Most new owners think the choice is between a cheap cleaner and an expensive agency. The real difference is who carries the risk.
Hire an individual regularly and you may become an employer without meaning to. Hire through a company and that exposure sits with them. The price gap looks large until you price that in.
This guide covers where to find people and how the agency and individual routes differ. It also sets out what to do about repairs, how payment works and how to run all of it from another country. Practices vary by city and by building, and employment rules change. Take local advice before hiring anyone regularly.
Settle this first. Everything else follows from it.
| Through an agency | An individual directly | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per visit | Higher | Lower |
| Employment exposure | Theirs | Potentially yours |
| If someone does not turn up | They send a replacement | You start again |
| Vetting | Done for you | Yours to do |
| Language | Usually handled | Often a barrier |
| Continuity | Staff can change | Same person, if it works |
| Damage and disputes | A company to address | A private arrangement |
The second row is the one foreign owners miss. Employing someone regularly in Turkey brings obligations around registration, contributions and notice. A weekly cleaner paid in cash over two years is not obviously a casual arrangement.
For occasional work the question barely arises. For anything regular it does, and the framework is set out in our guide to Turkish labour law.
Anyone from abroad working for you needs the right permission to work. Hiring without it creates risk for the employer, not only for the worker.
Six routes, in the order that usually works.
The first three share one advantage. These people can be found again. Someone connected to your building has a reason to do the job properly, because they will see you and the manager next week.
A separate job from regular cleaning, and worth treating that way.
A property handed over after construction or after a previous owner needs a deep clean. That means construction dust in every joint, ventilation grilles, inside cupboards, balcony surfaces, windows and frames.
Book it as a one-off with a defined scope, not by the hour. Hourly pricing on a deep clean rewards slowness. Agree what is included, in writing, and inspect before paying.
Two things to add to the scope that people forget: the air conditioning filters and the water tank or filters if the property has been empty. Both matter more in this climate than the surfaces you can see.
Three formats, and the right one depends on how you use the property.
| Format | Suits | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly or fortnightly visit | Full-time residents | Most common arrangement |
| Between stays | Seasonal owners and holiday lets | Booked around arrivals |
| Monthly check and air | Empty property | Cheapest, and prevents most problems |
The third row is the one seasonal owners skip and regret. A closed apartment in a coastal building takes on damp over a winter. A monthly visit to open the windows costs little and prevents a repaint.
Agree what regular cleaning includes. Windows, balconies, inside appliances and laundry are commonly outside a standard visit and are charged separately if you assume otherwise.
The dividing line runs at your front door, and it is worth knowing before something breaks.
That last point is why insurance matters more than owners expect. A burst pipe in an empty apartment can damage two flats below. What your policy covers, and what needs separate cover, is set out in our guide to property insurance in Turkey.
For anything structural, check with the building before you commission work. Alterations that affect the structure or the facade usually need approval.
Five habits that prevent the common problems.
Keep the receipts even when nothing is wrong. They matter for warranty claims, for insurance and for the next buyer, who will ask what has been done to the property.
A bigger job with its own rules, and the rules come from the building as much as the municipality.
Most buildings restrict construction noise to weekday daytime hours. Sundays and holidays are usually excluded. Notify the management before starting, because most management plans require it.
Telling the neighbours yourself changes how the fortnight goes. A neighbour who was warned tolerates drilling. One who was not starts complaining on day two, and complaints reach the manager rather than you.
Structural changes and anything affecting the facade need approval, sometimes from the municipality as well as the building. For work on houses rather than apartments, the considerations differ and are set out in our guide to villa construction in Turkey.
A practical area where habits differ from many countries.
Cash is common for small jobs and for domestic help. Bank transfer is normal for agencies and larger work. For anything regular or substantial, transfer is better for you: it creates a record.
Ask for a receipt on every job above a trivial amount. An invoice from a company, a written acknowledgement from an individual. Without one you have no warranty claim and no evidence for insurance.
A Turkish account makes all of this easier. It also lets you set up standing payments for the building charge and utilities. The process is set out in our guide to opening a Turkish bank account.
Keep a local mobile number active too. Almost everyone here coordinates by messaging. A number that stops working means you stop hearing from your cleaner and your plumber. The options are covered in our guide to mobile communications in Turkey.
The part that decides whether any of this works when you are not there.
You need one person who can let someone in. A neighbour, the building manager or a paid caretaker. Without that, no service can be arranged at all, because there is nobody to open the door.
Where someone needs to act formally on your behalf, a power of attorney may be required. Keep it narrow and specific rather than general — the rules are set out in our guide to powers of attorney in Turkey.
The question everyone worries about and few handle systematically.
Somebody will have keys to your property. The realistic approach is to control who, rather than to avoid it.
The key safe solves more problems than it creates. You give a one-time code instead of a physical key, and change it afterwards. It removes the need to trust anyone with permanent access.
When you book affects both price and who is available.
| Period | Availability | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Summer on the coast | Everyone is busy | Book well ahead, expect higher prices |
| Autumn and spring | Good | The best window for renovation |
| Winter on the coast | Quiet, some tradespeople leave | Cheapest, but confirm they are still working |
| Around major holidays | Very limited | Nothing gets done, plan around it |
Plan renovation for autumn or spring. Summer is expensive and slow because everyone is working on holiday lets. Winter is cheap and you may struggle to find people in resort towns.
Is it cheaper to hire someone directly?
Per visit, yes. But regular direct hiring can create employment obligations around registration, contributions and notice. For anything recurring, price that in before comparing.
How do I find a reliable cleaner?
Start with the building manager and the neighbours. People connected to your building have a reason to do the job well, because they will see you again next week.
Who pays for repairs to shared pipes?
It depends on where the fault is and what the building rules say. Faults inside your apartment are yours; shared risers and common parts are the building’s. The grey zone is worth clarifying with the manager before it matters.
Do I need permission to renovate?
For structural work and anything affecting the facade, yes, from the building and sometimes the municipality. For internal cosmetic work, notification to the management is usually enough.
Should I pay in cash?
It is common for small jobs. For anything regular or substantial, use a transfer and ask for a receipt. Without documentation you have no warranty claim and no evidence for insurance.
How do I manage work while abroad?
You need one person who can let people in, photographs before and after, staged payment and an independent inspection. A single coordinator is easier than four contractors across a language barrier.
When is the best time to renovate?
Autumn or spring. Summer is expensive and slow on the coast, and winter can leave you short of available tradespeople in resort areas.
Everything above is easy to arrange in the weeks after handover, when you are in the country and have time. It is much harder to arrange from abroad six months later, in a hurry, because something has gone wrong. The owners who find this straightforward are the ones who set it up early. DDA Real Estate is a real estate agency in Turkey. We work across Antalya, Alanya, Istanbul, Izmir, Bodrum and Mersin, and our work does not stop at the signature.
Explore our listings in Turkey and get in touch: we will connect you with the building management and hand over tradespeople who have already worked in the same complex. We will also help you set up the first clean and the utility accounts while you are still here.
