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Project Development

Urban Renewal

Comprehensive projects where at-risk or aged structures are demolished and rebuilt, with renewed infrastructure and social amenities. Implemented under Law 6306 and its regulations.

Urban renewal (Turkish: *Kentsel Dönüşüm*) is the comprehensive public programme under Law 6306 on Transformation of Areas under Disaster Risk (enacted 2012) and its implementing regulation. Its purpose: renewing disaster-prone building stock, ensuring life safety in risk areas, and modernising urban infrastructure. The law was passed in response to earthquake safety concerns that emerged after the 1999 Marmara Earthquake.

Process: The building must first be designated a risky structure — at an owner's request, Ministry-licensed firms (universities, ministry bodies, or private companies) inspect structural elements and perform performance analysis per the earthquake regulation. Owners have 15 days to appeal the designation; appeals are decided by technical panels. Once final, the owner must demolish the structure within a period not exceeding 90 days. Failure to do so allows the administration to demolish ex officio.

Rent assistance: Owners, tenants and holders of limited real rights over the vacated structure receive monthly rent aid from the Ministry. 2026 İstanbul: Per İBB Council Resolution, owners in risky areas and reserve zones receive up to 48 months of monthly TRY 18,000 (TRY 20,000 for retirees); tenants receive up to 12 months of TRY 18,000. Applications must be filed within 1 year of vacating or 3 months of demolition. Payments are made through Ziraat Bank on the 15th of each month.

Financing: Urban renewal loans with interest support, construction assistance and reserve zone allocation are organised under the Ministry. Interest support rates are determined by Presidential decree.

Examples

  • 1.A 1975 apartment in Kartal, İstanbul received a risky-structure designation; owners agreed with a contractor to demolish within 90 days, each owner received TRY 18,000 monthly rent aid for 18 months, and each got one unit in the rebuilt structure.
  • 2.A contractor agrees to demolish and rebuild at their own cost — returning units to owners under a 'floor-for-land' exchange; additional units the contractor sells.
  • 3.A 'reserve construction zone' declared by the Ministry is used to rehouse owners of risky structures elsewhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can request a risky-structure designation?expand_more
Any single owner's request is sufficient (Law 6306 art. 3). Consent of all owners is not required. The designation is made by Ministry-licensed firms; cost is borne by the owner but is recoverable under the urban renewal scheme. The Ministry can also order inspections on its own initiative.
Can I appeal a risky-structure designation?expand_more
Yes. You have **15 days** from service of the designation (increased from 2 days by the 2023 amendment). Appeals are reviewed by a technical panel of university academics and Ministry experts. A 'not risky' finding halts the process.
When does rent aid stop?expand_more
Rent aid stops when the new unit is delivered, or when the Ministry-set period expires (as of 2026 in İstanbul: 48 months for owners, 12 months for tenants). The same person cannot receive rent aid for multiple properties of the same type; housing + commercial combinations count as different types.
Can I be forced into renewal without majority approval?expand_more
Under Law 6306, once a risky-structure designation is final, a **two-thirds majority** of owners can decide on demolition/rebuild and enforce it on other owners. A dissenting owner's share can be sold through enforcement. In 2024 the Constitutional Court annulled some aspects of the 2/3 mechanism — verify the current state with a lawyer or land registry.

Related Terms

Urban TransformationReserve Construction AreaBuilding PermitCondominium Ownership

Sources

  • • Law 6306 on Transformation of Areas under Disaster Risk (31.05.2012)
  • • Implementing Regulation of Law 6306
  • • İBB Council Resolution no. 1277 dated 12.11.2025 (2026 rent aid figures)

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Last updated: 2026-04-24