Ministry of Commerce Imposes Age and Mileage Limits on Rental Vehicles

The Ministry of Commerce has introduced comprehensive new rules to the vehicle rental sector through the 'Regulation on the Rental of Motor Land Vehicles' published in the Official Gazette. Under the regulation, no vehicle older than 6 years — with the exception of classic vehicles — may be rented.

Mileage limits are also coming into effect: gasoline and diesel vehicles will face an upper mileage limit of 180,000 kilometers, while electric vehicles will be capped at 300,000 kilometers. Severely damaged vehicles and those that have not undergone periodic maintenance on schedule will be excluded from rental.

Minimum fleet size requirements are also being introduced. Operators will be required to maintain a minimum of 5 to 10 vehicles depending on their operating region; fleets in populated areas exceeding 30,000 people must include at least 2 hybrid vehicles. Additionally, vehicles must meet the requirement that a designated portion be registered directly in the operator's name.

Changes are also being made regarding consumer rights: caps are being placed on deposit amounts, new rights are being granted for reservation cancellations, and operators are now required to obtain an operating license.

This regulation directly impacts Turkey's multi-billion-dollar vehicle rental market. For small-scale rental companies operating particularly with older and high-mileage vehicles, the adjustment period will be critical. The regulation's effective date and transition period are provided in the full text published in the Official Gazette.