{"id":592,"date":"2025-07-18T10:57:14","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T07:57:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tureliceylan.com\/?p=592"},"modified":"2025-08-04T15:03:33","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T12:03:33","slug":"are-mall-tenants-required-to-pay-service-charges-turkey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tureliceylan.com\/en\/are-mall-tenants-required-to-pay-service-charges-turkey\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Shopping Mall Tenants Obliged to Pay Service Charges and Common Expenses?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>T\u00fcreli &amp; Ceylan Attorney-at-Law \u2013 Commercial Lease &amp; Property Law Advisory<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tenants operating stores or commercial units within shopping malls (AVMs) are often required to make payments beyond rent\u2014such as monthly service charges and shared operating costs. However, the&nbsp;<strong>legality, scope, and enforceability<\/strong>&nbsp;of these charges depend on both statutory regulations and the specific provisions of the lease agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This article examines the&nbsp;<strong>legal basis<\/strong>&nbsp;of service charges in shopping malls, the obligations of tenants, and available legal remedies in case of disputes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What Are Service Charges and Common Expenses?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Service charges and common expenses refer to payments demanded from tenants for the&nbsp;<strong>operation, maintenance, and management<\/strong>&nbsp;of shared areas within a shopping mall, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Corridors and parking areas<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Security and cleaning services<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ventilation, lighting, and energy for common areas<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Concierge and information services<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>General marketing and advertising expenses<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Legal Basis for Service Charges<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To be legally enforceable, the obligation to pay service charges must be&nbsp;<strong>explicitly included in the lease agreement<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Turkish Code of Obligations (TCO):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Article 301:<\/strong><br><em>The landlord is obliged to deliver the leased premises in a condition suitable for the agreed use and to maintain this condition throughout the lease term.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Article 302:<\/strong><br><em>Unless otherwise agreed, ancillary expenses related to the use of the premises are borne by the landlord.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What does this mean?<\/strong><br>If the lease does&nbsp;<strong>not clearly specify<\/strong>&nbsp;obligations such as service fees, management fees, or marketing charges,&nbsp;<strong>the tenant cannot be forced<\/strong>&nbsp;to pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Importance of Lease Agreement Provisions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lease agreements in shopping malls tend to be detailed and may include several cost items under the heading of &#8220;service charges,&#8221; such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Shared area maintenance and utilities<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Security and janitorial costs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shared electricity, ventilation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Marketing and promotional expenses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fees charged by the mall management company<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These items&nbsp;<strong>must be transparently itemized<\/strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>supported by invoices or detailed account statements<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Are Increases in Service Charges Legally Valid?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For service charge increases to be enforceable:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The\u00a0<strong>lease agreement<\/strong>\u00a0must specify an\u00a0<strong>index or formula<\/strong>\u00a0(e.g., CPI\/T\u00dcFE).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Arbitrary increases cannot be applied\u00a0<strong>unilaterally<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mall management must provide\u00a0<strong>annual account statements<\/strong>\u00a0detailing expenses.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Under&nbsp;<strong>Articles 26\u201327 of the TCO<\/strong>, any provisions that are not contractually agreed upon or are contrary to good faith principles may be deemed&nbsp;<strong>invalid<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Can a Tenant Object to Service Charges?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes. A tenant may&nbsp;<strong>legally challenge<\/strong>&nbsp;service charge demands on grounds such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Charges not stated in the lease agreement<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lack of transparency or justification<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Excessive or disproportionate increases<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Costs unrelated to the use of the leased premises<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The tenant may&nbsp;<strong>refuse payment<\/strong>, issue a&nbsp;<strong>formal notice<\/strong>, and if necessary, initiate a&nbsp;<strong>declaratory action<\/strong>&nbsp;before the competent court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What Happens If a Tenant Refuses to Pay?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If the obligation is\u00a0<strong>clearly set forth<\/strong>\u00a0in the lease and the tenant fails to pay, the tenant may fall into\u00a0<strong>default<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In such cases, the landlord may seek\u00a0<strong>termination of the lease<\/strong>\u00a0or initiate\u00a0<strong>enforcement proceedings<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>However, these rights only arise if the payment obligation is\u00a0<strong>contractually valid<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>properly documented<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Why Should You Seek Legal Assistance?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Disputes over service charges and common expenses are&nbsp;<strong>among the most common conflicts<\/strong>&nbsp;between mall management and tenants. These disputes can disrupt commercial operations and result in legal and financial liabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Especially when a tenant is forced to pay unjustified charges, they may have the right to&nbsp;<strong>reclaim overpaid amounts<\/strong>through litigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At&nbsp;<strong>T\u00fcreli &amp; Ceylan Attorney-at-Law<\/strong>, we provide:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Legal review of your mall lease agreements<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Assessment of your service charge and cost obligations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Legal action against unlawful or excessive charges<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Representation in management plan disputes, declaratory actions, and enforcement proceedings<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tenants\u2019 obligation to pay service charges or common expenses in shopping malls arises only from&nbsp;<strong>explicit and valid contractual provisions<\/strong>.<br>Not every charge is legally enforceable.<br>With the right legal guidance, you can protect your business from unjustified financial burdens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are facing issues related to service charges or shared costs,&nbsp;<strong>T\u00fcreli &amp; Ceylan Attorney-at-Law is here to offer tailored legal solutions.<\/strong><br>Stand up for your rights\u2014don\u2019t pay more than you are legally required to.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>T\u00fcreli &amp; Ceylan Attorney-at-Law \u2013 Commercial Lease &amp; Property Law Advisory Tenants operating stores or commercial units within shopping malls (AVMs) are often required to make<span class=\"excerpt-hellip\"> [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":595,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[35,31,33,37,38,36,34,39,30,32],"class_list":["post-592","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-genel","tag-cam-charges-in-turkey","tag-commercial-lease-expenses","tag-common-area-fees-dispute","tag-excessive-service-fees","tag-lease-agreement-obligations","tag-legal-aid-for-tenants","tag-mall-management-legal-issues","tag-retail-tenant-legal-support","tag-shopping-mall-service-charges","tag-tenant-rights-in-malls"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Are Shopping Mall Tenants Obliged to Pay Service Charges and Common Expenses? 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