Renters' rights

The small-claims kit

The small-claims kit: the full path to enforcing your deposit return. Where to file, what it costs, the ceiling, the evidence checklist worth preparing, and a fill-in-yourself statement-of-claim draft.

This is not legal advice. DirBalak presents information about renters' rights from the statute. The decision and wording are yours.

This is general guidance from the law, not an opinion on your specific case and not a promise of any outcome. Every case depends on the contract and the facts; for a material question, consult a lawyer.

How to file a small claim: step by step

  • A small claim is filed in the court covering where the defendant (the landlord) lives or runs their business, or where the act giving rise to the claim occurred: the rented apartment, usually the same city.

    pending legal review
    kolzchut.org.il — הגשת תביעה קטנה (מקום הגשת התביעה) · he.wikipedia.org — תביעה קטנה

  • The filing fee is 1% of the claim amount, and in any case not less than ₪50. For a typical deposit claim that is roughly ₪50–₪400.

    pending legal review
    kolzchut.org.il — הגשת תביעה קטנה (אגרה: 1% מסכום התביעה, מינימום 50 ש״ח)

  • The small-claims ceiling is ≈₪39,900 as of 2026, linked to the Consumer Price Index and updated annually. Verify the current ceiling before filing.

    pending legal review
    kolzchut.org.il — הגשת תביעה קטנה · he.wikipedia.org — תביעה קטנה (תקרה צמודת מדד)

  • In small claims the parties appear in person and are not represented by a lawyer, save exceptional cases the court permits.

    pending legal review
    kolzchut.org.il — הגשת תביעה קטנה (ייצוג) · תקנות שיפוט בתביעות קטנות (סדרי דין), תשל״ז-1976

  • A small-claims claimant is an individual, and must declare they have not filed more than five small claims in the same court in the year before filing. For a renter this is almost never a barrier.

    pending legal review
    he.wikipedia.org — תביעה קטנה · תקנות שיפוט בתביעות קטנות (סדרי דין), תשל״ז-1976

  • After filing, the defendant (the landlord) must file a defence within 30 days of receiving the claim, and a hearing is then scheduled.

    pending legal review
    kolzchut.org.il — הגשת תביעה קטנה (כתב הגנה תוך 30 יום)

  • The landlord has no automatic right of appeal from a small-claims judgment. An appeal is only by permission of the district court, and for new cases the request for leave must be filed within 30 days.

    pending legal review
    kolzchut.org.il — הגשת תביעה קטנה (רשות ערעור) · he.wikipedia.org — תביעה קטנה

The evidence checklist worth preparing

Practical preparation tips, not legal advice. The more orderly documentation you have, the easier the claim is to prove.

  • Photograph the apartment on move-in day and on move-out day. Documenting its condition is your strongest evidence against a damage claim.
  • Keep receipts and transfer proofs: the deposit payment, rent, municipal tax, water, electricity, gas and building-committee dues.
  • Keep communications in writing: requests, agreements and dates in messages you can present, not phone calls alone.
  • Document the key handover: a handover confirmation, the exact date, and witnesses if possible.
  • Keep a copy of the demand letter you sent and any reply. They show you tried to resolve before suing.

Your statement-of-claim draft

Statement-of-claim draft

pending legal review

Fill in the fields and the statement-of-claim draft builds itself. It stays on your device only. DirBalak stores and sends nothing. This is a draft for review, not legal advice.

The draft (in Hebrew)

The letter is still missing details. Fill in the marked fields before sending.

This is not legal advice. DirBalak presents information about renters' rights from the statute. The decision and wording are yours.

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עוד ב״חידוש או עזיבה״:התאריכים החשובים בחוזהבדיקת העלאת שכ״דיציאה מהדירהמה מותר לנכות מהפיקדוןמכתב דרישה לפיקדוןיציאה מוקדמתנשרפתי בעבר