What Is Land Share, and How Is It Calculated?

In an apartment building, each unit has a specific share of the land the building sits on. Written on the deed as a fraction such as '120/2400 land share', this is called the land share (arsa payı). It rarely comes up in daily life, but it is decisive in critical matters such as urban transformation, how shared costs are split, and voting power at the assembly of unit owners.

How is the land share set?

Under the Condominium Ownership Law, land shares are set in proportion to the value of the independent units. Value varies with a unit's size, floor, frontage and view, among other things. In practice, land shares are usually set from a list prepared by the contractor or the landowners when the construction servitude is established, and do not always fully follow this principle.

Where does the land share appear?

It appears as a fraction alongside the unit's details on the title deed document and record. The denominator (the number below the fraction line) is generally the total of all the shares in the building.

What the land share affects

• Urban transformation: The area or value you receive in the new building is, in most projects, calculated in proportion to your land share.
• Shared costs: Unless the management plan says otherwise, shared costs are split in proportion to land share.
• Decision-making: Some decisions at the assembly of unit owners require both a majority of owners and a majority of land share.
• Resale value: Especially in older buildings with transformation potential, units with a higher land share are worth more.

Can a land share be corrected?

If land shares were set contrary to the value principle, any unit owner can ask a court to have them corrected. This kind of case requires a technical assessment and its outcome affects all owners.