Long-Term Housing Rental in Israel

Long-term housing rental is a popular and in-demand service in Israel.

Israel is a unique and colorful country with its own culture, traditions and way of life. That is why it is better to study all the subtleties of Israeli life, especially if you plan to stay in this country for a long time. When setting off on a long trip or moving to Israel permanently, you should take care in advance of how to rent housing in Israel inexpensively and without hidden pitfalls. Finding an apartment to rent long-term is much easier and better in price than short-term. Most Israeli landlords do not want to change tenants often. Therefore they do everything to make sure the apartment suits the tenants in every parameter and wish.

Rental cost

The price of renting housing depends on several factors:

• location — the closer the housing is to the coast and the center of the country (Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Herzliya), the higher the price;
• furnishing. Apartments are often rented out without furniture and appliances. Fully equipped housing costs considerably more;
• the area of the apartment and the number of rooms;
• the year of construction — housing in a new building is always more expensive.

For your information: the most expensive city to live in in Israel is considered to be Jerusalem. The average monthly payment for a 2-room apartment is about 3,500–5,000 shekels, which is roughly 800–1,400 dollars.

Features of renting

What you should know before renting housing:

• you can and should bargain by pointing out shortcomings. You are unlikely to achieve a big discount on the rent, but it is possible;
• Israel has a municipal tax (arnona), the cost of which varies significantly by region. It can be over 400 shekels a month;
• the optimal term of a rental agreement is 1 year with the right to further extension;
• a very common form of renting is “shutafim” — options with shared occupancy (for co-tenants);
• villas and large private houses are often built outside the city. In the surrounding area there will be no restaurants, shopping centers or other entertainment venues.

In addition, to protect yourself from various kinds of trouble, you should:

• conclude the contract only after carefully reading it and consulting your Hebrew-speaking lawyer;
• agree on monthly payment, since owners often prefer payment for the entire rental period at once or a payment every three months. If your life circumstances change and the lease is terminated, the money paid is not refunded;
• make sure the landlord is actually the owner of the housing.

Perhaps our advice will help you find a suitable apartment at the best price.

Our company “Mataev Real Estate” offers you its housing rental services in Israel!