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Turkish tenancy agreement (kira sözleşmesi) translation
Certified English translation of a Turkish tenancy agreement (kira sözleşmesi), including the printed stationery form with its handwritten special conditions and inventory, notarised leases and commercial leases, for Appendix FM rental-income evidence, HMRC, lenders and the family court.
What the receiving body requires
“Where any specified documents provided are not in English or Welsh, the applicant must provide the original and a full translation that can be independently verified by the Entry Clearance Officer, Immigration Officer or the Secretary of State. The translation must be dated and include: (i) confirmation that it is an accurate translation of the original document; (ii) the full name and signature of the translator or an authorised official of the translation company; (iii) the translator or translation company's contact details; and (iv) if the applicant is applying for leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain, certification by a qualified translator and details of the translator or translation company's credentials.”
Source:
· checked 29 August 2026What a Turkish tenancy agreement looks like
Residential and commercial lettings in Türkiye fall under the Code of Obligations No. 6098 (Türk Borçlar Kanunu). The great majority of homes are let on the printed form sold by stationers (matbu kira kontratı), a folded sheet with the landlord (kiraya veren) and tenant (kiracı) named with their T.C. kimlik numbers, the address, the use (mesken for a home, işyeri for business premises), the monthly rent in figures and in words, the annual total, the deposit (depozito), the start date and term, and a guarantor (kefil) who signs at the foot. The reverse carries the printed general conditions (genel şartlar) in small type, an inventory of fixtures (demirbaş) and a box for special conditions (özel şartlar), which is where the landlord writes, by hand, the rent-increase rule, the payment day and anything about pets, painting or subletting. Some landlords have the form certified by a notary (noter tasdikli kira sözleşmesi), and many ask the tenant to sign a separate eviction undertaking (tahliye taahhütnamesi) at the same time. Commercial leases are bespoke and longer.
We translate the front and the reverse, the general conditions in full, the handwritten special conditions, the inventory, the rent written out in words, the guarantor block, any notary annotation and any stamp-duty note. Where the handwriting cannot be read we mark the word as illegible rather than guess.
Where it is used in the UK
- Spouse or partner visa. Rental income from property counts as non-employment income under Appendix FM, and Appendix FM-SE lists the tenancy agreement among the required evidence, next to the title deeds and bank statements showing the rent arriving. Read translations for a spouse or partner visa.
- HMRC. Foreign property income declared on the self-assessment foreign pages, and enquiries into it.
- Mortgage lenders. Overseas rental income in an affordability calculation, where the lender's policy allows it.
- Family court. Income and asset disclosure after a divorce.
- Home Office visitor visa. A tenancy in your name, as tenant or landlord, is evidence of ties to Türkiye.
- UK landlords and letting agents. A previous Turkish landlord's reference, which we translate with the lease if asked. See translations for landlords and letting agents.
What the translation must contain
For the visa use, paragraph 1(j) of Appendix FM-SE, quoted below, sets the standard, and our certificate answers each item with our company credentials for leave to remain and ILR cases. Terms are rendered consistently: kefil as guarantor, depozito as deposit, tahliye taahhütnamesi as eviction undertaking, and rent figures in lira with the code TRY. An increase clause that refers to the consumer price index (TÜFE) is translated with a note explaining that Turkish law caps annual increases at the twelve-month average of that index, since the rent on the form will not be the rent actually being paid several years later.
Why caseworkers query Turkish leases
The form is dated when the tenancy began, and Turkish tenancies renew tacitly year after year, so a contract from 2016 may still be the only document for a tenant who is paying rent today. A caseworker or underwriter reading a nine-year-old lease will doubt that it is current. The cure is to send bank statements showing the rent arriving each month; rent must now be paid through a bank in Türkiye, so the statements exist. Send the bank statements with the lease and we translate the two together so names and amounts match.
A lease is a private contract and is not apostilled. A notarised lease carries the notary's certification, which we translate, but that is a Turkish evidential formality and no UK body has asked for it.
Price and turnaround
The stationery form, front and reverse, comes to 2 or 3 pages of 1,000 characters, so £20.00 to £30.00; the eviction undertaking is one more page; a bespoke commercial lease is 5 to 10 pages. Certification is part of the price and there is no UK VAT. The certified PDF is ready in 1 to 2 working days, half that with the fast option at 60 per cent more, double that with the economy option at 20 per cent less. A signed hard copy by courier from Ankara costs £30. We do not have a UK office, so collection is not offered.
What you receive
- Translation of the full lease, including printed general conditions, handwritten special conditions, inventory and guarantor block
- Certificate meeting Appendix FM-SE paragraph 1(j) and the gov.uk wording, with company credentials
- Note on the TÜFE increase rule where the lease refers to it
- Certified PDF by e-mail; courier hard copy optional
Frequently asked questions
Is the tenancy agreement enough on its own for Appendix FM rental income?
No. Appendix FM-SE wants proof of ownership, the lease, and bank statements showing the rent received over the relevant period. The lease alone shows the agreed rent, not that it is being paid.
My tenant pays in cash and there is no written contract.
Then there is nothing to translate, and the income will be hard to prove to any UK body. A written lease can be signed now for the current year, and rent paid through a bank from then on will build the evidence.
Do you really translate the tiny printed conditions on the back?
Yes. They are part of the contract and a certified translation has to be complete. They add about one page to the count.
What is the tahliye taahhütnamesi and should it be included?
It is a separate undertaking by the tenant to vacate on a stated date, which landlords use to secure possession. If a UK reader is assessing the security of your rental income it is relevant, and it is one short page.
The lease is in my mother's name but the rent comes to my account.
We translate the lease as it stands. A caseworker will ask why the money reaches you, so a short signed statement from your mother, translated with the lease, is worth adding.