Ask The Rabbi

Ask The Rabbi

category:  Tefilin & Mezuza

Mezuzot in a rented apartment

If a Jew rents an apartment from a non-Jew and he leaves, but the next tenant will be a Jew, should he leave the mezuzot in the apartment, even if he did not make such a condition originally, or if there were no mezuzot initially?

It is not necessary, because the whole reason for leaving mezuzot in a home is for the owner, if he is a Jew, since the tenant has committed to looking after the home, and when the mezuzot are removed, this can harm the home. When the home belongs to a non-Jew however, no harm is caused, and he did not commit to anything, nor does he have any obligation toward the next tenant.

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