How to write a rent cheque (and what a security cheque is)
Many Israeli leases are still paid by cheque: usually 12 post-dated cheques for the year, plus a security cheque. Filling one in wrong, or handing over a blank security cheque, can cost you. Here's how to do it right.
← All renter guidesPost-dated cheques: how it works
At signing you usually hand over 12 cheques, one per month, each dated for its month (post-dated). The landlord deposits each on its date. Keep your own list: every cheque number and its date, so you know what's been cashed and what hasn't.
How to fill a cheque correctly
Five fields, all of them matter:
- •Date: for a post-dated cheque, the future date on which it may be deposited.
- •Payee (לפקודת): the landlord's exact name, as it appears in the lease.
- •Amount in figures: e.g. 6,400.
- •Amount in words: the same sum spelled out in full. That's what stops the amount being altered after you hand it over.
- •Signature: like at the bank. Without it the cheque is void. Add “payee only” (a double line in the corner) so only the landlord can cash it.
The security cheque: the most important rule
A security cheque (or deposit cheque) is collateral, not a payment. It's meant to be cashed only if you genuinely breach the lease. Never hand over a blank security cheque: write a clear amount (not empty), note on it that it's for security, and pin down in the contract exactly when it may be deposited and the conditions for getting it back. A blank cheque is a signed cheque for an unknown amount.
Scan the contract: we'll flag an unfair securities clause →How much security is allowed
The law caps the total of securities that cost you money (deposit, security cheque and bank guarantee combined). Worth knowing the ceiling before you agree to a number, so you don't give more than can lawfully be required.
The securities cap & deposit return →Stopping a cheque: when, and at what risk
You can instruct the bank to stop a cheque, but stopping one with no real grounds can lead to a claim and enforcement proceedings. Use it only when there's a genuine reason, and ideally after checking your rights, not in a moment of anger.
A money dispute: small claims →A simpler alternative: transfer or standing order
More and more landlords accept a bank transfer or a standing order instead of cheques. It's simpler, there's no lost-cheque risk, and every payment leaves a clear trail. If it suits you, offer it; it's not an unusual request.