Renting an apartment in Israel as a new oleh: listings and guarantees
The short answer
Applies to olim renting, or still deciding. Where the real inventory is, why private listings beat agents, and the guarantor and post-dated-cheque demands that catch olim off guard. We track no fixed deadline for this step: do it once what it depends on is done.
Checked on 2026-07-27 against the sources below. Confirm with the agency before you rely on it.
Checked Confidence: medium, confirm before acting
Deadline
We track no fixed deadline for this step: do it once what it depends on is done.
Steps
- 1
Finish what this depends on
Complete first: Open an Israeli bank account.
- 2
Apply
Expect to go in person: it cannot be done fully online.
- 3
Avoid a known trap
Use the Nefesh B’Nefesh Yad2 crib sheet with Google Translate’s camera, and filter for private (no-agent) listings to skip the fee.
Why: Most private, no-agent listings surface on Yad2 first, and it is Hebrew-only, so English speakers miss the best inventory or overpay a one-month agent fee.
- 4
Avoid a known trap
Open your bank account first so you can offer a standing order or bank guarantee, and solve the guarantor problem in parallel (see the arev task).
Why: Landlords often demand a guarantor (arev), a bank guarantee or a stack of post-dated cheques, none of which a brand-new oleh has.
Costs and figures
What it costs
- Agent’s fee on a rentalדמי תיווך בשכירותEstimated from your homeChecked 2026-09-10
What it depends on, and what it unlocks
Do these first
This unlocks
No other step waits on this one.
Sources
- Knesset passes Fair Rental Law specifying minimum standards · Knesset · primary source · fetched , page undated
- The New Fair Rent Law: what you need to know · Barnea Jaffa Lande (law firm) · secondary · fetched , page undated
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