The main takeaway from this article is simple:

Most people make the same mistake. They photograph the wet ceiling, call a repair technician, renovate the apartment, and only afterward try to claim compensation.

But when a dispute arises, the key questions become:

  • Who was responsible?
  • Where did the water come from?
  • What is the extent of the damage?
  • Was the neighbor properly notified?

That’s why the correct course of action should look something like this:

  • Take detailed photos and videos of everything: the source of the leak, ceilings, walls, furniture, appliances, and flooring. Ideally, make sure the date of recording can be verified.
  • Immediately notify the building management (site yönetimi / apartman yönetimi) in writing.
  • Request that they prepare a tutanak—an official written incident report. It should record the date, location, nature of the damage, the suspected source of the leak, the people present, and their signatures.
  • The report is prepared in Turkish, so if you don’t speak the language, you will likely need someone to assist you.
  • Call a qualified specialist to determine the source of the leak. This is essential because responsibility may lie with the neighboring apartment owner, the property owner, the tenant, or even the building management if the problem originated in the building’s shared systems.
  • Don’t rely solely on WhatsApp conversations. Send a written notice to the responsible party. In cases involving significant damage, a noter ihtarnamesi (a notarized legal notice) is commonly used.
  • If the responsible party denies liability, or if there is a dispute regarding the cause or extent of the damage, you may apply for delil tespiti—a court-ordered preservation of evidence. This procedure is especially important before repairs begin, while the damage can still be inspected. Turkish legal practice also recommends documenting the damage with photographs, videos, the building management’s incident report, written notifications, and, where appropriate, applying for delil tespiti.

In Turkey, it’s not enough to be right.

You also have to be able to prove that you were right.

In the next part, we’ll explain how home insurance works in Turkey and what protection property owners can rely on when incidents like this occur.