The handover is the last hour in which problems belong to somebody else. After the keys change hands and the final payment clears, every defect in the property is yours.
Most buyers and tenants treat that hour as a formality. They accept the keys, sign what is put in front of them and discover the issues over the following weeks, with no leverage left.
This guide covers what to inspect before the final payment and what to write into the handover record. It also sets out the order in which utilities connect and what to do in the first week. Procedures vary by municipality and provider, so confirm local requirements.
Inspection belongs before the money moves, not after. Once the balance is paid, repairs become a negotiation you no longer have leverage in.
Go through the property with a list. What to check, room by room:
Photograph every defect with the date visible. A list without photographs becomes a disagreement about what was there on the day.
A signed document at handover is the difference between a complaint and a claim.
It should state the condition of the property, list the defects found, set a deadline for fixing them and record what is being handed over. Both sides sign, both keep a copy.
| What to record | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Defects with photographs | Establishes what existed before you moved in |
| Deadline for repairs | Turns a promise into an obligation |
| Meter readings for all utilities | Separates your consumption from the previous occupant’s |
| Inventory of furniture and appliances | With models, so substitutions are visible |
| Number of key sets handed over | Tells you how many exist |
| Access cards, fobs and parking space | Often forgotten and awkward to obtain later |
Hold back part of the payment where the contract allows it. A retained amount released once the listed defects are fixed does more than any verbal assurance. What such terms should contain is set out in the guide to the sale and purchase agreement.
This is the check that costs money if skipped, and it takes one phone call.
Unpaid building charges and utility arrears attach to the property rather than to the person who ran them up. A new owner can inherit them along with the keys.
Get written confirmation from the building management that nothing is outstanding. Do the same with the electricity and water providers. Ask for it before the final payment, not after.
For resale purchases this sits alongside the wider verification work, and the full sequence is covered in the due diligence guide for resale property.
Small step, disproportionate value.
Photograph every meter on handover day: electricity, water and gas where present. Capture the serial number and the reading in the same frame, and note the date.
The first bill often covers a period before you arrived. With dated photographs the correction takes one visit to the provider. Without them it becomes your bill.
Connections have prerequisites, and starting them out of sequence wastes days.
| Step | What it needs | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Tax number | Passport | Required for everything that follows |
| Earthquake insurance | Title or tenancy, property details | Precondition for utility contracts |
| Electricity | Tax number, ID, insurance policy, deposit | Usually the first connection |
| Water | Same set, plus the property documents | Municipal provider |
| Gas | Same set, plus a safety inspection where applicable | Not available in every building |
| Internet | Address and ID | Longest lead time, start early |
The compulsory earthquake policy sits earlier in the chain than people expect. Without it the utility contracts stall, so arrange it first. What the cover includes is set out in the guide to property insurance in Turkey.
Start the internet order before you move. Installation appointments run days or weeks out, and remote work does not pause for them.
An administrative step that unlocks several others.
Your address is recorded in the national population system. That record matters for residence applications, official correspondence and a range of services that ask to verify where you live.
Do it in the first weeks rather than when something depends on it. The registration needs your tenancy or ownership document and identification, and it is straightforward when the paperwork is already in order.
Half of what shapes daily life sits outside your front door, and the handover is when to sort it out. Six things to settle:
Ask for the minutes of recent owners’ meetings if you have bought. They show what work is planned and whether a special assessment is coming. The broader picture of running costs is set out in the guide to costs and property management in Turkey.
Five things worth doing before you settle in:
The second item is the one people wish they had done. In a building where water damage reaches the flats below, knowing your own shut-off valve is the difference between a wet floor and a claim.
Owners have a few steps tenants do not.
Confirm the occupancy permit exists for the building and covers your unit. A property without it is not formally complete, whatever its condition, and that affects utilities and future resale.
Check that the title is fully registered in your name and reflects what you bought. Floor, unit number and share. What the permit establishes is set out in the guide to the occupancy permit in Turkey.
Register for the annual property tax with the municipality, and set up standing payments for the building charge. What is owed once and what recurs is set out in the overview of registration and annual expenses.
Tenants have a different set, and the condition record matters most.
Photograph the whole property before moving anything in. Every room, every surface, every existing mark. That set of images is what your deposit rests on at the end of the tenancy.
Confirm who pays what. Building charge, utilities and repairs are divided differently between landlords in Turkey. The split belongs in the contract rather than in an understanding.
Register the tenancy properly and keep every payment traceable. Cash without receipts leaves you without evidence when it matters.
Possible, and it needs one decision made properly.
A representative can accept the property on your behalf, sign the handover record and collect keys. The quality of that inspection is entirely a function of who you send.
Send someone independent, not the agent who sold to you. A surveyor or your own lawyer, with the checklist and instructions to photograph everything. The rules for authorising them are set out in the guide to powers of attorney in Turkey.
Ask for a live video call during the inspection. It costs nothing and lets you direct attention to what concerns you.
A short sequence that gets the practical side settled:
The last item prevents the most common expat problem here. Arrears accumulate quietly while you are abroad, and they attach to the property rather than following you.
What is the most important thing to do at handover?
Sign a record listing defects with photographs and a deadline for repairs, and photograph every meter. Both take minutes and both decide later disputes.
Can I inherit the previous owner’s debts?
Unpaid building charges and utility arrears attach to the property. Get written clearance from the management and the providers before the final payment.
What comes first, insurance or utilities?
Insurance. The compulsory earthquake policy is a precondition for utility contracts, so arranging it first avoids a stalled connection.
How long does internet installation take?
It has the longest lead time of the utilities, often days or weeks. Place the order before you move rather than after.
Should I change the locks?
Yes. You cannot know how many keys exist or who holds them. It is routine practice, inexpensive and worth doing immediately.
Do I need to register my address?
Yes. The record is used for residence applications, official correspondence and various services. Do it in the first weeks.
Can someone accept the property for me?
Yes, under a power of attorney. Send someone independent rather than the selling agent, and ask for a live video call during the inspection.
It sounds trivial and it changes the outcome. On a weekday morning the management is in the office and the utility providers answer the phone. You also have a full day to resolve anything the inspection turns up. A Friday evening handover leaves you with a list of problems and nobody to call until Monday. DDA Real Estate is a real estate agency in Turkey. We work across Antalya, Alanya, Istanbul, Izmir, Bodrum and Mersin, and we attend handovers with clients rather than handing over a set of keys.
Look at our offers in Turkey and leave a request: tell us when your handover is scheduled. We will send the inspection checklist, arrange the clearance letters in advance and be there when the keys change hands.
