Home Insurance in Turkey

Home insurance in Türkiye (konut sigortası) is a voluntary policy that protects a residential property and the belongings inside it against risks such as fire, lightning, explosion, water damage, storm, theft and glass breakage. It is usually built from two separate sums insured, and understanding the difference is the first step to buying the right policy.

• Building cover protects the structure and fixed elements of your flat or house: walls, floors, built-in kitchen, bathroom fittings, doors and windows. The sum insured should reflect the cost of rebuilding, not the market sale price.
• Contents cover protects what you would take with you if you moved: furniture, appliances, electronics, clothing and other personal belongings. The sum insured should reflect what it would cost to replace them today.

Owners who live in their property usually insure both. Owners who rent out a flat often insure the building and add liability cover, while tenants insure only their own contents. Many policies can also include third-party liability (for example, water leaking from your flat into a neighbour’s), alternative accommodation if the home becomes uninhabitable, and electronic equipment cover. The exact list of covers, sub-limits and deductibles depends on the insurer and the policy wording.

Setting the sums correctly matters. If the declared value is lower than the real value, the insurer may reduce the claim payment in proportion (under-insurance). We go through the sums with you room by room before the policy is issued.

DASK is Türkiye’s compulsory earthquake insurance for residential buildings, run through the Turkish Catastrophe Insurance Pool. It covers material damage to the building caused by an earthquake and by fire, explosion, tsunami or landslide following an earthquake, up to the maximum amount set for that building type. It does not cover your belongings, and the payout is capped, so in many buildings it does not match the full rebuild cost.

In practice DASK is the property owner’s responsibility, and a valid DASK policy number is commonly requested for property transactions and when opening utility subscriptions. Most insurers also expect a valid DASK policy before issuing a private home insurance policy that includes earthquake cover. If you want protection beyond the DASK limit, or earthquake cover for your contents, it can usually be added to your home insurance as an optional earthquake extension, subject to the insurer’s terms.

A package policy for the common areas of your residential complex (site), covering risks such as fire, flood, theft, glass breakage and electronic equipment damage. Read more.

Renting as a foreigner in Istanbul

Many of our English-speaking clients rent flats in Maslak, Sarıyer, Levent and the surrounding complexes. If that is your situation, a few points are worth knowing:

• DASK is your landlord’s policy, not yours. As a tenant you do not need to buy it, but it is reasonable to ask your landlord whether it is valid. Utility companies may ask for the DASK policy number when you open a subscription in your name.
• Your belongings are not covered by the landlord’s insurance. Neither DASK nor the owner’s building policy pays for your furniture, laptop or clothing. A contents policy in your own name fills that gap.
• Liability matters in apartment buildings. Water damage spreading to the flat below is one of the most common claims in multi-storey buildings. Third-party liability cover protects you if you are held responsible.
• Complex (site) policies stop at your front door. A residential complex’s package policy usually covers shared areas only. It does not replace your own contents cover.
• Documents. Foreign nationals can usually be insured with a foreign identification number (from a residence permit) or, depending on the insurer, a passport number. Policy documents are issued in Turkish; we explain every clause in English before you sign.

What we need for a quote

• Full name and Turkish ID number, foreign identification number or passport number
• Full address of the property (the address code used for DASK is helpful if you have it)
• Whether you are the owner or a tenant
• Gross floor area in square metres, year of construction, number of floors and the floor your flat is on
• Construction type of the building (for example, reinforced concrete)
• Estimated replacement value of your contents, plus any high-value items such as jewellery or art
• For owners: your existing DASK policy number, if any

With this information we compare home insurance options from several insurers and explain the differences in cover before you buy. Call us on +90 530 375 89 61, message us on WhatsApp or use the quote form. We are happy to handle everything in English.

Frequently asked questions

Related guide

• Home Insurance: What to Check Before Buying
• What Is DASK (Compulsory Earthquake Insurance)?
• How Theft Cover Works in Home Insurance
• Water Damage at Home: What to Do in the First 24 Hours