Turkish courts are struggling with a year-long backlog of rent hike and eviction lawsuits as inflation continues to heat up the housing market, Turkish media reported Monday
ISTANBUL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd July, 2023) Turkish courts are struggling with a year-long backlog of rent hike and eviction lawsuits as inflation continues to heat up the housing market, Turkish media reported Monday.
The government capped rent increases at 25% per year starting 2022 in a bid to cool down the market after soaring inflation led many apartment owners to break lease contracts with their tenants and sue for their eviction in order to sign up new ones at a higher price.
The Hurriyet daily newspaper reported that 60% of non-criminal cases filed with Turkish courts dealt with rentals. Hearings in rent hike cases are scheduled a year after the suit was filed, while litigation over eviction may last for two years.
The Turkish central bank estimated in January that housing prices more than doubled over a year, with the seaside resort of Antalya leading the residential property price index with a price increase of over 195%.
Landlords have objected to the one-year rent cap extension into 2024 arguing that rentals should take into consideration the skyrocketing inflation, which stood at nearly 40% in May. The law prohibits evicting a tenant who has not violated the terms of the lease unless the owner proves the need for it in court.
