Author: Luxury Estate Turkey
Viewed 37 times
13 December 2025
When purchasing property in Turkey, it is essential to check whether the building has Iskan—the official building occupancy permit confirming that the property has been legally commissioned. This article explains what Iskan is, the different types of Iskan issued in Turkey, why it is important for buyers, how to verify documentation before completing a transaction, and how the presence or absence of Iskan affects obtaining a residence permit or Turkish citizenship.
Iskan (Turkish: Yapı Kullanma İzin Belgesi) is the official building occupancy permit issued by the municipality after construction has been completed. It confirms that construction works were carried out in accordance with the approved project and applicable regulations and that the municipality has accepted the building as suitable for residential or commercial use.
The permit is issued by a municipal commission after the building has passed final inspection.
Without Iskan, a property remains in kat irtifakı status (construction servitude) and does not obtain full ownership status (kat mülkiyeti). Iskan is linked to the building itself and is not reissued when ownership changes.
Iskan is not the same as Tapu (title deed). Tapu is issued by the Land Registry and may be obtained even for a Turkish property that has not yet been commissioned. However, Tapu does not confirm that a building has been put into operation or approved for use—only Iskan provides that confirmation.
Tapu confirms ownership rights, but it does not guarantee that the building has passed final inspections or is legally approved for residential or commercial use.
Before issuing the occupancy permit, the municipal commission verifies:
compliance of the building with the approved architectural project
structural safety and seismic resistance
installation and functionality of fire safety systems and emergency exits
connection to and proper operation of all engineering and utility systems
Only after all requirements are met does the municipality issue Iskan.
Genel Iskan is the general occupancy permit issued for an entire building or residential complex. It is obtained by the developer after construction is completed and the project has passed municipal inspection.
Without Genel Iskan, the building is officially considered not commissioned, regardless of whether apartments have been sold or occupied.
Ferdi Iskan was an individual occupancy permit issued for a specific apartment, villa, or commercial unit in buildings completed before 2020. It was issued after the building received its general occupancy permit.
Ferdi Iskan included details such as the address, floor number, unit size, and information about the first owner. The document is issued indefinitely and does not need to be renewed or reissued upon resale.
Since 2020, the system has been simplified. Instead of issuing separate Genel and Ferdi Iskan documents, municipalities now issue Toplu Iskan—a unified technical certificate covering the entire building and all units within it.
Toplu Iskan is obtained by the developer upon completion of the project. Buyers no longer need to apply for individual occupancy documents. For properties constructed after 2020, Toplu Iskan fully replaces Ferdi Iskan.
In practice, some developers include the cost of obtaining Iskan in the purchase price, while others charge it separately. This point should always be clarified before signing a contract.
A property without Iskan cannot be connected to permanent residential electricity, water, or natural gas services. Instead, only temporary construction connections (şantiye) are used, which are arranged by the developer during the construction phase.
For property owners, this leads to several practical problems. Construction tariffs are significantly higher than residential tariffs and, in some cases, may be nearly double. These costs are shared among property owners, while billing transparency is limited because utility contracts are issued to the construction company rather than to individual owners.
In addition, construction connections are issued for a limited period. If Iskan is not obtained within the permitted timeframe, utility providers are legally entitled to suspend electricity or water supply, creating serious inconvenience and financial risk for residents.
Turkish banks rarely approve mortgages for apartments or villas located in buildings without a building occupancy permit. Such properties are treated as unfinished construction and are not accepted as collateral.
Insurance coverage is also affected. Insurance companies may limit coverage or refuse to insure properties without Iskan, as the building has not passed final safety inspections. Commercial premises in such buildings cannot obtain operating licences.
From a cadastral perspective, properties without Iskan remain registered as kat irtifakı and cannot be converted into kat mülkiyeti. This leads to difficulties with notarised transactions, restrictions on changing the designated use of the property, inability to include the asset in certain investment structures, and increased scrutiny by registration authorities.
From a market standpoint, the absence of Iskan is a clear disadvantage. Properties without a building occupancy permit are typically priced below comparable units with full documentation.
Liquidity is also affected. Mortgage buyers are excluded from the buyer pool, which significantly reduces demand. Sellers often face longer selling periods or are forced to offer substantial discounts.
Rental use is similarly impacted. Long-term lease agreements cannot be properly registered, which is particularly problematic for foreign tenants. Uncertainty regarding utilities and legal status further reduces rental demand. Commercial leasing without Iskan is not permitted at all, as the premises are not legally authorised for use.
When purchasing property without Iskan, buyers effectively assume unresolved issues left by the developer. In addition to higher utility tariffs, owners may face technical deficiencies that must be corrected at their own expense.
In some cases, property owners are required to settle outstanding debts owed by the developer to the municipality before Iskan can be issued. In practice, this is one of the most common legal issues identified during pre-purchase property checks.
From a legal standpoint, the owner’s position is weaker. A property under kat irtifakı status is treated as unfinished construction. If statutory deadlines have expired, authorities may classify the building as unauthorised, which can result in enforced completion by third parties or, in extreme cases, demolition.
Without Iskan, conversion to kat mülkiyeti is not possible. In legal disputes, such properties are more difficult to defend, and the associated risks fall primarily on the owner.
A completed building may not receive Iskan for several reasons:
unauthorised changes to the approved project or construction standards
outstanding taxes, municipal fees, or mandatory payments owed by the developer
incomplete mandatory works, including fire safety systems, access roads, or engineering elements
delays or disputes between the developer and local authorities
One objectively acceptable scenario is when a project is in its final construction stage and Iskan cannot yet be issued. In such cases, buyers should ensure that:
The absence of Iskan is clearly stated in the contract
Deadlines for obtaining Iskan are specified
Penalties for delays are defined
If the developer has a proven track record of completing projects with full documentation, this approach is standard practice on the primary market.
In some cases, properties are discounted because Iskan has not been issued due to minor unresolved issues, such as missing certificates or incomplete technical works. If qualified specialists confirm that documentation is otherwise in order and the building complies with regulations, such properties may be considered.
Decisions of this kind should never be made without professional verification.
Some investors deliberately purchase properties without Iskan at lower prices, expecting that the building will be included in an urban renewal programme. In these cases, demolition and reconstruction resolve documentation issues. This strategy is speculative and carries higher risk.
Buying property without Iskan should be avoided when the building has been occupied for years without progress toward obtaining the permit, when developers avoid clear explanations, when violations cannot be legally remedied, or when responsibility for obtaining Iskan is unclear or financially unrealistic.
Before proceeding with a transaction, buyers should verify whether the building has a valid Iskan and request a copy. If Iskan is missing, the seller must clearly explain the reason and how long the property has been used without it.
It is essential to confirm whether an application for Iskan has been submitted, identify the exact cause of any delay, understand the proposed timeline, and determine who is responsible for covering costs and corrective works.
Outstanding debts, available documentation (Yapı Ruhsatı, interim approvals, technical reports), results of municipal inspections, and concrete steps being taken to resolve issues should all be clarified. Sellers unwilling to formalise Iskan-related obligations in the contract present a clear risk.
Buyers should confirm the existence of a valid Yapı Ruhsatı and verify whether Genel Iskan or Toplu Iskan has been issued if construction is complete. Completion and Iskan timelines should be contractually fixed.
Tapu status must be reviewed to determine whether the property is under kat irtifakı or kat mülkiyeti. Independent verification through municipal records is strongly recommended.
Sellers must provide a valid Ferdi or Toplu Iskan. If the document is unavailable, a duplicate can be obtained from the municipality. Absence of Iskan is a valid reason to postpone the transaction.
Status should be cross-checked using Web Tapu and e-Devlet, while direct confirmation from the local municipality remains the most reliable method.
Under Turkish law, responsibility for obtaining Iskan lies with the developer—the legal entity to which the construction permit was issued. The developer is required to complete the project, eliminate all deficiencies, pass final inspections, and submit the documents necessary for commissioning the building.
In practice, however, especially once all units have been sold and residents have moved in, initiative often shifts to the owners. This typically happens when the developer delays the process or stops dealing with the issue altogether. In such cases, the question becomes how owners can act when the developer no longer fulfils its obligations.
Owners joining forces
Acting individually is almost always ineffective. A far more effective approach is to form an owners’ initiative group or an owners’ association. Collective requests, formal correspondence, and joint meetings tend to produce results, as the developer understands that the issue is being monitored by all owners rather than isolated individuals.
Formal written notices and claims
If the developer avoids communication, owners should send official written notices to the company’s registered legal address, using tracked or registered delivery. These letters should clearly state the demands and specify deadlines for action.
Contacting the municipality
Municipalities are interested in formally commissioning completed buildings and issuing Iskan. Owners can contact the local construction or urban planning department, clarify the situation, and request that the developer be summoned to provide explanations or take corrective action.
Resolving financial issues if the developer is bankrupt
One of the most common reasons for the absence of Iskan is outstanding debt, such as unpaid taxes, connection fees for water or electricity, or other mandatory payments. If the developer has effectively ceased operations, owners may have to address the issue themselves through an owners’ association. Collective settlement of such debts can allow the process to move forward and make issuance of Iskan possible.
Eliminating technical deficiencies
If the building lacks specific required elements — such as fire safety systems, accessibility ramps, landscaping, or other mandatory infrastructure — owners may organise completion of these works through contractors, subject to coordination and approval by the municipality.
Collective legal action
If the developer consistently ignores obligations, owners may file a collective lawsuit seeking to compel the company to obtain Iskan or to recover costs incurred in eliminating deficiencies.
Working with the municipality’s deficiency list
Owners should request a detailed list of deficiencies identified by the municipal commission that prevented issuance of Iskan. If any points require clarification, consultation with specialists — engineers, architects, or legal professionals — is advisable.
Formally, the developer is responsible for completing the project and obtaining Iskan. However, once all units are sold, the developer’s economic incentive often disappears. If the company encounters financial difficulties or ceases operations altogether, initiative almost always shifts to the owners.
Once all deficiencies are resolved and the required documentation is prepared, issuance of Iskan typically takes from several days to several weeks, depending on the municipality and the completeness of the document package.
Formally, Iskan is not a mandatory requirement for obtaining a residence permit through property purchase. However, in practice, the absence of Iskan may complicate address registration. Properties with Iskan provide a more predictable and stable outcome.
Iskan is not explicitly listed among formal requirements for Turkish citizenship by investment, which is based on a minimum property value of USD 400,000 and a three-year holding period.
Nevertheless, properties without Iskan may receive lower valuation results and attract additional scrutiny during document review. For a smooth and timely process, properties with complete documentation, including Iskan, are strongly recommended.
Luxury Estate Turkey is a TÜRSAB-licensed real estate agency operating in the Turkish property market since 2015. Our work includes full document checks, coordination with municipalities, legal professionals, and developers, and refusal to recommend properties with unresolved Iskan issues.
Our role is to identify legally sound properties and ensure that property purchase in Turkey proceeds in a transparent, structured, and risk-controlled manner for our clients.
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