Moving house is tiring enough. Moving into a residential complex (a site, as gated complexes are called in Turkey) adds a few more questions. Where will the removal van park, can the lift be used, how much is the aidat (the monthly charge for shared costs) and how is it paid, how do guests get in, and who do you call when something goes wrong?
This is a short guide for people moving into a complex. Managers can also use it when preparing their own welcome note for new residents.
Before you move
Get in touch with the management. Before moving, contact the complex's management or manager. Find out where the management office is, its opening hours and how to reach it. Many questions are answered in a single conversation.
Announce your moving day. Tell the management and security in advance the day and time you will move. Some complexes have set days and hours for moving, and moving at the weekend or in the evening may not be allowed.
Ask about the van and the lift. Find out where the removal van can pull up and whether there is a service lift or lift protection. Protecting the walls and floor of the lift is in your interest and your neighbours'.
Clear up the previous period. If you have bought the flat, ask the management in writing whether the flat has any unpaid aidat or shared costs at the time of transfer. If you are renting, make sure your lease states clearly who pays the aidat.
Moving day
- Take care of the shared areas. If anything is damaged in the corridor, stairs, lift or entrance, tell the management straight away. If you notice existing damage before moving, take a photo.
- Ask where to leave packaging waste. Large boxes and foam packaging often do not fit in the bins.
- Agree which roads the removal team will use inside the complex and how long the van can stay.
- Choose hours when the noise will bother your neighbours least.
The first week
Ask for the house rules and read them. The management plan (yönetim planı) and the complex's own rules cover many things, from the use of shared facilities to rubbish times, parking and pets. Ask for a copy. Reading it in the first week prevents many disputes later.
Find out about the aidat. Ask how much the monthly aidat is, which day it is due and how to pay. If you pay by bank transfer, remember to write your block and flat number in the description. It is the easiest way to make sure the payment is credited to the right flat.
Find out where you park. If the complex has assigned parking spaces, find out which one is yours and where guests can park.
Learn the rubbish and recycling routine. When is rubbish put out, where is it left, and is there a separate recycling point?
Getting in at the gate
Learning the complex's entry routine from day one makes life easier for you and your guests.
- Find out how many entrances the complex has and which are for pedestrians and which for vehicles.
- Ask how you yourself get in.
- Find out how your guests get in. Do you need to give notice in advance, and how does the guard at the gate contact you?
- Ask how parcels and couriers are handled. Knowing where your parcel will be left when you are not home makes things easier.
- Also sort out how everyone who lives with you gets in.
For emergencies
On your first day, before anything goes wrong, find out:
- How to reach security and the management, and who to contact out of hours.
- Where your flat's water stopcock and fuse box are.
- Where the building's fire stairs and emergency exits are.
- Who to tell if you get stuck in the lift.
Save this on your phone or stick it on the fridge. Not having to hunt for it during a leak at midnight is a real relief.
Renovation and pets
If you plan renovation work, tell the management first. Most complexes have set days and hours for noisy work. Agree in advance where and how rubble and building waste will be left and how the workers will get in. For changes to the facade, enclosing a balcony or anything affecting shared areas, consult the management separately. Work like this may need the approval of the other owners.
If you have a pet, find out the complex's rules. There may be arrangements for leads in shared areas, walking areas and cleaning up. Mentioning your pet to your neighbours makes it easier to talk about any disturbance before it turns into a personal dispute.
Neighbours and the complex
You do not need a big gesture to introduce yourself to your neighbours. A short greeting in the lift or the corridor is enough. Leaving a note in advance about noise during the move is also a good start.
Follow the complex's announcements. Water cuts, lift maintenance and the general meeting are announced there. When you see a fault or a problem, report it the way the management has set out. A comment in a group chat is not a substitute.
A note for managers
Giving new residents a one-page welcome note with the information above noticeably reduces the questions in the first weeks. It can include the management office's contact details, aidat and payment information, the entry and guest routine, rubbish and parking rules, emergency numbers and where to read the house rules.
In short
When moving into a complex, getting in touch with the management early, planning moving day, learning the rules and the aidat in the first week, and sorting out the entry routine and emergency information from the start help you settle into your new home more easily.
How it works in Gagent
If your complex uses Gagent, most of this comes together in the resident app. You see your aidat on your phone and follow announcements in a list split into unread and earlier. You report a fault with a photo and see who is dealing with it. You send your guest a guest QR invitation, and they can get in even when you are not home. For details see Announcements and requests and Guest QR invitation, or try it live.