A bad tenant costs many times more than an empty flat: unpaid rent, an eviction process that runs for months or years, legal fees, and a worn-out property at the end of it. A good tenant, by contrast, is an income stream that runs silently for years without a phone call.

The difference is usually decided in the week before the lease is signed. This matters double for owners who live abroad: you will not be nearby to notice early warning signs, so the filter at the door is most of your protection. Here is how that filter works in Turkey: what to check, which documents to ask for, and which signals should stop you.

The income check: the one-third rule

The first and clearest filter is income. The rule is the one most rental markets use: the rent should not exceed one third of the tenant's documentable net income. For a flat at 45,000 lira, the candidate needs regular net income around 135,000 lira.

The ratio is not arbitrary. A rent burden above one third is the first payment to slip when an unexpected expense lands. Documents you can reasonably ask for in Turkey:

  • Employees: the last three months' payslips and the SGK (social security) employment record
  • Self-employed: the vergi levhası (the tax registration certificate every Turkish business holds) and the latest income tax return
  • Retirees: a pension letter or bank statement
  • If income falls short: a guarantor, or an offer of advance payment

Asking for these documents is not rude; it is standard. A candidate who resists sharing paperwork will not become more transparent later in the tenancy.

The Findeks score: Turkey's tenant report

Findeks is the consumer credit-history score run by the Turkish Credit Bureau (KKB), and it is the most concrete screening instrument available. Ask the candidate to pull their own Findeks report (score plus debt position) and share it; it takes a few minutes in the mobile app.

The request has become so normal in the Istanbul market that serious candidates often bring the report unprompted. A candidate who avoids sharing it usually has a record they would rather not show; do not presume bad faith, but do insist on hearing the explanation.

When reading the report, do not stop at the headline score:

  1. Score level: above roughly 1500 generally signals a regular payment habit
  2. Overdue debt: any active delinquency deserves attention, however small the amount
  3. Total debt load: a high earner whose card and loan instalments swallow the income will still struggle on rent day

Findeks also offers a tenant-focused report product, which you can request with the candidate's consent.

The reference call: five minutes on the phone

Calling the previous landlord is the oldest method and still the most effective. Three questions are enough:

  • Did they pay on time?
  • How did they treat the flat — any problems with neighbours?
  • Would you rent to this tenant again?

Even a one-second hesitation on the third question tells you something. If the candidate is a corporate employee, verify the employment too. Note also that a corporate lease (the company as tenant) is often more secure than an individual contract.

To be sure the number you were given really belongs to the previous landlord, run a small cross-check: hear the address, tenancy length and reason for leaving from candidate and referee separately. If the two accounts match, relax; if they diverge, widen the document set.

Red flags in the viewing and the conversation

The warning signs we see repeatedly in the field:

  • Excessive urgency: "let's sign today, I'll move in tomorrow" — the candidate should be able to explain why they are leaving their current home this fast
  • Reluctance on documents: changing the subject when payslips or Findeks are mentioned
  • Negotiation opening with the deposit: "I'll pay it later" or "in two instalments" signals cash-flow trouble
  • Vagueness about who will live there: a signer different from the actual occupants means no counterparty when you need one
  • Inconsistent statements: the job described on the phone not matching the employer on the documents

One signal alone is not a rejection; two or three together almost always are.

Five questions to ask at the viewing

Documents tell you the numbers; the conversation tells you the fit. Work these five questions naturally into the viewing:

  1. "Where do you live now, and why are you moving?" Clear answers (job change, marriage, need for space) build confidence; evasive ones go in your notes
  2. "Who will live in the flat?" Headcount and profile affect both wear and neighbour dynamics
  3. "How long do you plan to stay?" Plans under a year mean re-listing costs and vacancy for you
  4. "Any pets?" Even if pets are fine with you, a knowing yes beats a later discovery
  5. "When is your moving date?" Listen to the reason behind any urgency; reasonable urgency is normal, unexplained haste is not

The aim is to match expectations on both sides. In the same conversation, be honest about the flat's own quirks. Openness on day one sets the tone of the tenancy.

Protect yourself in the contract

Finding the right candidate is half the job; building the contract correctly is the other half. The minimum safeguards:

  • Deposit: the legal ceiling is three months' rent; one to two months is common Istanbul practice
  • Vacate undertaking (tahliye taahhütnamesi): signed separately from, and later than, the lease — it shortens any future eviction dramatically
  • Guarantor: for young or borderline-income candidates, require a joint guarantor, with the amount and term written in the guarantor's own hand
  • Inventory list and handover protocol: a photographed protocol ends most deposit arguments before they start

Every clause is covered in detail in what a Turkish rental agreement must include. On annual increases, remember the legal ceiling is the CPI twelve-month average. The current rate is in the rent increase calculator.

Make it a system

The flow we recommend is simple: pre-filter on the phone at the listing stage, form an impression at the viewing, request the document set from a serious candidate, sign when the documents are clean. The whole sequence takes about a week and protects you from problems that can run for years.

When candidates are plentiful, do not rush — choosing between two strong candidates beats being stuck with one weak one. When candidates are scarce, do not lower the standard; review the listing and the price instead.

If you would rather have someone run this screening on your behalf, from the first phone filter to the signed contract, we do all of it as part of our letting service. For owners abroad it continues into ongoing property management. The natural starting point is a free valuation, where we also tell you what tenant profile your flat will attract.