Navigating tenant-landlord relationships can be complex, and legal tools exist to provide clarity and protection for both sides. Understanding these tools is essential because property disputes can escalate quickly and cause financial or personal stress. Clear rules and structured processes help landlords assert their rights while ensuring tenants have fair opportunities to respond.
What Is an Eviction Notice?
An eviction notice is a written promise from a tenant to leave a property on a specific future date, and you see it often in Turkish landlord-tenant law and also furnished rentals in Istanbul. It works as a unilateral legal act, so you can make a clear commitment that the landlord can rely on. It gives the landlord a direct legal path to request eviction because the promise creates a definite right. The law accepts it even if the underlying lease is oral, not a notice of eviction form, and this gives both parties a simple tool that supports clarity in the rental relationship.
Which Factors Affect the Validity of the Legal Eviction Notice?
Several conditions shape the legal strength of an eviction notice, and each one matters because courts review them carefully.
- Written notice of eviction form with a proper tenant signature
- Execution after the tenant receives the property
- A clearly stated evacuation date
- Free and voluntary consent with no pressure
- Evidence that supports timing or occupancy
- Signatures from all tenants in joint tenancies
How to Make an Eviction Notice?
You can prepare an eviction notice form letter in a simple written form, and this already meets the legal requirement. A notarised document is also possible, and it has stronger evidentiary value because the signature and date carry official confirmation. Landlords often prefer notarization because it prevents most signature or timing objections, so the enforcement process moves faster. Both formats remain valid, and the choice depends on how much certainty you want in future legal steps.
Challenging and Enforcing Eviction Notices Under Turkish Law
The eviction notice rests on Article 352/I of the Turkish Code of Obligations, so it has a clear statutory foundation. The eviction notice laws treat the tenant’s written promise as a strong and enforceable commitment, and it turns this simple act into a valid ground for ending the lease.
Under What Circumstances Can an Eviction Be Declared Invalid?
An eviction notice may be declared invalid for several reasons. The eviction fails if it was signed before the tenant received the property, or if the tenant proves coercion or mistake, or if the property is a designated family residence without the spouse’s consent, or if the lease was renewed later, or if multiple tenants were required to sign but only one did so.
A tenant usually raises invalidity during enforcement or during an eviction lawsuit. You may point to timing issues, or argue that consent was flawed, or show that the property is a family residence, or demonstrate that the lease continued after the eviction was signed. The court evaluates these objections because each one helps clarify the true circumstances.
How Can a Tenant Object to an Eviction Notice in Enforcement?
A tenant who receives an eviction order has seven days to object, so quick action matters a lot. You can challenge the signature, or question the timing, or assert family residence protection, or argue renewal of the lease, or raise other legal issues that affect the promise. A simple written eviction makes signature objections stronger because the enforcement stops until the landlord proves the signature. Additionally, according to Article 7/1(a) of Law No. 6570 on Real Estate Leases, if the tenant has stated in writing that they will vacate the property but then fails to do so, the landlord may apply to the enforcement office to request eviction.
What to do When You Get an Eviction Notice?
Tenant removal follows a clear path under enforcement rules. The landlord begins by enforcing the eviction through the Execution Office, and the office issues an eviction order that sets the timeline in motion. The tenant has seven days to object, and this short period helps prevent long delays. You see another step after objections end because the tenant receives thirty days to leave voluntarily. Forced removal happens only after this final window, and the Execution Office removes the tenant and returns the property to the landlord.
A landlord must start legal action within one month of the promised eviction date. The landlord may choose an enforcement proceeding, or they may file an eviction lawsuit, or they may send a written notice to extend the lawsuit deadline, or they may challenge objections raised by the tenant. You can understand the advantage of enforcement because it is usually faster, but the lawsuit path becomes important once the tenant stops the enforcement with a valid objection.
An eviction notice does not end the lease on its own, so the landlord must actively use it through enforcement or a lawsuit. The lease ends only after the landlord exercises the right within the one-month period, and this period is strict because the law treats it as a forfeiture deadline. The relationship continues under the same terms if the landlord misses this window, and the eviction loses all power. You can see how this rule keeps the system fair because it prevents the landlord from holding the promise over the tenant for an unlimited time.
For more detailed information on the eviction notice, you can contact us. If you need more information on renting in Istanbul, check out our blog!
FAQ:
Can an eviction notice be conditional?
Yes, an eviction can be conditional, but the conditions must be clear and legally enforceable. Ambiguous or vague conditions may lead to disputes or affect enforceability.
How long is an eviction notice?
The timeline varies depending on legal procedures, court schedules, and tenant compliance, but the lease ends only after the landlord exercises the right within the one-month period. Generally, it is faster than standard eviction lawsuits, but not immediate.
