Turkey's earthquake victims hit by exorbitant rent spikes, topping 60%
Turkey’s Justice Ministry is working on a draft amendment that would introduce jail terms of two to five years for landlords gouging prices in times of natural disasters.
ANKARA — An exodus from Turkey’s quake-ravaged southeastern provinces has sent rent prices soaring in regions where hundreds of thousands of quake victims now seek new homes, prompting Ankara to draw up a bill introducing jail terms for gouging landlords.
The price surge comes atop an already acute housing crisis in Turkey, where overall rents increased nearly 173% last year, according to a study by BETAM, an Istanbul-based think-tank.
About 2 million quake victims have moved to neighboring and other provinces since the Feb. 6 temblors that killed more than 45,000 people and caused massive destruction. Some of them have found temporary shelter in hotels and public facilities, while others have sought new homes to begin rebuilding their lives.
The capital, Ankara — the seismically safest among Turkey’s top cities — has drawn at least 205,000 migrants from the disaster zone, more than any other city. In a matter of weeks, overall rent prices have shot up by up to 60% in the city, with some landlords doubling their asking prices, according to Hakan Akcam, head of the Ankara Realtors’ Chamber.
