What Happens to Tenants When a Building Is Demolished for Urban Transformation in Turkey? (2026 Updated Guide)

What happens to tenants when a rented building is demolished for urban transformation in Turkey? Learn about evacuation, lease rights, deposits, rent payments, rental assistance, compulsory eviction and foreign tenant rights.

When a rented apartment or commercial property is included in a legally progressing urban transformation process, the tenant may ultimately have to leave the property before demolition.

However, the tenant’s rights do not simply disappear because the owner says that the building will be redeveloped.

The first issue is whether the property is actually subject to an official urban transformation procedure. For a risky building, once the risky-building determination becomes final, the administration moves toward evacuation and demolition. Official guidance states that owners and persons residing in the building may be given a period not exceeding 90 days for evacuation and demolition. If the building is not vacated and demolished within the period granted, administrative enforcement can follow.

Tenants therefore need to distinguish between a landlord who merely intends to redevelop a property and an official risky-building process that has reached the evacuation stage.

For foreign tenants, Lawyer Fırat Fesih Kaya recommends obtaining the official documents before making important decisions concerning move-out dates, rent, deposits or financial claims.

Can a Tenant Stay Until the End of the Lease?

Not necessarily.

Under an ordinary lease, the tenant’s right to occupy the property arises from the lease relationship. But where a building becomes subject to a legally enforceable evacuation and demolition procedure, the private lease cannot necessarily guarantee continued physical occupation until the contractual expiration date.

Once the statutory process requires the building to be emptied, both owners and occupants may ultimately have to leave.

This does not mean that the tenant loses every contractual or financial right. It means that the right to remain physically inside the old building must be distinguished from claims concerning the lease, deposit, rent, relocation and any statutory assistance.

Can a Landlord Simply Say “Urban Transformation” and Evict the Tenant?

No. A landlord’s statement alone should not be confused with an official evacuation process.

A tenant who is told that the property must be vacated should ask whether an official risky-building assessment exists, whether that assessment has become final, whether the evacuation and demolition stage has begun, and what official notices have been issued.

The current official procedure requires specific notification measures when a risky building progresses toward evacuation and demolition. The relevant record is posted on the building, owners receive electronic notification, and the matter is announced through the prescribed official channels.

A contractor’s construction plans or a landlord’s desire to obtain vacant possession should therefore not automatically be treated as an official compulsory evacuation order.

Are Tenants Included in the Official Evacuation Process?

Yes. The statutory framework does not treat tenants as invisible simply because they do not own the property.

Law No. 6306 expressly contemplates assistance for owners, tenants and qualifying limited real-right holders where structures are vacated by agreement. The legislation also allows assistance in certain circumstances for other persons using structures covered by the transformation framework.

The current official risky-building guidance likewise states that the evacuation and demolition period concerns owners and persons residing in the building.

Accordingly, tenants must take an official evacuation process seriously even though they are not responsible for making the owner’s redevelopment decisions.

How Much Time Is Given Before Demolition?

For a finalized risky building, current official guidance states that the administration gives owners and occupants a period not exceeding 90 days for evacuation and demolition.

This does not mean that every tenant automatically receives a new personal 90-day period beginning when the tenant first hears about the demolition.

The official chronology matters.

Tenants should obtain the relevant documents and determine the actual deadline applicable to the building rather than relying on a verbal date supplied by the landlord or contractor.

Can a Tenant Refuse to Leave?

A tenant can dispute an improper private eviction attempt, but refusal to leave does not create an indefinite right to remain in a building once a valid statutory evacuation process has become enforceable.

Where the applicable period expires and the risky building has not been vacated and demolished, compulsory administrative measures may follow.

Current official guidance states that if evacuation is obstructed, it may be carried out with written administrative authorization and sufficient law-enforcement assistance, including opening or arranging the opening of closed doors or areas where necessary.

A tenant should therefore protect legal and financial rights without relying on physical occupation as the only strategy.

Can the Tenant Be Forcibly Evacuated?

Yes, where the statutory conditions for compulsory evacuation have been satisfied.

The authorities have mechanisms to clear a risky building before demolition. Law-enforcement assistance can be used where evacuation is obstructed.

This is different from a landlord personally forcing a tenant out.

A private owner or contractor should not be confused with the public authorities implementing a statutory evacuation measure.

If someone claims that compulsory evacuation is imminent, the tenant should determine who issued the order and what administrative document supports it.

Can Electricity, Water and Natural Gas Be Disconnected?

Yes.

After expiration of the period granted for evacuation and demolition, if the risky building has not been demolished, the administration may request that electricity, water and natural gas services no longer be provided and that existing services be terminated.

For tenants, this is extremely important.

The fact that an electricity or natural gas subscription is registered in the tenant’s name does not necessarily prevent an official administrative termination connected to the risky-building procedure.

Tenants should therefore relocate before the process reaches a stage where normal occupation becomes impossible.

Can the Landlord Personally Disconnect Utilities to Make the Tenant Leave?

An official utility-disconnection measure under the urban transformation framework is different from a landlord privately interfering with the tenant’s services.

A landlord should not simply use the prospect of future redevelopment as a private pressure mechanism.

If electricity, water or natural gas is suddenly terminated, the tenant should determine whether the disconnection resulted from an official administrative request or from another reason.

This distinction may significantly affect the tenant’s legal remedies.

What Happens to the Existing Lease?

Demolition fundamentally affects the ability to continue using the original leased property.

The practical consequences of the lease should therefore be documented rather than left unresolved.

The landlord and tenant should establish the actual move-out date, date of key delivery, final rent position, utility balances, deposit and condition of the property.

If disputes already exist concerning unpaid rent, damage, early termination or other contractual obligations, demolition does not automatically make those disputes disappear.

The lease relationship and the statutory demolition process should be analyzed separately.

Does the Tenant Have to Keep Paying Rent Until Demolition?

The answer depends on when possession actually ends and whether the property remains available for the agreed use.

A tenant should not automatically stop paying rent simply because demolition is expected at some future date.

At the same time, once the property has been surrendered, cannot lawfully be occupied, or can no longer be used because of the circumstances surrounding evacuation, the rent position must be evaluated accordingly.

The safest approach is to document the precise date on which the tenant permanently vacates and returns possession.

What Happens to the Security Deposit?

The security deposit should be addressed when possession is returned.

Urban transformation does not automatically give the landlord the right to retain the tenant’s deposit.

Before leaving, the tenant should photograph the premises, record meter readings, document the condition of the property and obtain written evidence showing that the keys were returned.

The landlord should identify any alleged unpaid rent, utility debt or property damage rather than simply withholding the deposit because the building is about to be demolished.

This can prevent an unnecessary second dispute after the tenant has moved.

Should the Tenant Photograph the Property Before Leaving?

Yes.

Even though the building may soon disappear, evidence of its condition remains important.

The tenant should photograph each room and any landlord-owned furniture or fixtures. Existing defects should also be recorded.

For commercial tenants, photographs should document business installations, equipment and improvements.

This evidence can become important if the landlord later claims that the tenant caused damage before surrendering possession.

What Happens to Tenant-Owned Fixtures and Improvements?

This issue is especially important for commercial tenants.

Restaurants, shops, clinics, offices and other businesses may have installed lighting, shelving, counters, machinery, partitions, air-conditioning systems or other valuable equipment.

Before demolition, the lease should be reviewed to determine which items belong to the tenant, which can be removed and whether any agreement exists concerning improvements.

The tenant should not wait until access to the building has been restricted before removing valuable property.

Do Tenants Receive Rental Assistance?

Potentially, yes, if the statutory requirements are satisfied.

Under the current implementing regulation, qualifying tenants who reside in the affected property or operate a business there may receive a one-time rental-assistance payment equal to twice the applicable monthly rental-assistance amount. This is different from the assistance structure applicable to qualifying property owners.

Eligibility should be established from the individual circumstances.

A tenant should not assume either that assistance is automatic or that the tenant receives the same continuing monthly assistance as an owner.

How Long Do Tenants Have to Apply for Rental Assistance?

The current Kentsel Dönüşüm Presidency guidance provides that eligible persons seeking rental assistance for a risky building should apply within one year from the date the risky building is evacuated or demolished.

This deadline is particularly important for foreign tenants who may leave the country after moving out.

Documents proving occupancy and eligibility should therefore be preserved before relocation.

Waiting until much later can make the application substantially more difficult.

What Documents Should a Tenant Keep?

A tenant should retain the lease agreement, evidence of rent payments, evidence of the security deposit, documents showing occupancy, utility records, official evacuation documents and evidence of the move-out date.

If rental assistance will be requested, documents proving that the tenant actually resided in or operated a business from the affected property may become important.

The current rental-assistance guidance defines qualifying persons and regulates the documents and procedures used for assistance applications.

Foreign tenants should preserve both original documents and electronic copies.

Does Every Tenant Automatically Receive Rental Assistance?

No.

The assistance system is subject to statutory and administrative requirements.

The fact that someone claims to be a tenant does not automatically establish eligibility.

Actual occupancy, the status of the building, the timing of evacuation and the documentation required under the applicable guidance can matter.

The tenant should therefore investigate eligibility before leaving rather than assuming payment will automatically arrive after demolition.

Does a Tenant Receive a Replacement Apartment?

Normally, no.

A tenant’s lease does not convert into ownership simply because the rented apartment is demolished.

The property owner’s rights concerning the underlying land share and future redevelopment are fundamentally different from the tenant’s rights.

A tenant generally cannot demand ownership of a new apartment merely because the tenant lived in the old one.

Any agreement allowing the tenant to rent an apartment in the new building should be addressed separately.

Does the Tenant Have an Automatic Right to Return After Reconstruction?

A tenant should not assume that demolition automatically creates a guaranteed right to occupy a newly constructed apartment several years later.

If the landlord and tenant want the tenancy relationship to resume after reconstruction, the arrangement should be clearly documented.

An informal statement such as “you can come back when the building is finished” may create significant disputes later concerning rent, apartment size, timing and whether the promise was legally binding.

Written terms are substantially safer.

What If the Landlord Promises the Tenant a New Lease?

The agreement should specify the future property and the essential commercial terms as clearly as possible.

Questions may include which apartment will be rented, when the new lease begins, how rent will be determined, what happens if construction is delayed and whether the tenant has any rights if the replacement project changes.

This is particularly important for commercial tenants whose location may have substantial business value.

What Happens to Commercial Tenants?

Commercial tenants can face much larger economic consequences than simply moving furniture.

Demolition can interrupt operations, cause loss of customer traffic, require relocation of employees and equipment, and affect licenses or business continuity.

Qualifying tenants operating businesses in affected structures are included within the current assistance framework, which provides the one-time payment structure described above.

However, statutory rental assistance should not be assumed to compensate for every commercial loss.

The lease and any contractual rights should be reviewed separately.

Can a Restaurant, Shop or Office Continue Operating Until Demolition Day?

That may be unrealistic.

Utility termination, evacuation requirements, restricted access and demolition preparation can make continued operation impossible before the physical demolition date.

Commercial tenants should therefore establish the official evacuation timetable and relocate critical equipment, inventory, records and customer operations early.

Waiting for demolition machinery to arrive can expose the business to unnecessary losses.

What If the Tenant Has Paid Rent in Advance?

Advance rent should be examined separately when the tenancy ends because the property must be vacated.

The parties should determine what period the payment covered and whether any amount relates to a period after possession was returned.

Urban transformation should not be used as a reason for either party to ignore clearly documented advance payments.

Bank transfers, receipts and the lease should be preserved.

What If the Tenant Has Just Renewed the Lease?

A recently renewed lease does not necessarily prevent a legally enforceable statutory demolition process.

However, the circumstances may become relevant to disputes between the landlord and tenant, particularly if the landlord knew of an advanced transformation process when entering into or renewing the lease.

The timeline should therefore be documented carefully.

When did the owner learn of the risky-building procedure?

When was the lease signed or renewed?

What was disclosed to the tenant?

What representations were made about continued occupation?

These questions may be important in a later contractual dispute.

What If the Landlord Knew the Building Would Be Demolished but Did Not Tell the Tenant?

This can create a separate legal issue.

The statutory urban transformation process and potential private liability between landlord and tenant are not necessarily the same question.

If a landlord entered into a lease while knowing that a finalized or advanced demolition process would prevent meaningful use of the property, the tenant should preserve evidence concerning what was disclosed before signing.

Advertisements, messages, emails, lease negotiations and payment records can become important.

Can the Tenant Demand Moving Expenses From the Landlord?

There is no single answer applicable to every transformation case.

Statutory assistance, contractual obligations and any separate claim against the landlord must be distinguished.

The current transformation framework contains assistance mechanisms for qualifying tenants, but that does not mean the landlord personally owes every relocation expense in every case.

The lease and factual circumstances should be reviewed before asserting a separate claim.

Can a Tenant Challenge the Risky Building Decision?

The ordinary statutory technical objection to the risky-building assessment belongs to the building owners or their legal representatives. Current official guidance provides a 15-day objection period for owners or their legal representatives after the legally relevant announcement date.

This distinction is important.

A tenant may be directly affected by demolition, but that does not mean the tenant has exactly the same procedural position as the property owner at every stage of the risky-building assessment.

Where a tenant believes that an administrative measure directly affecting the tenant is unlawful, the available remedies must be assessed according to the particular action and circumstances.

Can a Tenant Stop Demolition by Filing a Lawsuit?

A tenant should not assume that filing any lawsuit automatically stops the demolition process.

The legal standing to challenge a particular administrative measure, the applicable deadline and the availability of interim judicial protection depend on the nature of the dispute.

Furthermore, a pending case should not automatically be treated as an order suspending implementation.

Where demolition is imminent, the actual existence and scope of any judicial order must be confirmed.

Can Foreign Tenants Receive the Same Protection?

Foreign nationality does not mean that a tenant’s lease-related rights simply disappear.

Foreign tenants should nevertheless pay particular attention to documentation and timing.

A move can also have practical consequences for registered address information, immigration-related correspondence and other official records.

The tenant should retain evidence of the previous tenancy, the date of departure and the new residence.

Important identity and immigration documents should be removed from the property well before compulsory evacuation.

What If the Foreign Tenant Is Outside the Country?

This can create practical difficulties if belongings remain inside the apartment.

If the building is approaching compulsory evacuation, the tenant should arrange for belongings to be collected through an appropriately authorized person where necessary.

Do not assume that a locked apartment will remain untouched until the tenant returns.

Official guidance confirms that where evacuation is obstructed, the administration can proceed with law-enforcement assistance and can open or arrange the opening of closed areas under the prescribed procedure.

Foreign tenants should therefore monitor the process actively.

Can the Landlord Change the Locks After the Tenant Leaves Temporarily?

Temporary absence should not automatically be confused with surrender of possession.

Where the tenant has not formally returned possession, the landlord should not assume that the urban transformation process authorizes unrestricted private self-help.

If official compulsory evacuation is required, that process has its own administrative enforcement mechanisms.

Both parties benefit from documenting exactly when possession was permanently surrendered and when the keys were returned.

Should the Tenant Sign a Move-Out Agreement?

A written agreement can be useful, but it should be read carefully.

It may address the move-out date, key delivery, final rent, security deposit, utility bills, furniture, tenant improvements and any payment to be made.

The tenant should be cautious if the document also contains broad waivers of unrelated claims.

Moving out because demolition is approaching does not necessarily require the tenant to waive every existing financial or contractual right.

What Should the Landlord Do Before Demolition?

The landlord should communicate clearly with the tenant and provide reliable information concerning the official transformation stage.

The parties should arrange a documented handover.

The landlord should inspect the property, record the condition, deal with the deposit and clarify outstanding rent and utility issues.

After the tenant leaves, the owner should separately address demolition, title, land-share and redevelopment matters.

A poorly managed tenant departure can create litigation even when the transformation process itself is straightforward.

What Should the Tenant Do on the Day of Handover?

Remove all important belongings.

Photograph the premises.

Record meter readings where services remain active.

Return the keys in a documented manner.

Obtain written confirmation of the date possession was returned.

Address the deposit.

Keep copies of the official evacuation documentation.

For commercial property, prepare a detailed inventory of removed equipment and any items left behind with the landlord’s agreement.

This creates a clear end point for the tenancy.

Does Demolition Erase the Tenant’s Existing Financial Claims?

No.

Physical demolition does not automatically eliminate claims that arose before the building disappeared.

For example, disputes may remain concerning the deposit, advance rent, unpaid contractual obligations or other amounts.

The tenant should preserve the relevant evidence even after moving to another property.

The fact that the old apartment no longer physically exists does not automatically prevent a later financial dispute from being pursued.

2026 Practical Legal Strategy

The first priority is confirm that there is a genuine official transformation process. Do not move out solely because a landlord or contractor says demolition will happen.

The second priority is identify the exact procedural stage. Determine whether the building has officially been found risky, whether that determination has become final and whether evacuation and demolition have been notified.

The third priority is verify the move-out deadline. Current official guidance states that a period not exceeding 90 days is given for evacuation and demolition of a finalized risky building.

The fourth priority is protect the tenant’s lease-related financial position. Preserve evidence concerning rent, advance payments, deposits and other contractual claims.

The fifth priority is do not rely on refusing to leave once compulsory evacuation becomes enforceable. Law-enforcement assistance may ultimately be used where evacuation is obstructed.

The sixth priority is investigate rental assistance before documents are lost. Qualifying tenants may receive the one-time assistance provided under the current regulatory framework, and the applicable application period should be observed.

The seventh priority is document the apartment before leaving, particularly its condition and any tenant-owned improvements.

The eighth priority is formalize the handover by documenting the move-out date, key delivery, meter readings and deposit position.

The ninth priority is protect commercial continuity if the property is used for business. Equipment, records, inventory and licenses may require advance relocation planning.

The tenth priority is preserve all claims after demolition. Leaving the property does not necessarily mean waiving unresolved financial rights.

The central principle is:

When a building is demolished for urban transformation, a tenant may ultimately have to leave even if the ordinary lease period has not yet ended. But demolition does not mean that the tenant loses every right. The tenant should verify the official evacuation process, protect the security deposit and financial claims, document the condition of the property, investigate any available rental assistance and complete the handover in writing before the building is demolished.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Does a tenant have to leave a risky building before demolition?

Yes, once a legally enforceable evacuation and demolition process requires the building to be emptied. Current official guidance provides for evacuation of owners and occupants before demolition.

2. Can the tenant stay because the lease has not expired?

Not necessarily. A private lease does not automatically override a legally enforceable statutory evacuation and demolition process.

3. Can a landlord immediately remove a tenant just by saying the building will undergo urban transformation?

No. The existence and stage of the official transformation process should be verified. A private statement from the landlord is not itself an official compulsory evacuation order.

4. Can tenants receive rental assistance?

Qualifying tenants residing in or operating a business from an affected property may receive a one-time payment equal to twice the applicable monthly rental-assistance amount under the current implementing regulation.

5. How long does a tenant have to apply for rental assistance?

Current official guidance provides a one-year application period calculated from evacuation or demolition of the risky building, subject to the applicable requirements.

6. Does the tenant automatically receive an apartment in the new building?

No. Tenancy does not automatically create ownership of a replacement apartment.

7. What happens to the tenant’s deposit?

The deposit should be settled according to the lease relationship and the circumstances of the handover. Urban transformation does not automatically entitle the landlord to retain it.

8. Can utilities be disconnected before demolition?

Yes. If the risky building is not demolished within the period granted, the administration may request termination of electricity, water and natural gas services.

9. Can a tenant be forcibly removed?

Where the statutory conditions for compulsory evacuation are satisfied, the administration can use the prescribed enforcement procedure, including law-enforcement assistance where evacuation is obstructed.

10. What should a foreign tenant do after learning that the building will be demolished?

Verify the official transformation documents and move-out deadline, preserve the lease and payment records, protect the deposit, remove important belongings, document the property’s condition, investigate rental assistance, formally return possession and update any official records affected by the change of residence.

Protecting Tenant Rights During Urban Transformation

Tenants are often placed in a difficult position during urban transformation because they do not control the owner’s redevelopment decision but may still have to relocate quickly once the official evacuation process begins.

The safest approach is to separate the issues clearly. Whether the building must be evacuated is one question. What happens to the tenant’s deposit, advance rent, belongings, commercial investments and potential rental assistance is another.

Foreign tenants may face additional practical difficulties when they are outside the country, receive notices late or do not understand whether a landlord’s request is private or part of an official statutory process.

Fırat Fesih Kaya Law Office provides legal assistance to foreign tenants and property owners affected by risky-building evacuation and urban transformation proceedings.

Lawyer Fırat Fesih Kaya assists with reviewing evacuation and demolition documents, assessing tenant and landlord rights, examining deposit and lease disputes, evaluating compulsory evacuation procedures, reviewing rental-assistance eligibility and protecting financial claims arising before or after demolition.

Phone: +90 312 434 22 22
WhatsApp: +90 532 769 22 22
Email: info@firatfesihkaya.av.tr