A few days ago I saw a long exchange on Facebook initiated by someone who’d asked if her landlord could enter her rented flat at will and whether she was allowed to change the locks to prevent him doing so. One person questioned whether it’s “legal” to change the locks on a rented apartment.
Here’s the answer:
Rental agreements usually include a clause that permits a landlord to enter a rented apartment for occasional inspection – but only with advance notice, at an agreed time, and with reasonable frequency. The landlord is not entitled to enter the property without notice and certainly not in the absence of the tenant (unless otherwise agreed). Frequent and recurrent requests to enter the apartment are probably not reasonable.
On the question of changing locks, the tenant is certainly entitled to do so. There is nothing “illegal” about it. “Illegal” acts are those that are against the law – in other words, a criminal offence. There is nothing criminal about changing locks on your house for your security. (At the end of the lease, the landlord is entitled to ask you to reinstall the old lock, or may settle for keys to the new one).
An ancillary question – also related to rental – is whether a tenant can be ejected because the landlord intends to sell the apartment during the currency of the lease.
Again, the rental contract should stipulate that in the event that the landlord sells the property, the lease will transfer over to the new owner. If the “old” landlord asks the tenant to leave before the end of the lease because he/she wants to sell the apartment, he/she is in breach of contract and can be sued for damages.
Unfortunately, there’s a tendency in Israel for people to rely on an off-the-shelf or “second-hand” lease that one of the parties acquired from somewhere. From the tenant’s point of view – particularly those not confident in Hebrew – this is not good practice. The above are excellent examples of why a lawyer should be consulted before signing a lease. Doing so provides an opportunity to discuss matters of concern, and place them in the lease agreement for your peace of mind.