Before you sign

Renting in Israel — 6 things that surprise newcomers

Israeli rentals run on a handful of habits nobody writes down — most of them perfectly fair once you know they're coming. Here's what tends to catch people out, and the words you'll meet along the way.

A five-minute read

  1. You'll probably be asked for guarantors

    Most landlords want one or two guarantors (arevim) who live in Israel and earn a local salary, along with their ID and payslips. If you've just arrived, say so early. A bank guarantee, an employer letter or a few months paid up front are all normal alternatives — they just take a week or two to put together.

  2. The deposit isn't really a deposit

    Instead of money held in escrow, you'll usually hand over a security cheque the landlord keeps in a drawer, plus post-dated cheques for the rent. Nothing leaves your account unless a cheque is cashed — so agree in writing what counts as a reason to cash it, and collect every unused cheque on the way out.

  3. Arnona and vaad bayit are on you

    The rent in the ad is rarely the monthly cost. On top come arnona to the city, the building's vaad bayit, and your own water, electricity and gas. Ask for the last arnona bill and the vaad figure before you sign — together they can move a budget more than you'd expect.

  4. The agent's fee is one month, and it's the tenant's

    If an agent showed you the apartment, the standard fee is one month's rent plus VAT, paid by you, once, at signing. It isn't a monthly charge, and there's no fee at all when you deal with the owner directly — worth counting in when two similar homes look the same price.

  5. The contract is in Hebrew, and leaving early is your problem

    Leases usually run twelve months, sometimes with an option year the tenant can trigger. There is normally no right to walk away mid-term: if you leave, you're expected to find a replacement tenant the landlord approves, or keep paying. Asking for an English copy alongside the Hebrew is a perfectly normal request.

  6. Check the safe room — and what's actually in the kitchen

    “Furnished” means different things to different landlords. Apartments are often handed over without appliances, sometimes without light fixtures or closets. Walk through with a list, photograph everything the day you get the keys, and find the safe room or shared shelter while you're there.

The words on every listing

When renting

Arev

Guarantor · ערב

Someone who signs alongside you and pays if you don't. Landlords often want one or two, living in Israel and earning a local salary. New in the country with nobody to ask? A bank guarantee or a few months up front are the usual substitutes — both take time to arrange.

Shik bitachon

Security cheque · שיק ביטחון

An open cheque the landlord holds and can cash if you leave damage or unpaid bills behind. It stands in for the cash deposit you may be used to. Mark it for security only, and have the contract spell out exactly when it may be used.

Dmei tivuch

Agent's fee · דמי תיווך

The agent's commission. On a rental it's typically one month's rent plus VAT, paid once by the tenant, at signing — and only if an agent actually showed you the home. Listings straight from the owner carry no fee at all.

When buying

Tabu

Land registry · טאבו

The national land registry. “Registered in Tabu” means ownership is recorded with the state in the owner's name — the cleanest form there is. Newer buildings are sometimes still held at the Land Authority or by the developer's company until registration finishes. Common, but ask when it will be done.

Mas rechisha

Purchase tax · מס רכישה

The tax the buyer pays, on a rising scale. Someone living in Israel buying their only home gets a tax-free band first; anyone who already owns one is taxed from the first shekel at a higher rate. The bands move — check the current ones before you make an offer.

Hetter bniya

Building permit · היתר בנייה

The municipal permit that sets out what may legally be built. Ask to see it and compare it with what's actually there — an enclosed balcony, a roof room or a converted basement that never got one becomes the buyer's problem, and a bank won't always lend against it.

Either way

Arnona

Municipal property tax · ארנונה

The municipal property tax. In a rental the tenant pays it, not the owner — the city bills it every two months, based on the size of the home and the area it sits in. Register at the municipality when you move in, and ask to see a recent bill before you sign.

Vaad bayit

Building committee fee · ועד בית

The building committee fee: your monthly share of the cleaning, the lift, the garden and the stairwell lights. Usually modest, occasionally not — a lift or a pool changes the number. It's rarely in the ad, so ask for it.

Mamad

Safe room · ממ״ד

The reinforced room built into apartments since the early 1990s. Older buildings have a shared shelter (miklat) instead, often in the basement. Ask which one the home has, and if it's shared, check it's unlocked and easy to reach.

General information to help you ask better questions — not legal or tax advice. Rules and rates change; check anything that touches money with a lawyer or accountant before you sign.

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