Türkiye Launches Social Rental Housing Programme in Istanbul

Türkiye is launching its first dedicated social rental housing programme, aimed at helping lower-income citizens access homes at below-market rents. The programme will initially be introduced in Istanbul, where 15,000 rental apartments are planned.

The initiative is being implemented by the Housing Development Administration of Türkiye (TOKİ) as part of the government's wider housing strategy. The first 1,071 completed apartments will form the initial stage of the programme.

Applications start on 14 September

Applications for the first 1,071 apartments will open on 14 September 2026 and remain open until 25 September. There will be no application fee, and applications will be submitted online through e-Devlet via TOKİ's housing application service.

Eligible applicants will be selected through a lottery, with the first allocation and apartment handovers scheduled to begin in October.

How much will the apartments cost to rent?

TOKİ has announced starting rental prices for four apartment types:

• 1+1: from ₺10,000 per month
• 2+1: from ₺12,000 per month
• 3+1: from ₺15,000 per month
• 4+1: from ₺18,000 per month

According to Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum, the rents have been set significantly below local market rates, with the aim of making housing more accessible and helping balance the rental market.

First-stage apartments: 1,071. Total planned rental homes in Istanbul: 15,000.

Who can apply?

The programme is designed primarily for Turkish citizens from lower-income groups. The government has said that detailed eligibility criteria will be applied to ensure the housing reaches households most in need.

According to the information released for the programme, additional criteria include age, housing ownership and household circumstances. Separate quotas may also be allocated to certain groups, including pensioners, people with disabilities, public employees, families of fallen service members and veterans, as well as residents affected by urban transformation projects.

Rental period will be limited

The apartments will not be offered as permanent subsidised housing. Under the programme, successful applicants will be able to rent the apartments for three years.

During this period, TOKİ will remain responsible for property management, maintenance and monitoring. After the three-year rental period, apartments will be vacated, maintained and allocated to new beneficiaries through the same system.

Part of a wider housing strategy

The rental programme is being introduced alongside Türkiye's broader social housing initiative, which targets 500,000 social housing units across all 81 provinces.

TOKİ describes the rental model as a new approach to its social housing mission, with the aim of increasing access to affordable housing and helping moderate excessive rental increases.

Istanbul is intended to be the starting point. If the model proves successful, the government plans to expand the approach to other parts of Türkiye.