Buying an Apartment in Turkey: Title Status and Occupancy Permit

Short answer

Kat irtifakı, kat mülkiyeti and iskân answer different questions. The first concerns a registered land-share-linked right associated with a planned unit; the second concerns ownership of an independent unit linked to the land share and common parts; the third commonly refers to the building’s occupancy permission. Read the current registry and building records together rather than treating any one label as a complete assessment.

An apartment can look finished, have furniture and be occupied while questions remain about its registered status or conformity with approved plans. Conversely, the continued appearance of kat irtifakı in a register does not by itself explain why conversion has not occurred. The task is to establish the actual documents and the steps still outstanding.

The registered right: what is being acquired?

Under the Condominium Law, kat mülkiyeti is a form of ownership connected to a land share and the common parts of the main property. It allows the registered independent unit to be identified within that structure. Check the unit number, floor, nature of use, land share and any associated areas against what the seller is offering.

Kat irtifakı is a right attached to a land share for the independent units of an intended or unfinished building. It is established through the applicable formal and registration process. It is not simply an agent’s reservation of an apartment. However, its existence does not itself establish that construction is complete or that all conditions for lawful use have been met.

A bare fractional share in land is another situation. It should not be described as ownership of a particular apartment without examining the legal basis for that assertion. A diagram or private allocation agreement may explain intended use, but its relationship to the registered interest needs a separate assessment.

The building document: what does iskân cover?

İskân is commonly used for the yapı kullanma izin belgesi, the occupancy permit. Obtain the document and check its date, building or block, permitted use and scope. A permit for another block within the same development does not establish the position of the unit being purchased.

TKGM’s circular distinguishes the relevant authority’s responsibility for issuing occupancy documentation from the land administration’s registration responsibility. That is why a title review should be accompanied by a review of the competent authority’s building file. A statement that “the title is clean” does not answer every question about approved plans or later alterations.

The presence of utilities, tenants or neighbouring occupied apartments is not a substitute for the document check. Ask for the actual permission and approved plans rather than relying on a photograph of an occupied building. Where the records are incomplete, the uncertainty should be recorded expressly.

Conversion from kat irtifakı to kat mülkiyeti

The Condominium Law provides for conversion based on occupancy documentation and the applicable statutory conditions. The procedure may involve records passing between the authority, cadastral office and land registry. Determine whether the required approval exists, whether the relevant records have been transmitted and whether the conversion has actually been registered.

Large developments require particular care. The rules can allow completed buildings or blocks to be dealt with separately. Identify exactly which part of the project is complete and covered by the documents. An assurance that “the project has occupancy permission” should be supported by a document that relates to the relevant block and unit.

If conversion remains outstanding, establish the reason and the party expected to complete the steps. Distinguish an administrative processing issue from an unresolved discrepancy with the approved project. They may have very different consequences for the transaction, costs and intended use.

Match the physical apartment to the documents

Compare the parcel, block and independent-unit information with the approved architectural plan and the apartment actually shown. Check whether the floor, position and registered use correspond. A sales brochure’s marketing number can differ from the legal unit number, so the link between them should be documented.

Terraces, storage rooms, parking spaces, enclosed balconies and converted common areas require attention. Ask whether an area is part of the independent unit, an attached area or a common part subject to a particular use arrangement. The fact that the seller has used an area does not establish that it can be transferred as part of the unit.

Legal review identifies the documents, rights and discrepancies. A suitably qualified technical inspection may be needed for measurements, workmanship, structural condition or conformity on site. Registration under kat mülkiyeti is not a current structural-safety certificate and should not be presented as one.

Consider intended use and ongoing obligations

Read the management plan and relevant management records, particularly where the buyer expects to rent the unit, use it for business or alter it. Ask about service charges, planned major expenditure and unresolved decisions. These are practical parts of understanding what ownership will involve.

A residential title does not by itself establish that every proposed commercial or short-term letting activity is permitted. Those uses may involve separate rules and approvals. Similarly, acquiring a particular type of title does not automatically establish a foreign buyer’s eligibility, residence permission or citizenship entitlement.

Documents for an informed purchase decision

A current registry record identifying the unit, land share and restrictions.
The approved architectural project and documents linking the marketed unit to it.
The building permit and occupancy permit covering the relevant building or block.
Documents about conversion to kat mülkiyeti, where still in progress.
The management plan and available records about charges or significant works.
The sale agreement and written promises concerning completion, permission and registration.

For a buyer abroad, authorise someone to obtain and compare the relevant records rather than asking only for a seller’s summary. A remote review can identify missing evidence, but physical differences may require a local technical inspection. Keep a clear list of what has been verified and what has not.

Practical assessment

The purchase decision should be based on the right being acquired, the legal status of the actual premises and the feasibility of the intended use. If an outstanding step is to be completed before payment or transfer, record that condition and the evidence of completion expected. Avoid replacing it with a general assurance that the paperwork will be resolved later.

For a document review, the first useful information is the parcel and unit identification, the current registered status and the documents already available. You can describe those points through the contact page.

Sources and currency

Sources checked on 17 October 2026. Editorial responsibility: Muhammet Emre Nas. This article provides general information; its application depends on the documents and facts.