STUDENT GUIDE - Rothberg International School

Brief Descriptions of Housing
Scopus Student Village
The Student Village contains about 1,600 beds in 9 buildings, with about 120 students residing in each building.
Students are housed in air-conditioned, single bedrooms in a suite containing 2-5 bedrooms, bathroom facilities, a
living room, kitchenette and dining area. Students must supply their own linens, blankets, pillows, cooking utensils
and dinnerware. The Village includes a supermarket (Building 2) and self-service laundromat.
Maiersdorf (Reznik) Student Housing Complex
Maiersdorf contains about 1,800 beds in 19 dormitory buildings, with 10 rooms per floor. Students are housed in
single or double rooms and must supply their own linens, blankets, pillows, cooking utensils and dinnerware.
There is a kitchenette, toilets, showers and a main central lounge area on each floor. The buildings are centrally
heated and are surrounded by small gardens with sitting areas. The complex also includes the Student Counseling
Services (Building 10), study halls (Buildings 11, 13), TV room (Building 11), synagogue (Building 8),
supermarket, and basketball courts.
Off-Campus Housing
Renting off-campus housing is an attractive option for many students. Monthly rent for an individual sharing an
apartment can cost anywhere from US $200 to US $500, depending upon the size, location, and amenities of the
room/apartment, as well as the number of roommates. When renting an apartment, students must take into account
additional expenses: electricity, water, gas, municipal taxes (arnona), and the monthly building
maintenance fee (Va’ad Bayit).
Several basic questions to ask before signing a contract:
1. How much is the rent and Va’ad Bayit (monthly building main ten ance committee fee)? Rent is commonly
quoted in U.S. Dollars and linked to the current rate of exchange (sha’ar hayatzig). It is illegal for landlords to
request actual payment in dollars.
2. How are rental payments to be made? Often landlords require several month’s rent in advance. (The standard
request is the first and last month’s rent.)
3. How is the apartment heated? Apartments with a high Va’ad Bayit fee are often centrally heated. Otherwise,
there may be private central heating or the tenant must provide heaters, often provided by the tenant. Using
individual electric or gas heaters can be expensive.
4. Is the water heated electrically or by solar energy (dude shemesh)? The difference in cost (i.e., the electricity bill)
may be significant.
5. Is there a telephone? Installing a telephone line costs money.
6. Is a bus line to the University in walking distance? (4, 430 ,28 ,26 ,19 , ‏,א or 46) to Mount Scopus campus?
7. How much is the lawyer’s fee (if any) for signing the contract? If you are a member of the Student Union you
are entitled to free legal counseling regarding apartment rentals.
8. How many months long is the lease? Can it be legally terminated by you or the landlord?
9. General location: Is the apartment on the ground floor? Are there metal bars (soragim) on the windows? Is it
located on a noisy thoroughfare or on a quiet side street?
Some ways to look for off-campus housing:
1. Check the student bulletin boards on campus located near the libraries and in the lobby outside the cafeteria
in the Boyar Building.
2. Consult the classified ads in the local press Friday editions. (These ads are often linked to realtors, who will
charge around one month’s rent as their commission fee.)
3. Check the Student Housing Board on the Hebrew University website (in Hebrew only): http://sites.huji.ac.il/
house_open/
4. Sign up with an agency that will provide you with access to its extensive listings of apartments for rent and to
share, for a reasonable monthly fee. Some agencies:
Ma’agar Meida: www.1.co.il Tel. 1-700-501555
Sheal: www.sheal.co.il Tel. 02-6254456
Yad 2 (“2 nd hand”) – Free Website:
WinWin : www.winwin.co.il
www.yad2.co.il
Homeless: www.homeless.co.il
Hebrew University Board: www.huji.ac.il/huji/info_apartments.htm
8 Rothberg International School