Aidat: What Monthly Site Fees Cost Foreign Owners in Alanya

You just signed for an apartment in an Alanya complex with a glittering pool, a manicured garden, and a guard at the gate. None of that runs for free. The monthly bill that keeps it all working is called aidat — the site management fee every apartment owner in Turkey is legally required to pay. Here is exactly what it is, what you will pay, and how to avoid the costly surprises that catch many foreign buyers. What aidat actually is Aidat is the mandatory monthly maintenance fee that every unit owner in a shared building (a site) pays toward common running costs. It is not optional and it is not a fee your developer invented — it is fixed in law by the Kat Mülkiyeti Kanunu (Condominium Ownership Law) No. 634, Article 20. The obligation is tied to ownership, not residency. Whether you live in the apartment year-round, rent it out, or leave it empty for ten months, you owe aidat every single month. The rules for your specific complex live in the yönetim planı (management plan), a document registered at the land registry (TAPU/TKGM) when the building received its title deeds. It defines how the fee is calculated, which services are covered, and how much goes into the reserve fund. What your aidat pays for In a standard Alanya resort complex, your monthly aidat typically covers: 24-hour security staff (güvenlik) Swimming pool and spa cleaning and chemical treatment Elevator maintenance and the mandatory annual safety inspection Generator fuel and servicing for power cuts Landscaping, garden irrigation, and grounds care Common-area cleaning staff Building-level DASK earthquake insurance (a site-wide policy, separate from your own unit's DASK) The salary of the site manager (yönetici) or a professional management company Larger complexes built since 2023 increasingly bundle CCTV maintenance contracts, smart utility metering, and fibre internet infrastructure into the aidat, which pushes the figure toward the top of the range. Typical 2024–2025 cost in Alanya Aidat scales with the quality and amenities of the complex: Budget complex, no pool: roughly TRY 500–1,500 per month Standard resort complex (pool, security, garden): TRY 1,500–4,000 per month, around USD 45–120 Luxury gated community (multiple pools, gym, spa, concierge): TRY 4,000–12,000 per month, around USD 120–360 Most new-build complexes in Mahmutlar, Oba, and Kestel sit in the TRY 2,000–5,000 band for 2024–2025 — call it USD 60–150 a month at mid-2025 exchange rates. How the amount is calculated Your share is proportional to your arsa payı — the land share of your unit, printed on your TAPU title deed. A larger or higher-floor apartment usually carries a bigger land share and therefore a higher aidat than a small studio in the same complex. The actual rate for the year is set at the annual general meeting (olağan genel kurul), held once a year. Owners vote on the next year's operating budget, and a simple majority of land shares decides. Once approved, that becomes the monthly figure everyone pays. Your voting rights as a foreign owner Foreign owners have exactly the same voting rights as Turkish citizens at the general meeting. If you cannot fly to Alanya for the meeting, you can appoint a proxy through a notarised vekaletname (power of attorney) — either a notarised Turkish PoA, or a foreign PoA bearing an apostille with a certified Turkish translation. Your proxy can then vote on the budget, the aidat rate, and the management contract on your behalf. This matters: the budget decided in that room is the bill you pay all year. What happens if you don't pay Skipping aidat is expensive and risky. Article 20/3 of Law 634 imposes a 5% monthly late fee on overdue amounts — one of the steepest statutory penalties in Turkish civil law. After roughly three months of non-payment, the site management can register a şerh (legal annotation) directly on your TAPU title deed. That annotation is visible to any future buyer or bank, and it can block or complicate a sale. Management can also file an icra (enforcement) action to recover the debt plus legal costs, which in extreme cases can lead to a forced sale of the apartment. Due diligence before you buy This is where many foreign buyers get burned. Unpaid aidat can follow the apartment, not just the previous owner. If prior arrears are annotated on the TAPU, you inherit them along with the title. Before you pay a deposit or sign, request a written borç yoktur belgesi (no-debt confirmation letter) from the site management office, confirming the unit has zero outstanding aidat and reserve-fund balance. This is not issued automatically — you or your lawyer must specifically ask for it. Pair it with a TAPU records check at the land registry to confirm no şerh sits on the title. The reserve fund is separate Watch for a second line item. Beyond the monthly operational aidat, most complexes also collect an avans or bakım fonu (reserve/maintenance fund) — a separate contribution for major future works like roof replacement, elevator overhaul, or façade renovation. The rate is fixed in the yönetim planı and approved at the general meeting. Budget for it on top of your monthly aidat. Paying from abroad Aidat is paid by bank transfer (EFT or Havale) to the site's Turkish IBAN. The site manager provides the IBAN and a yearly payment schedule. From abroad you can set up recurring SWIFT transfers from your home bank, or pay from a Turkish account if you have one. Always request a receipt (makbuz) for every payment and keep the records — they are your proof if a dispute or şerh application ever arises. Aidat is simply the price of the lifestyle you bought into. Budget for it honestly, check for arrears before you sign, and keep your receipts — and the pool, the garden, and the guard at the gate will keep running without a single unpleasant surprise.