Renovation in an apartment building: do you need your neighbours' permission?

Interior work that does not need permission

Legal sources report that unit owners' permission is not required for painting, floor and ceiling coverings, kitchen and bathroom fittings, in-unit plumbing and electrics, and non-load-bearing interior walls (after a structural check). The limit is that the work must not harm the main structure and must not affect shared installations.

A 2019 ruling of the 20th Civil Chamber of the Court of Cassation (Yargıtay) states that unit owners' consent is not required for changes that stay within the unit's boundaries, do not touch shared installations (water, electricity, heating, columns, beams, slabs) and do not affect the structure.

Work that requires four-fifths written consent

• Changing the colour of the external facade paint
• Enclosing a balcony (even where a sliding glass system is exempt from a permit, the view reported is that unit owner consent is still required separately)
• Attachments such as an air-conditioning unit or awning on the facade
• New external openings or changing the window model or colour

Architectural project changes and additions to common areas

For work that requires changes to the architectural project, the Court of Cassation's approach may require unanimity; in such cases municipal approval alone does not cure the missing consent.

For additions that make a common area more usable, such as a lift or security system, a majority by number and land share comes into play under Condominium Law Art. 42; owners who do not want costly and luxury additions cannot be compelled.

What to do in practice

• Written notice: inform the manager and neighbours in writing about what the work is and its effect
• Decision book: for work needing four-fifths consent, collect and keep the signatures
• Structural check: obtain an engineer's opinion for work such as wall demolition
• Working hours: comply with the noise and working-hour rules in the building's management plan

Differences between sources

Whether some works (such as a second bathroom or incorporating a recessed balcony into a room) count as simple or substantial renovation is reported differently in sources; Council of State (Danıştay) rulings also reach different results. For a definitive answer, current legislation and the relevant municipal zoning department should be relied on.