Warehouses for Sale and Rent in Istanbul and Turkey

Yes, a foreign company can rent or buy a warehouse in Istanbul. The main logistics areas are Hadımköy, Esenyurt, Arnavutköy, the Ambarlı port area and Silivri/Çatalca on the European side, and Tuzla, Pendik and Gebze (Kocaeli) on the Asian side. Before you sign, check clear height, loading docks, floor load, truck access, fire safety, zoning for storage use and the occupancy permit.

Bosphorus Brokers is a licensed Istanbul brokerage (license no. 3408704). We find warehouses for rent in Istanbul and warehouses for sale in Istanbul and its surroundings, check them and negotiate the terms for foreign companies, from storage space for a first shipment to a logistics warehouse serving the whole of Turkey. Warehouses are part of our wider commercial property service in Turkey.

Where are the main warehouse and logistics areas in Istanbul?

European side

• Hadımköy and Esenyurt: logistics and light-industrial areas on the western side of the city.
• Arnavutköy: near Istanbul Airport, relevant for air cargo.
• Ambarlı port area: for sea freight and container traffic.
• Silivri and Çatalca: further west, towards Tekirdağ and the road routes to Europe.

Asian side

• Tuzla: an industrial area that includes Tuzla OSB.
• Pendik: near Sabiha Gökçen Airport.
• Gebze (Kocaeli): just beyond Istanbul's provincial border, at the start of the Kocaeli industrial belt.

Start from your goods flows. Sea imports point towards the Ambarlı port area, air cargo towards Arnavutköy or Pendik, distribution into Anatolia towards the Asian side and Gebze, and road freight to Europe towards the western European side. A site that avoids a Bosphorus crossing on every trip can be worth more than a small difference in rent.

What should you check before renting or buying a warehouse?

We walk the building with your operations team, in person or by live video, and check:

Check	What we look at	What often goes wrong
Clear height	Usable height under beams, sprinklers and lighting	Height quoted at the roof apex, not where the racking stands
Loading docks	Number of docks, levellers and ground-level doors	Too few docks for peak volumes
Floor load	Slab capacity and flatness for racking and forklifts	A racking plan the slab cannot carry
Yard and truck access	Turning space, truck waiting and parking, the access road	A shared yard or a street trucks struggle to use
Fire systems	Sprinklers, hydrants, alarms and compartments for your goods	A system designed for a lower-risk use than yours
Zoning	Zoning that allows storage and logistics use	A building zoned for a different use
Occupancy permit (iskan)	An iskan covering the whole building as built	Extensions or mezzanines added without permits

Zoning and the iskan matter beyond the building itself: without them, your company cannot obtain the workplace opening and operating licence (işyeri açma ve çalışma ruhsatı) from the municipality. We also check the title-deed records for mortgages and annotations and, on a purchase, ask the seller for the title deed, tax number, DASK policy and proof that utility debts are cleared.

What are the usual lease terms for a warehouse in Istanbul?

A warehouse is a roofed workplace, so its lease falls under the Turkish Code of Obligations No. 6098:

• Deposit: capped at three months' rent (Art. 342).
• Rent increases: on renewal, the annual increase may not exceed the 12-month average of the consumer price index (CPI/TÜFE) (Art. 344).
• Stopaj: if your company rents from an individual landlord, it withholds 20% income tax from the rent and pays it to the tax office (Income Tax Law No. 193, Art. 94). State in the contract whether the rent is gross or net of stopaj: on a net figure, your total cost is a quarter higher than the number written down.
• Assignment: transferring the lease to another company needs the landlord's written consent, which the landlord cannot refuse without just cause for workplaces (Art. 323).

We also negotiate the points that drive your real cost: rent-free time for fit-out, who pays for racking, dock or fire-system upgrades, handover condition and reinstatement when you leave. If the landlord is a company, the rent is taxed differently, and an open yard with no building may not count as a roofed workplace. Have an independent lawyer review the contract, with your accountant confirming the tax side, before you sign.

What does it cost to buy a warehouse in Turkey?

• Title-deed fee: 4% of the declared value, legally split 2% buyer and 2% seller; agree the split in writing. A small revolving-fund fee applies.
• Valuation report: required for foreign buyers before the transfer, from an SPK-licensed appraiser.
• VAT: generally 20% on new commercial units from VAT-registered sellers. Second-hand sales between private individuals are generally not subject to VAT, and non-resident foreign buyers paying with foreign currency brought into Turkey may qualify for an exemption (VAT Law No. 3065, Art. 13(i)).
• Running costs: annual property tax at commercial rates (Law No. 1319), DASK earthquake insurance and maintenance.
• Our fee: 2% of the agreed price plus VAT, paid only on completion.

The exemption has conditions, including not selling within a set period, so confirm eligibility with a tax adviser. Our guide to property taxes in Turkey explains the annual taxes, and the commercial buying guide covers the transfer step by step.

How does Bosphorus Brokers help you rent or buy a warehouse?

1. Brief: area, clear height, docks, racking, type of goods, routes, budget, start date, and rent or buy.
2. Search and shortlist: listed and off-market buildings in the areas that fit your flows, with live video viewings.
3. Checks: the technical points above, title-deed records, zoning and iskan, and the rent or price against recent transactions.
4. Negotiation: rent or price, deposit, increase clause, stopaj wording, fit-out time and handover.
5. Coordination: with your lawyer, your accountant, the valuer, the notary and the authorities.
6. Signing: lease signing or title-deed transfer, in person or through a power of attorney.

Why foreign companies trust us with their warehouse search

We are licensed by the Ministry of Trade and founder-led. Burak Ünal is a licensed real-estate broker (licensing exam passed in 2021) with an MSc in Finance from the London School of Economics; real-estate appraising and retail leasing are among his listed specialties, so lease terms and total occupancy cost get the same scrutiny as the headline rent. We represent you, charge foreign and Turkish clients the same, work in English, Turkish, French, Russian, Chinese and Arabic, and are rated 5.0 on Google. Lease fees are agreed in writing before we start; see our fees. If you also need production space, see factories for sale and rent in Turkey.