DASK for Shops, Offices and Mixed-Use Buildings: Who Is In, Who Is Out?

DASK, Turkey’s compulsory earthquake insurance, is usually associated with flats. Yet many buildings in Sarıyer and around Maslak have a shop on the ground floor and offices or clinics upstairs. In mixed-use buildings like these, business owners often ask: is my unit covered by DASK, or do I need separate earthquake insurance? This guide sets out the general picture. Rules and practice can differ from building to building, so always have your agent confirm your situation.

The starting point: residential buildings

Under Law No. 6305 on Disaster Insurance, DASK is compulsory for homes with a title deed. The system exists to protect the housing stock, so residential buildings are at its centre. The law also takes into account some commercial uses inside residential buildings, and that is where confusion usually starts.

Shops and offices inside residential buildings

As a general rule, independent units inside a residential building that are used as shops, offices or similar are also within DASK. For example:

• A grocery, hairdresser or café on the ground floor of an apartment block
• A lawyer’s, accountant’s or architect’s office on one floor of a residential building
• A flat used as an office

The DASK policy for such units should state the use correctly. The status in the land registry and the actual use should be reflected properly on the policy to avoid problems in a claim. Contact us through our DASK earthquake insurance page to clarify how your unit should be insured.

Fully commercial buildings and what falls outside DASK

Buildings used only for business, such as office towers, factories, warehouses or workshops in industrial estates, are generally outside DASK. Earthquake protection for them comes from earthquake cover added to business insurance. There are other exclusions too, such as public buildings; which structures fall outside is defined in the legislation and DASK practice.

Maslak is known for its business centres and office towers, so for companies renting offices there, the relevant product is business insurance with earthquake cover rather than DASK. The same applies to workshops and shops in commercial areas such as the Maslak Atatürk Auto Industry Estate. If you are unsure about your building, show your title deed and occupancy details to your agent.

If there is DASK, is business insurance unnecessary?

Even if your shop is inside DASK’s scope, DASK only covers the structural damage to the unit. A business can lose much more in an earthquake:

• Fixtures and fit-out: shelving, counters, furniture and interior works
• Machinery and equipment: till systems, computers, production or service equipment
• Stock: goods for sale and raw materials
• Business interruption: lost profit and fixed costs while closed, depending on the policy
• Third-party liability: damage caused to others from your premises

These need earthquake cover added to business insurance. Many insurers ask for a valid DASK policy before granting earthquake cover for a unit within DASK’s scope. See our business insurance page.

Common situations in mixed-use buildings

1. Change of use: if a flat became an office, or a shop became a home, update the use on the DASK policy.
2. Tenant businesses: DASK is the owner’s matter; the business tenant insures its own fixtures and stock with business insurance.
3. Several units: each unit owned by the same person needs its own policy.
4. Shared areas: ask whether the building manager has arranged building insurance for common areas.

Owners also often act without knowing what others have done. The flats may have DASK while the ground-floor shop’s policy is forgotten, or the shop owner relies only on business insurance. Raising DASK and building insurance at building management meetings helps everyone after an earthquake.

If in doubt, get it confirmed

The most frequent mistake in mixed-use buildings is working on assumptions. We deliberately give no figures, percentages or periods here; sums insured and deductibles are shown on your policy. To confirm, bring your agent the title deed details, how the unit is actually used, whether the building is mainly residential or commercial, and any existing DASK and business policies. Do not postpone this if you have just bought the property or moved your business.

For foreign business owners, policies and documents are in Turkish; we can explain them in English. Ailenizin Sigortacısı has served home and business owners in Maslak since 1996. Call +90 530 375 89 61 or send a WhatsApp message to clarify whether your building is within DASK and which earthquake cover suits your business.