How does the process work when a lease ends?

When a rental agreement expires, the relationship between the parties does not always end automatically. Especially in residential leasing, the type of contract, written notice from the parties and whether the property continues to be used are key factors. For that reason, broad statements such as “the term is over, the home must be vacated immediately” or “the same terms continue without any action” do not lead to the right result in every case.

In practice, the most common questions are whether the rental relationship will continue, how the terms for the new period will be set and on what grounds an eviction request can be made. Under the Turkish Code of Obligations, there are special rules protecting tenants in residential and roofed workplace leases. However, the details of the specific case, the clauses in the contract and the conduct of the parties can change the outcome.

What are tenant rights and landlord rights?

Key points for tenants

From the perspective of tenant rights, the main issue is under what conditions use of the property will continue after the contract term ends. As long as the tenant continues to pay rent regularly and use the property in line with the contract’s purpose, eviction is not necessarily automatic just because the term has expired. Even so, keeping written records on matters such as rent increases, maintenance fees, security deposits, handover conditions and additional expenses is important.

  • Payments should be documented with bank records or receipts
  • Notices from the landlord should be kept in writing
  • If eviction is requested, the reason should be made clear

Key points for landlords

Landlord rights do not disappear entirely either. If there are legal grounds, the landlord may seek eviction; issues such as non-payment of rent, use contrary to the contract or personal need are frequently debated in practice. However, procedure, the form of notice and proof are crucial in these processes, and a verbal request alone is often not enough.

What happens in practice if the lease is not renewed?

What does it mean if a new contract is not signed?

Not signing a new text for lease renewal does not necessarily mean the legal relationship has ended in every case. If the parties continue the rental relationship in practice, and payment and use continue, it may be assessed that some provisions of the old contract carry over into the new period. On the other hand, if either party wants to end the relationship, notices and procedural steps that comply with the legal framework become important.

Which documents matter in a dispute?

In a possible dispute, the contract text, payment receipts, text message and email records, handover reports and documents related to the building management can be critical. In particular, a lack of written evidence makes the process more difficult in claims about eviction, damage, handover of keys and rent differences. For that reason, before taking action, the parties should review the current legislation and, if necessary, seek expert advice to reduce the risk of losing their rights.