The rental market in Israel is not regulated by law. In a period in which all the countries of Western World have adopted laws which balance the relations between tenants and landlords, the State of Israel is ranked second to last, among the OECD countries. This is largely due a situation in which the rental market is. That's, there is little supervision of the rental market and the municipalities have no authority to interfere in the relations between tenants and landlords.

 

During two weeks we ran a tenants' poll in which more than 1000 people participated. Here are the main conclusions of the referendum:

 

Rent has risen: 72% of the respondents reported that during the last year, their apartment's owner raised the rent. Out of these, in 25% of them, the rent increased during the last year, 300 NIS or more (an annual expenditure of at least 3,600 NIS)

Don't worry about maintenance: 65% of the respondents reported that their apartment's owner does not fulfill its duties properly regarding repairs and maintenance of the apartment. Out of them:

1. 48%: The landlord fulfills his duties only partially.

2. 40%: The landlord fulfills his duties but after several requests. It's a headache.

3.  12%: The landlord does not fulfill any of his duties.

 

Rolling the responsibility to renters: 32% of the respondents reported that the landlord asked them to bear the costs that should be under his responsibility (for example, infrastructure repairs that are not damage as a result of the tenant's use of the apartment).

Lack of long-term lease/contract: 92% of the respondents signed a contract for one year or less. However, 52% of them live at the same apartment for at least two years (that is, despite living practically for long periods, tenants sign short contracts and have no guarantee regarding the future lease).

 

Unstable market: 51% of the respondents were in at least three apartments during the last five years.

The poll was conducted among 1,024 respondents via Internet, during the 6th to 20th of March 2014. The average age of the survey participants was 30.6 years.

 

77% of the respondents identified themselves as Tel Aviv residents and the rest, from other cities throughout Israel (Jerusalem, Haifa, Beer Sheva, Petah Tikva, Netanya, Rehovot, etc.).

 

The referendum does not constitute a representative sample of the population.