Commercial letting is not the workplace version of residential letting. Tax, termination, cost allocation and valuation all work differently.
This guide collects those differences for anyone letting or taking commercial space in Küçükçekmece.
Tax: withholding applies, no exemption
In a residential tenancy the landlord declares the income and takes an exemption. Commercial letting works the other way round:
- Withholding. The tenant deducts tax when paying the rent and remits it. The tenant effectively pays part of the landlord's tax at source.
- No exemption. The residential exemption (₺58,000 for 2026) does not apply.
- A declaration threshold exists. If gross rent stays below it and withholding has been applied, a return may not be required; for 2025 income that threshold was ₺330,000.
Gross-versus-net confusion. The commonest commercial dispute is whether the figure in the lease is gross or net. It makes a substantial difference and must be stated explicitly: "the monthly rent is ₺… gross / net."
Rent increases: same cap, different practice
The legal cap on commercial leases is also the twelve-month average CPI — the same as residential.
In practice there is a difference: on long commercial leases the parties may agree foreign-currency-indexed or turnover-based arrangements. These depend on bargaining power and are common between chain brands and small landlords.
For the calculation, see our rent increase guide.
Termination works differently
Residential tenants enjoy strong statutory protection. Commercial tenants are protected too, but the ten-year extension rule carries particular weight on the commercial side: in defined circumstances, at the end of the extension period the landlord may terminate without giving a reason.
That is a serious risk for a tenant. A business invests in its premises for years: signage, fit-out, customer habit. All of that is tied to the address and lost on a move.
For tenants: take a long lease and, if possible, secure a renewal option. Assignment rights (transferring the tenancy when you sell the business) should also be dealt with — otherwise you cannot sell your business.
For landlords: a tenant growing their business is in your interest too. A long lease with regular increases beats frequent turnover and void periods.
Shared costs and fit-out
Residential service charges are largely standard. Commercial property has three separate headings, each of which needs its own clause:
1. Shared cost allocation. In mixed blocks with shops at street level, the management agreement may set a different share for commercial units. Read it before signing.
2. Fit-out consent. The tenant will alter the interior. What requires consent, how signage and the façade may be used, and who is responsible where a permit is needed — all should be written down.
3. Reinstatement on exit. Does the tenant restore the premises, or does the fit-out stay? This is the most argued point at the end of a commercial tenancy and it is settled by one line.
Valuation: footfall, not floor area
Price per square metre is a meaningful measure for a home. For a shop it is not.
What sets a shop's value:
- Footfall. How many people pass, and at what times of day?
- Frontage width. A long shopfront is worth far more than a deep, narrow unit.
- Corner position. A double-frontage unit commands a clear premium.
- Level. At street level, or a few steps up or down? Even one step reduces entries.
- Neighbouring trade. Similar businesses side by side raise demand in some sectors and split it in others.
- Parking and loading access.
The strongest axis in Küçükçekmece on these measures is the E-5 corridor: Kartaltepe, Fevzi Çakmak and Tevfikbey. The area around the Sefaköy metrobüs stop carries the district's heaviest footfall.
Populous neighbourhoods are also strong for local trade: Kanarya (67,272 residents), Mehmet Akif (53,351), Cumhuriyet (51,065) — here value comes not from passing footfall but from a resident customer base.
Checklist before letting
- Occupancy permit and permitted use — is the property formally commercial? Operating a business in residentially permitted space creates consent problems.
- Management agreement — does it allow commercial use? Some buildings prohibit certain activities.
- Can a licence be obtained? Municipal licensing requirements for your business type (food, entertainment and healthcare have separate rules).
- Signage consent and fees
- Electrical capacity — sufficient for commercial use? Upgrading is costly.
- Is the rent gross or net — state it explicitly
- Who bears the withholding — the deduction sits with the tenant by law, but a net-rent agreement shifts the burden to the landlord
- Assignment rights — can the tenancy transfer when the business is sold?
- Fit-out and reinstatement — in writing
- Term and renewal option
A commercial lease should be considerably longer and more detailed than a residential one. A short commercial lease usually works against one of the parties.