An occupancy permit (Yapı Kullanma İzin Belgesi) is evaluated against the building and approved project as they existed when the permit was issued. Later changes can make an old verification incomplete even when the permit itself remains in the file. Change control asks a practical question: has anything happened to the building, unit, use or official records since the earlier check that requires the occupancy position to be reassessed? The answer should be evidence-based, because renovations and use changes vary greatly in legal significance.
Create a baseline
Record the permit number/date, issuing authority, parcel, building/block, authorised use and project version associated with the occupancy permit. Keep a copy of the permit and enough approved-project information to understand what was accepted. For an independent unit, link the unit number and title status. This baseline is essential; without it, a later reviewer cannot tell whether a physical change is relevant to the original approval.
Capture change events
Trigger a new review when there is a change of use, unit merger/division, enclosure of balconies or terraces, alteration of common areas, new mezzanine, major structural work, material façade change, extension, change in fire-safety configuration, or a revised building permit. Also recheck after municipal enforcement, a complaint that led to official action, or conversion in condominium status. Not every cosmetic refurbishment matters, so the register should distinguish decoration from work that may require approval.
Use the competent authority
If the significance of a change is uncertain, obtain municipal or qualified professional confirmation rather than relying on seller opinion. The Planned Areas Zoning Regulation and municipal procedures govern permitting and occupancy matters, and the actual file held by the authority can determine whether a revision was approved. A management-company letter may describe what happened but does not replace the municipality’s legal record.
Assess transaction consequences
An unresolved occupancy issue can affect financing, insurance, use, utilities, resale or future renovation. Record the consequence relevant to the particular property instead of using a generic warning. If corrective work or a revised approval is required, identify responsible party, expected cost range if professionally established, and completion evidence. Do not assume that the existence of an occupancy permit cures every later unauthorised modification.
Final change-control check
Before transfer, ask whether any material change occurred after the date of the occupancy evidence relied upon. Compare recent photographs, seller disclosure, management records and any new permits with the baseline. If a change is found, document the approval or keep the issue open. The file is complete when a later buyer can understand the original occupancy permission, every material subsequent change and the evidence showing whether that change was approved, corrected or consciously accepted as a risk.
Control the chain of occupancy-permit changes
Changes that can matter include amendments to use, floor or unit configuration, major works, conversion of common areas, later municipal regularisation and replacement certificates. When a new document appears, record whether it replaces the earlier occupancy evidence or addresses only a limited change. Preserve both versions and the explanation. A new date on a document is not enough; the file must show that it still refers to the same building, block and legal configuration being purchased.
Change control should also trigger downstream review. If occupancy status or approved use changes, revisit the sale description, valuation assumptions, insurance, rental plan and any financing condition that relied on the old status. A residential marketing label cannot override a legally registered or municipally approved use. Do not infer that a later utility subscription cures an earlier occupancy issue. The record closes only after the current status is established from the appropriate authority and affected transaction documents have been reconciled to that status.