Tent on Tel Aviv rooftop available to rent for $1,680 per month

A rooftop tent in Tel Aviv was recently put on the rental market for the princely monthly sum of of NIS 5,500 (approximately $1,680).

The listing follows a trend of ridiculously priced apartments in the city, frustrating residents.

The listing in the Old North neighborhood of the city was advertised as a single-room apartment, furnished with a bed, kitchen, and bathroom. It also comes with a television.

Speaking to Channel 12 news on Sunday, the owner of the property boasted of the apartment’s terrace area, and said that the living area was covered by a strong tarpaulin.

When pressed by the reporter on what would happen when it rains, the landlord stated that the tent is “relatively sheltered,” and that the property needed to be seen in person.

According to the Walla news site, the property owners claimed they have the necessary permits for the structure and pay property taxes on their asset.

After attracting online and media attention, the posting on the Yad2 website was taken down.

Israeli renters have long complained of exorbitant costs.

Last September, another ludicrous listing in Tel Aviv was posted online. For NIS 1,200 (USD $375) a month, would-be tenants were temptingly told, the lucky renter could enjoy the pleasure of sleeping in a storage space, customarily used for suitcases and old furniture.

An elevated storage space listed as a place to sleep, instead of a regular room, in a Tel Aviv apartment-share. (Facebook/courtesy)

For the past decade, housing prices have soared in Israel, despite government promises to bring down the cost of living.

Earlier this month, the Central Bureau of Statistics said apartment prices rose during the first two months of 2022 by 1.8 percent, resulting in a cumulative rise of 15.2% in the past 12 months compared to the previous period.

Central Israel and Jerusalem saw the highest increase during January and February of 2022, 2.4% and 2.2% respectively. Haifa saw an increase of 2.1%, the rest of northern Israel 1.6%. Southern Israel saw an increase of 1.5%, and last came Tel Aviv, with 1.3%.

Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman said in December that Israel’s skyrocketing housing prices would moderate by the end of 2022 and that he believes Israelis may even see prices drop in the coming years.

Last October, the government unveiled a major housing plan for 2022-2025, aimed at rapidly increasing the supply of apartments in the hopes of reducing prices.