TURKIYE
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A mountain house with a pool at Kartepe Panorama.
A cabin or villa listing can seem complete: a private pool, an attractive view and a tempting price. Yet the decision depends on details the photographs do not show. Are you booking that exact unit? Who undertakes to provide it? Which authorisation applies to it? And what happens to your payment if plans change?
This guide puts the checks in a practical order before you pay a booking deposit, whether for a short stay in Sapanca or the Black Sea region, or a coastal villa holiday. Start with the property and the written offer, then consider payment.
Identify what you are booking before asking about authorisation
“Cabin”, “bungalow” and “villa” describe accommodation styles. The unit might form part of a hotel or other tourism establishment, or it might be a dwelling rented for tourism purposes. Ask for the establishment’s or dwelling’s official name, full address, unit name or number, and the status of the party offering it. A marketing label does not establish which regulatory category applies.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism explains that dwelling rentals of 100 days or fewer at a time fall under the tourist-rental permit regime, even where the stay is for work, study or medical treatment, and that the permit number must appear in the advertisement. Its Turkish name is Turizm Amaçlı Kiralama İzin Belgesi. This is not an annual allowance, and describing a rental as “monthly” does not automatically take it outside the regime. The rental permit regulates use of the dwelling; it does not grant the tenant immigration residence rights.
For a unit within an accommodation establishment, request the applicable operating certificate, such as Turizm İşletmesi Belgesi or Basit Konaklama Turizm İşletmesi Belgesi, depending on its status. Check the document type and status in the Ministry’s establishment register. An application or investment certificate does not automatically establish operating approval. The Ministry warns that search data are updated periodically; seek official clarification if the status remains unclear.
For a dwelling, request a legible permit copy and match its holder, number, date, address and maximum occupancy to the listing and agreement. If one document covers several units, ask for evidence that the advertised unit is included; a permit for a complex or a nearby address is not enough on its own.
For an independent check, open the Ministry’s licensed-dwellings portal and proceed to its register. Compare the permit number, permit holder and province; do not assume that the register displays the unit’s full address. A permit photograph sent in a chat is not, by itself, independent verification, and a missing search result alone does not establish a violation. If details conflict or the unit cannot be identified, contact the provincial Culture and Tourism Directorate using its official contact details before paying. Do not send personal documents to an unidentified account simply because it asks for them as part of “booking procedures”.
Make sure the listing, agreement and payment refer to the same booking
Someone may manage bookings on the owner’s behalf, or a platform may collect the payment. Different names require a written explanation you can check; they do not automatically establish that an offer is improper. Ask who contracts with you, who manages the unit, who issues the booking confirmation and payment record, and why the named recipient will receive the money.
| What to check |  What to request |
|---|---|
| The advertised unit | The full address, map location and unit name or number, with confirmation that the photographs show the unit being booked. |
| Authorisation | The document type and number, and the establishment or dwelling details. Match the address rather than relying on a logo or a photograph of a plaque. |
| The contracting party | Its legal name and role, plus contact details you can verify independently of the message you received. |
| The payment recipient | The recipient’s name, its relationship to the contracting party, and a record linking the amount to your dates and unit. |
| Final confirmation | Guest numbers and children’s ages, dates, the unit, total price, cancellation terms and key collection arrangements. |
For tourist rental dwellings, you may book directly with the eligible lessor. Where another party carries out the rental activity, Article 3(5) of Law 7464 provides for intermediation through a licensed Group A travel agency. An explanation of the intermediary’s relationship to the owner is therefore not enough: check its status and authorisation where it performs that role.
When dealing with a travel agency, look it up in the TÜRSAB agency register and use the DDS digital verification system to check the website you are dealing with. Make sure the verification page is on the genuine tursab.org.tr domain, rather than a lookalike. A copied association logo is insufficient: match the agency name, website and contact details, then establish the payment recipient’s relationship to the contracting party. This check applies to an intermediary acting as a travel agency; it does not mean every dwelling owner must be registered with TÜRSAB, nor does registration guarantee the unit or a refund.
If you receive a last-minute request to use different bank details, confirm the change through the official contact channel you previously verified. When booking through a platform, check how paying outside it would affect the booking’s protection and terms. A conversation on the platform does not mean an external bank transfer is covered by its services.
Separate the price, booking deposit and damage deposit
Request one clear offer stating the total and currency, rather than a series of amounts scattered across messages. Declare every guest at the outset. Ask about compulsory costs and optional services you actually need, such as pool heating, fuel or additional cleaning.
| Item |  What to establish before paying |
|---|---|
| Total accommodation cost | The amount for all nights and guests, included taxes and charges, and any excluded services. |
| Booking deposit | Its amount, whether it is deducted from the total, what confirms the reservation, and when the balance is due. |
| Damage deposit | Whether money is collected or temporarily held on a card; the amount, release or repayment arrangements, and the grounds and documentation for deductions. |
| Cancellation and changes | The exact deadline, including the time and local time zone; the amount due in each case; and whether dates can be changed and on what terms. |
| Failure to provide the stay | What happens if the host cannot provide the agreed unit, offers a substitute, or access becomes impossible? Request written terms without assuming an automatic refund. |
The word “deposit” alone does not explain refundability. “Free cancellation” also needs a defined deadline and conditions. Ask how late arrival, a no-show, significant service interruptions and weather preventing access are handled, and keep the answers with the offer. Do not assume that changing your mind after payment gives you a general right to recover the money for every booking.
Turn important features into details you can check
Privacy: “Private pool” may mean exclusive use by your unit; it does not establish that neighbours or people on the road cannot see it. Request recent photographs taken from seating level around the pool, and ask about higher buildings overlooking it. Establish whether the garden, entrance and parking are shared, who may enter for maintenance, and how visits are arranged during your stay.
Pool and heating: Confirm that the pool will operate on your dates and that heating is included if it is essential to your booking. Ask about the heating system, when it runs, and what the host can confirm about water temperature. Having a heater does not guarantee a constant temperature in every weather condition. For children, ask about depth and how access from the accommodation to the water is separated, and plan direct supervision. A whirlpool bath and a swimming pool are different amenities.
Photographs: Request a recent, continuous video of the specific unit, showing the entrance, rooms, bathroom and outdoor area. Compare it with the photographs, map location and written details. A video can reduce uncertainty, but does not itself establish ownership or authority to let the unit. If photographs are described as “representative”, ask what will differ before agreeing.
Access and services: Check the final approach, rather than just the distance on a map. Is it suitable for your vehicle? Where will you park? How many steps separate the parking place from the door? Ask about arriving after dark and meeting someone for check-in, as well as room heating, hot water and connectivity if the property is remote. If a fireplace matters to you, request operating instructions and details of included fuel. Do not operate an unfamiliar appliance based on advertising photographs.
Living space, kitchen and stairs at Kartepe Panorama; check the layout of the specific unit you intend to book.
A message to send before paying a booking deposit
I would like to book from [arrival date] to [departure date] for [number of adults] and [children and their ages]. Please confirm:
The access road, parking and steps, check-in and check-out times, and the contact number of the person responsible during the stay.
Please send a written offer bringing these details together before payment.
Keep the listing, offer, confirmation, terms and payment record together on your phone, with a copy available offline. If an essential answer remains unclear, pause the payment decision until it is resolved. Pressure to secure the “last unit” cannot replace knowing what you are booking.
On arrival and before departure
Match the address and unit name to your confirmation. Before settling in, check the features that determined your choice: bed numbers, hot water and heating, pool condition and the agreed privacy arrangements. Photograph existing faults on arrival and send them to the host through the same booking channel, asking for them to be recorded so they are not confused with damage attributed to you at departure.
If the unit differs from the offer, describe the specific discrepancy and request a written solution. Before accepting a substitute, establish its location, capacity and services, and how it affects the price and terms. At departure, agree on the condition check and key handover, and keep the handover confirmation and damage-deposit records. If a dispute arises, gather the documents and start with the booking support channel or relevant authority, depending on the problem. No single payment method or document guarantees a solution to every dispute.
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