Renting an apartment in Netanya as a new oleh

The key points

• Olim who received status from 1 March 2024 get rent assistance from the 7th to the end of the 30th month after aliyah, automatically, with no application.¹
• Basic amounts on the Ministry's page: single ₪363, family ₪659, single-parent family ₪739.¹
• A deposit that costs the tenant money is capped at the lower of 3 months' rent or a third of the rent for the whole lease.⁵
• The landlord must fix a serious defect within 30 days, an urgent one within 3 days.⁶

State rent assistance

• In the first months after aliyah, help with rent is part of the absorption basket. After that the Housing Ministry pays rent assistance: from the 7th month for status from 1 March 2024, from the 8th month for arrivals up to 29 February 2024.¹²
• For status from 1 March 2024: assistance from the 7th to the end of the 30th month. Conditions: you own no apartment or share in one, and you don't live in public housing. The money is paid into your bank account automatically, with no application, no income test and no lease required.¹
• Amounts on the Ministry's page: single ₪363, family ₪659, single-parent family ₪739. A supplement applies to arrivals from 1 April 2025 in the North, Haifa and South districts and in Judea and Samaria. Netanya is in the Central District, so by our reading there is no supplement here. The page does not say how often these amounts are paid; check on *2310.¹
• Not eligible: absorption basket recipients in their first year, public housing tenants and those receiving rent assistance from the Ministry of Defence. For arrivals up to 29 February 2024, assistance usually runs to the end of the 5th year (6th for single parents) and covers at most 95% of the rent.²
• Where to call: the Housing Ministry information centre, *2310 (Sun–Thu 8:00–16:00, Fri 8:00–12:00, free call).³

The Fair Rental Law (2017)

• Published on 19 July 2017. It covers residential leases from 3 months to 10 years, with rent up to ₪20,000 a month. Exceptions include hotels and holiday rentals, dormitories and assisted living.⁴
• Deposit: if the guarantee costs the tenant money (a bank guarantee fee, a cash deposit and so on), the total is capped at the lower of 3 months' rent or a third of the rent for the whole lease. The deposit must be returned within 60 days. A bank guarantee above the cap is still valid, so watch the amount in the contract.⁵
• Repairs: the landlord pays to fix defects that are not minor and were not caused by misuse, within a reasonable time and no later than 30 days; urgent ones within 3 days. Otherwise the tenant may fix it (after giving notice) and claim the cost.⁶
• Extension: if the landlord holds the option to extend, the landlord gives notice at least 90 days before the lease ends; if the tenant holds it, the tenant gives notice at least 60 days before.⁷

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