Utility Transfer Workflow After Property Purchase
The most reliable way to manage utilities after buying property is to use a defined workflow with inputs, verification gates and completion evidence rather than a collection of unrelated phone calls. Preparation begins before key handover; meter readings are fixed at handover; the former user’s account is then terminated or confirmed closed; the buyer applies for the new contract; and the process ends only after the new account is active for the correct property and meter.
Stage 1: Build a utility inventory
List water, electricity and natural gas separately. Record provider, official address, independent-unit number, meter or consumption-point number, current account holder if known and service status: active, disconnected or unknown. If the property does not use gas or has a central system, document that reality rather than creating an unnecessary transfer task.
Stage 2: Prepare buyer documents before handover
Confirm the applicant’s identity and capacity and assemble the property information required by the provider. For in-scope buildings, prepare and verify DASK before water and electricity procedures because Law No. 6305 requires a compulsory-earthquake-insurance check in those subscription transactions. Do not assume that a seller’s old policy will remain usable without checking current validity and property match.
Stage 3: Fix the handover readings
At key delivery, photograph each meter number and reading and record date and time. Compare the identifier with a bill or official account record. If there is more than one meter or a common meter room, have building management or the provider identify the meter serving the unit. This reading becomes the operational boundary between seller and buyer consumption.
Stage 4: Close or verify closure of the former account
The previous user should submit termination where the provider requires it. In Istanbul, İSKİ provides a subscription-termination service and İGDAŞ provides natural-gas contract termination through e‑Devlet; electricity suppliers also provide digital services through the government portal. Retain the reference or closure evidence. An active former-user contract can complicate billing, responsibility and return of the former user’s deposit.
Stage 5: Submit the new application through the competent official channel
Identify the correct provider for the address and carefully enter unit and meter information. Istanbul water users can access İSKİ’s “New Subscription (Subscriber Transfer / Name Change)” service; natural-gas users can access the İGDAŞ subscription-contract application. Electricity applications depend on the responsible incumbent supplier for the region, and e‑Devlet maintains the relevant supplier-service directory.
Stage 6: Treat deposits and charges as a separate budget item
If a security deposit or other provider charge is requested, record the amount, source, payment date and return conditions. EPDK provides consumer information on deposits for electricity and natural gas. Do not copy a seller’s historical amount or an old online figure into the buyer budget. Any deposit refund due to the seller is a separate former-account matter, not automatically a credit belonging to the new applicant.
Stage 7: Do not mark a submitted application as complete
Track the request until it produces an outcome: accepted contract, active account, technical appointment or a request for additional documentation. If the service is disconnected and reconnection or inspection is required, record the appointment and responsible party. Keep system messages and transaction references so a delay can be escalated with the provider.
Stage 8: Test activation safely
After approval, verify customer name, address, account and meter identifier. Confirm that the service is operational where appropriate, but do not tamper with sealed meters, valves or safety devices. Natural-gas technical or safety issues should be handled by the provider or authorized personnel rather than by an informal attempt to restore supply.
Stage 9: Audit the first bill
The first bill is a quality-control test for the entire workflow. Compare its opening reading with the handover photo and check billing period, customer name, address and tariff/use category. If the account begins from an earlier reading, object promptly using the meter photo and handover evidence instead of allowing several bills to accumulate.
Stage 10: Close the file only when evidence is complete
For each utility retain the handover meter photo, former-account status, new-user application and contract, DASK where required, deposit/payment evidence and activation confirmation or a correct first bill. Mark the utility “complete” only when these outputs exist, not merely because water, power or gas happens to be running.
Conclusion: sequence matters: prepare, capture meters, close the old account, open the new one, pay the required deposit, track activation and audit the first bill. This prevents consumption responsibility from becoming blurred between seller and buyer and keeps essential services from remaining registered to a person who no longer uses the property.