HUC-JIR - Your Year in Israel

Your Year in Israel

Housing

The Jerusalem School does not have a dormitory or any other housing facility. It will therefore be necessary to rent an apartment. While the Office of Student Affairs is helpful in pointing you in the right direction, your success in finding an apartment will depend primarily on your own leg-work and initiative.

Whether arriving in the fall or summer months, finding a suitable place requires time and patience. Past experience shows that the best procedure is to arrive two weeks early, survey the market, and select what best meets your needs. You may also consider living with a non-HUC student. Many students have recommended making the effort to live with an Israeli student. The Office of Student Affairs will try to help the student arrange this option through rental listing agencies.

Please be aware that the standard of living is different in Israel from that of North America. Some apartments may not have central heating, ovens, or telephones. The availability of these amenities should be taken into account when choosing an apartment.

Remember: Although the situation is stressful, ALL students find suitable housing within one or two weeks of arrival.

Apartment Rent

The amount of rent will depend on location, size, and extras, such as ovens, washing machine, etc. Current rental rates for furnished apartments range from $550-$700 for a one bedroom apartment plus living room to $650-$900 and up ($250-$350 per person) for a two- or three-bedroom apartment plus living room. Additional monthly costs could add approximately $80-$100 per person, depending on telephone usage. These include:

Utilities (water, gas, heat, electricity, and telephone - expensive)

Va'ad Ha-bayit, building maintenance fee for building upkeep, central heating, etc.

Arnona, the municipal property tax (approximately $60-$90 per month)

You should also be aware that while some landlords may not require a security deposit, they may request advance rent payments from two to six months. The College recommends that you pay no more than three months' rent in advance.

If necessary, HUC will serve as a guarantor for rental agreements made by students. We will review the lease in advance to assure that the terms are acceptable. Also, HUC will require that the lease contain a 30-60 day clause for early termination. However, all leases will be transacted directly between students and landlords (or their agents).

Finding An Apartment

In addition to the apartment listings which HUC will make available to you, your best sources of information will be the Friday edition of The Jerusalem Post, Hebrew newspaper listings (for example, Kol Ha'ir), the She'al Rental Agency (located at 21 King George Street) and Ma'agar Meda rental agency. The agencies charge a nominal fee (about $15) for the use of their listings for a period of two months, but no additional fee if you ultimately rent an apartment from their listings.

You may also want to contact a rental agent prior to your arrival. Please remember that their fee is usually 5%-10% of the total annual rent. Several Jerusalem agents are listed below. This listing DOES NOT constitute a recommendation.

Stuart Wurthman
Telephone: (02) 586-4850
E-mail: stuart@netmedia.net.il
Fax: (02) 587-0375
Discount on agent fees for HUC students

Ambassador Real Estate
43 Emek Refaim
Telephone (02) 561-8101
Vic Hoffman
Telephone: (02) 623-5595
Fax: (02) 563-2482
Dvorah Block
27 Chovevei Zion
Telephone: (02) 561-7276
Anglo-Saxon Real Estate
2 HaSoreg Street
Telephone: (02) 625-1161
Carol Segal
19 Radak Street
Telephone: (02) 563-9386
Naomi Margalit
Telephone: (02) 581-9394

IMPORTANT: Do not give a non-refundable deposit on an apartment nor sign any lease, contract, or "written agreement" until it has been read by a member of the HUC Jerusalem School staff.

Back to Your Year in Israel
To the HUC-JIR home page