Rents soar in university neighborhoods amid enrollment season
ISTANBUL
Rental prices have seen a significant increase in recent weeks in big Turkish cities, especially in the capital Ankara, Istanbul and the western province of İzmir, as Türkiye enters the university enrollment period, pushing the search for rental housing back to the top of the agenda in major cities.
With the country ahead of university season, thousands of students and their families face the daunting challenge of securing affordable accommodation in cities where soaring rents have become increasingly prohibitive.
According to Gaboras real estate data, the average rent increase across the general market has reached 10.9 percent, while in university districts, the average hike stands at 13.2 percent. This disparity is putting noticeable pressure on landlords’ pricing strategies in areas with high rental demand.
Gaboras’ figures indicated particularly sharp rises in Istanbul’s Avcılar, Kadıköy and Ataşehir, in İzmir’s Bornova and Balçova and Ankara’s Çankaya due to the districts’ proximities to main university campuses.
In Istanbul, the overall rent increase averages 6.5 percent, while in university-adjacent neighborhoods it climbs to 9.8 percent.
In İzmir, general rental prices rose by 13.7 percent, with university districts seeing an 18.3 percent increase.
Ankara shows an overall rent growth of 6.1 percent, rising to 10.8 percent in university neighborhoods. Areas such as Çankaya, Yenimahalle and Etimesgut have witnessed heightened demand, driving rents upward.
According to studies by various valuation companies, average rents for apartments near university campuses in Istanbul range from 24,000 to 46,500 Turkish Liras ($583 to $1,100).
