, and price competition within the building when many apartments go onto short-term rental at once.