Foreign Owner Is Charged Excessive Site Management Fees in Turkey: How Can They Object? (2026 Updated Guide)

A foreign property owner is charged excessive site management fees in Turkey. Learn how to challenge apartment or residential complex fees, request financial records, object to management decisions and recover unjustified charges.

Foreigners who own apartments, villas or investment properties in Turkey frequently encounter site management fees, common expenses and additional payments demanded by apartment or residential complex management. Disputes may arise when management fees suddenly increase, owners are charged for facilities they rarely use, extraordinary expenses are imposed without sufficient explanation, management refuses to provide financial records or a foreign owner believes they are being charged differently from other owners. A foreign property owner should not simply ignore the payment demand. The correct strategy is to identify the legal basis of the charge, examine the management plan and relevant owners’ decisions, request financial documentation and determine whether the assessment can be challenged.

What Are Site Management Fees in Turkey?

Residential buildings and housing complexes incur expenses for the operation, maintenance and preservation of common areas and services. Depending on the property, these may include security, cleaning, elevators, landscaping, swimming pools, technical maintenance, common-area electricity, personnel and other shared expenses.

The owner’s payment obligation depends on the legal nature of the expense and the rules governing the property.

Can Site Management Charge Any Amount It Wants?

No. The existence of a management structure does not give management unlimited authority to demand arbitrary amounts from property owners.

The legal basis, management plan, approved budget, owners’ decisions, nature of the expense and applicable condominium rules should be examined.

Why Do Excessive Management Fee Disputes Arise?

Disputes commonly arise because of major increases in personnel or maintenance costs, luxury renovations, unexpected repair projects, new facilities, management-company charges, insufficient financial transparency or disagreement concerning how expenses are allocated among owners.

First Request a Detailed Breakdown

A foreign owner receiving an unexpectedly high payment demand should request a detailed explanation showing what the amount represents.

The owner should distinguish ordinary monthly management fees from extraordinary assessments, historical debt, interest, repair contributions and other charges.

Examine the Management Plan

The management plan can be one of the most important documents in the dispute. It may regulate management structure, common expenses, allocation rules and other matters affecting owners.

A foreign buyer should obtain and review the applicable management plan rather than relying solely on statements made by the property manager.

Review the Owners’ Meeting Decision

If the increase resulted from a decision of the owners’ assembly, obtain the meeting minutes and relevant decision.

Determine when the meeting occurred, what was approved, how votes were counted and how the new expenses were allocated.

Was the Foreign Owner Properly Notified?

Notification can become important where an owner living abroad did not know that a meeting was taking place or learned about a major assessment only after receiving a debt demand.

The applicable notification procedure and records should therefore be reviewed.

Can a Foreign Owner Participate in Management Meetings?

Foreign nationality does not, by itself, eliminate the rights attached to ownership. A foreign property owner can exercise ownership rights concerning the management of the building or residential complex subject to the applicable legal framework.

Where the owner cannot personally attend, representation possibilities should be evaluated.

Request the Operating Budget

The annual operating project or budget can help explain anticipated income and expenses.

Compare the management fee demanded from the owner with the approved budget and allocation methodology.

Request Invoices and Expense Records

If the amount appears unreasonable, request supporting financial information concerning major expenses.

Relevant documents may include maintenance invoices, service contracts, personnel costs, repair invoices and other records showing how common funds were spent.

Management Transparency Is Important

A management company should not expect owners to accept substantial unexplained charges merely because a total figure appears on a payment notice.

A dispute is easier to evaluate when the owner can identify the underlying expense.

Ordinary and Extraordinary Expenses Should Be Distinguished

Monthly operating costs should be separated from major capital expenditures or extraordinary repairs.

For example, routine cleaning expenses present a different issue from a substantial structural renovation or installation of a new common facility.

How Are Common Expenses Divided?

The allocation depends on the nature of the expense, applicable condominium legislation, management plan and legally effective decisions.

Owners should not assume that every common expense must always be divided equally.

Can Management Charge According to Apartment Size?

For certain expenses, ownership shares or another legally applicable allocation mechanism may be relevant. The precise calculation should be checked rather than assuming that square meters alone determine every charge.

Can a Foreign Owner Refuse to Pay Because They Do Not Use the Facilities?

Generally, non-use alone should not automatically be treated as sufficient to avoid every common expense.

An owner who never uses the swimming pool, elevator, garden or security service may still have obligations arising from ownership and the applicable common-expense regime.

The legal basis of the particular charge must be examined.

What If the Apartment Is Empty?

Keeping the property vacant does not automatically eliminate common-expense obligations.

The question is not simply whether the owner physically occupies the apartment but whether the expense is legally attributable to the independent unit.

What If the Owner Lives Abroad?

Living outside Turkey likewise does not automatically remove payment obligations.

Foreign owners should maintain reliable communication arrangements so that management notices, meeting information and legal documents are not missed.

Can Management Charge Foreign Owners More?

A foreign owner should investigate immediately if the same type of apartment is being charged differently without an objective legal basis.

Request the allocation table and compare the charge with equivalent independent units.

What If Different Apartments Pay Different Amounts?

Different amounts are not necessarily unlawful. Differences may result from ownership shares, property characteristics or another legally valid allocation rule.

The important issue is whether the distinction has a lawful basis.

Can the Management Company Add Its Own Service Fee?

If a professional management company is being paid, examine the agreement and authorization supporting its remuneration.

The owner should determine whether the fee was properly approved and included in the relevant financial arrangements.

Can Management Demand an Extraordinary Payment?

Potentially. Significant repairs, structural works, technical installations or other major expenses may require additional contributions.

However, the legal authorization, decision-making procedure, necessity of the expenditure and allocation should be reviewed.

Luxury Improvements Can Create Disputes

Owners may object when management treats optional luxury improvements as unavoidable common expenses.

The legal analysis may depend on the nature of the project, management plan, applicable voting requirements and whether the work constitutes necessary maintenance or an improvement.

Emergency Repairs Are Different

Urgent repairs necessary to protect the building or prevent serious damage can create different legal considerations from discretionary renovation projects.

The factual circumstances should be documented.

What If the Owner Believes the Expenses Are Inflated?

Request contracts, invoices and payment records relating to the disputed expenditure.

Where appropriate, comparable market prices may help determine whether the amount appears commercially reasonable.

Related-Party Service Providers Should Be Examined

If management purchases services from a company connected with the manager, board members or another interested party, the transaction may deserve additional scrutiny.

The owner should preserve evidence rather than making unsupported allegations.

Can the Owner Request an Accounting?

Depending on the circumstances and applicable management structure, financial records and management accounts may be important to determining whether funds were properly collected and spent.

A formal written request can help establish a documentary record.

Object in Writing

If the owner disputes the charge, the objection should normally be documented.

Identify the disputed amount, request the legal and financial basis, reserve relevant rights and request supporting records.

Simply refusing to answer payment notices can increase enforcement risk.

Do Not Ignore Management Fee Demands

Even where the owner believes the fee is excessive, ignoring the demand can be dangerous.

Management may initiate debt collection or enforcement proceedings, and delay can result in additional costs and procedural complications.

What If Enforcement Proceedings Are Started?

A foreign owner receiving an enforcement payment order should act immediately.

Enforcement procedures contain strict deadlines. The owner should determine whether the debt, amount, interest, allocation or underlying management decision can be challenged.

Can Management Claim Interest?

Late-payment consequences may arise for unpaid common expenses under the applicable condominium framework.

This is another reason why an owner disputing the underlying assessment should pursue the issue promptly rather than allowing the alleged debt to accumulate.

Paying Under Protest May Need to Be Considered

In some disputes, the owner may consider whether payment while expressly reserving rights is commercially preferable to allowing interest and enforcement costs to increase.

Whether this approach is appropriate depends on the specific dispute and should be evaluated individually.

Can an Owners’ Meeting Decision Be Challenged?

Potentially. Decisions adopted by the owners’ assembly may be subject to judicial challenge where the applicable legal requirements are satisfied.

The applicable period for bringing an action can depend on the circumstances, including participation in the meeting and how or when the owner learned of the decision.

For this reason, a foreign owner should seek legal review immediately after discovering a disputed decision.

Do Not Delay Because You Live Abroad

A foreign owner’s physical absence from Turkey should not be treated as a reason to postpone action.

Meeting decisions, enforcement proceedings and other legal processes may continue while the owner is abroad.

Power of Attorney Can Simplify the Process

A foreign owner who cannot remain in Turkey may authorize a lawyer or other representative, subject to applicable requirements, to obtain documents, communicate with management and handle relevant proceedings.

What If Management Refuses to Provide Documents?

Keep written evidence of each request and refusal.

A repeated refusal to explain substantial charges may become relevant in a later dispute concerning management activities or financial accountability.

Check the Land Registry Information

Confirm the independent unit and ownership share associated with the property.

Incorrect property information can sometimes produce incorrect expense calculations.

Review the Purchase Contract

For newly built residential projects, the sales agreement and promotional materials may also contain information concerning promised services and estimated management expenses.

If a developer marketed a property using materially misleading representations concerning ongoing charges, separate contractual issues may arise.

Developer-Controlled Site Management Can Cause Disputes

In newly completed projects, foreign investors sometimes encounter management structures established or influenced by the developer.

The authority of the management structure, management plan, service contracts and expense allocation should be examined carefully.

Short-Term Rental Properties Require Special Attention

Owners using apartments as investment or rental properties should distinguish common management expenses from costs arising specifically from commercial or rental activity.

The tenancy agreement should also clarify which expenses are borne by the tenant and which remain the owner’s responsibility.

Tenant and Owner Liability Should Be Distinguished

A lease may allocate certain expenses between landlord and tenant contractually, but the relationship with building management can raise separate questions.

Owners should not assume that writing “tenant pays all fees” in a lease automatically resolves every external liability issue.

Can the Owner Recover an Overpayment?

Potentially. If amounts were collected without a valid legal basis or were calculated incorrectly, repayment or set-off issues may arise depending on the circumstances.

The owner should preserve payment receipts and account statements.

Bank Records Are Important Evidence

Keep records showing every management-fee payment, date, amount and description.

Foreign owners who pay through international transfers should ensure that payment references clearly identify the apartment and relevant period.

Request a Current Account Statement

Before disputing the total balance, request a detailed account showing opening balance, monthly assessments, extraordinary assessments, payments, interest and remaining debt.

This can reveal accounting errors quickly.

Multiple Years of Alleged Debt Should Be Reviewed Separately

If management suddenly claims several years of unpaid fees, do not treat the total as a single unexplained debt.

Create a year-by-year and month-by-month calculation and examine each component.

Evidence Should Be Preserved Early

Keep management notices, emails, messages, meeting minutes, budgets, invoices, bank records and photographs relating to disputed works.

Digital evidence can disappear when management companies change.

Foreign Owners Should Avoid Cash Payments Without Documentation

Where possible, payments should be traceable.

If cash is used, obtain a proper receipt identifying the amount, property and purpose.

What If Management Threatens to Cut Services?

A dispute over common expenses should not be handled through arbitrary pressure tactics.

If management threatens measures affecting access or essential services, the legality and urgency of the situation should be reviewed immediately.

Can the Manager Be Removed?

Depending on the applicable structure and owners’ decisions, changing the manager or management company may be possible.

Where dissatisfaction is widespread, collective action through the owners’ governance mechanism may be more effective than individual disputes over every invoice.

Consider an Independent Financial Review

For large residential complexes with substantial annual budgets, owners may benefit from professional review of accounts where serious discrepancies are suspected.

The purpose should be to identify concrete financial issues rather than make general accusations.

Immediate Action Plan for a Foreign Owner

A foreign property owner who believes site management fees are excessive should immediately obtain the management plan, current operating budget, owners’ meeting decisions, detailed account statement and supporting documentation for extraordinary expenses. The owner should verify the allocation methodology, compare charges with equivalent units, preserve payment records, object in writing where necessary and obtain legal advice promptly if enforcement proceedings or a disputed owners’ decision requires formal challenge.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a foreign property owner refuse to pay site management fees in Turkey?

Not simply because the owner considers the amount high. The legal basis and calculation should first be examined, and any objection should be pursued through the appropriate procedure.

Do I have to pay management fees if I never use the swimming pool or gym?

Non-use alone does not necessarily eliminate common-expense liability. The nature of the expense and applicable condominium rules must be examined.

Do I have to pay if my apartment is empty?

A vacant apartment may still be subject to common expenses arising from ownership.

Can site management charge me more because I am a foreigner?

Foreign nationality alone should not provide a lawful basis for an arbitrary higher charge. Obtain the allocation table and compare equivalent units.

Can I request invoices from site management?

Financial documentation supporting significant common expenses can be important in evaluating whether the charges are justified. The applicable management structure and owners’ rights should be examined.

Can I challenge a decision increasing management fees?

Potentially. The validity of the owners’ decision, voting process, management plan and applicable procedural periods should be reviewed promptly.

What happens if I simply stop paying?

Management may pursue collection and additional late-payment consequences may arise. Ignoring the demand is therefore usually risky.

Can I object if enforcement proceedings begin?

Potentially, but enforcement proceedings have strict procedural deadlines. Legal assistance should be obtained immediately after receiving an official payment order.

Can I recover excessive fees already paid?

Potentially, if the amounts were collected without a valid basis or calculated incorrectly. Payment and management records should be preserved.

What should a foreign owner do first?

Request the management plan, owners’ meeting decision, operating budget and a detailed account statement. Before refusing payment, determine exactly who approved the charge, what expense it covers and how the amount allocated to your property was calculated.

Client-Focused Legal Support for Foreign Property Owners in Turkey

Disputes over residential complex management can involve excessive management fees, extraordinary assessments, disputed owners’ decisions, accounting irregularities, enforcement proceedings, developer-controlled management and recovery of unjustified payments. Fırat Fesih Kaya Law Office assists foreign apartment, villa and investment-property owners facing site management and condominium disputes in Turkey. Lawyer Fırat Fesih Kaya provides legal assistance in reviewing management plans and financial records, objecting to disputed charges, challenging owners’ decisions where legally available, responding to enforcement proceedings and pursuing recovery of unjustified payments.

Phone:
+90 312 434 22 22

Mobile:
+90 532 769 22 22

Email:
info@firatfesihkaya.av.tr

Address:
Mevlana Boulevard No:221, Yıldırım Tower, Office No:148
06520 Balgat, Çankaya, Ankara, Turkey