How do you dispute building maintenance fees and management?
The path from gathering documents to filing a court case for owners and tenants who question fees or spending.
Short answer
Ask the manager in writing for the operating budget, the decision book and an expense breakdown. If nothing comes, send a registered letter with return receipt or a notarised warning notice. Keep paying, but write "paid under reservation" in the transfer note. If that fails, sue at the civil court of peace where the property sits and follow the file online.
What you need
Step by step
Check the fee items against documents
Tell the manager you want to see the operating budget and the owners' assembly decision book, since both the amount and the distribution ratio rest on those two records. Also ask for the expense breakdown, the building bank account movements and invoice copies. Photograph every document you receive and store the images separately.
Put your request in writing
If verbal requests get you nowhere, write a petition listing your objection and each document you want. Send it from a post office as a registered letter with return receipt, or have a notary draw up a warning notice. The receipt later proves in court that your request reached the management.
Call for an assembly meeting
Request in writing that the owners' assembly be called to an extraordinary meeting so your objection can be put to a vote. State the agenda item plainly in the notice, for example redetermining the fee amount and the expense distribution. Make sure your remarks enter the decision book, and read the minutes before signing.
Keep paying under reservation
Continue paying the fee while the dispute runs, and write "paid under reservation" in the description field of the online bank transfer. That phrase shows you paid without accepting the amount as correct. Collect all the receipts in one folder.
Draft the court petition
Identify yourself, name the manager or the owners as defendants, and set out the decision you challenge along with what you are asking for. Add an evidence list at the end covering the decision book, operating budget, receipts and warning notice. For anything you are unsure about, consult a lawyer or the bar association's legal aid office.
Open the file at the courthouse
Go to the courthouse in the district where the property is located and apply at the civil front office or the case distribution desk; staff will route the file to the civil court of peace. Pay the court fee and the expense advance at the cashier and keep the receipts. Note down the file number you are given.
Track the file online
Search for the national judicial system on the e-government portal and enter the Ministry of Justice services, or open the citizen portal and go to My Files, then the civil tab. Hearing dates, interim decisions, the expert report and the other side's reply appear there. Keep notifications on so you do not miss deadlines set by interim decisions.
Object to enforcement in time
If the management starts enforcement proceedings for unpaid fees, a payment order arrives at your address; file your objection by petition at the enforcement office holding the file. The objection window is short, so count from the date stamped on the notification envelope. You can also view the proceedings and incoming papers in the enforcement tab of the citizen portal.
Tips
Watch out
Stopping payment entirely because you filed an objection is the most expensive mistake: default interest accrues on the growing debt and the management can start enforcement proceedings. Paying under reservation while pursuing the objection separately keeps the door open to a refund if you win.
Frequently asked questions
+Can a tenant dispute the maintenance fee?
A tenant can ask the management to account for expenses tied to the services they use and can attend the assembly meeting. Challenging decisions on how shared expenses are divided also requires the owner to join the process.
+What if the manager refuses to show the documents?
Repeat your request by registered letter with return receipt or through a notarised warning notice. If that still fails, apply to the civil court of peace and ask the court to order the documents into the file.
+Which court hears the case?
Disputes arising from condominium ownership are heard by the civil court of peace in the district where the property is located. You open the file through the courthouse civil front office or the case distribution desk.
+Do I have to hire a lawyer?
No, you can file the petition yourself. If you cannot afford representation, apply to the legal aid office of your provincial bar association and request a lawyer free of charge.
+Can I get back fees I overpaid?
If the court rules in your favour, you can claim a refund of the excess amount. That is why keeping every receipt, including those marked as paid under reservation, matters.
Sources and verification
Last verified: 13 Eylül 2026. tell us. Procedure reflects Turkish condominium law; offices, fees and deadlines are specific to Turkey.
This content is for information only; for official procedures the relevant institution’s current announcements take precedence. Details: disclaimer.