Israel Updates Apartment Size Calculation Standards

Israel's Ministry of Justice has announced a new standard for calculating apartment sizes, replacing a decade-old system. The updated standard, known as 9.1, aims to resolve long-standing discrepancies in how property sizes are measured and interpreted across the real estate market. Previously, different methodologies led to varying figures in developer documents, land registries, and official reports.

The old standard, 9.0, which had been in effect since 2006, failed to fully address issues related to calculating areas like attics, walls on slopes, and shared spaces such as lobbies and stairwells. To rectify this, a special commission was formed about a year ago.

Standard 9.1 introduces clear rules for developers and homebuyers. Apartment area will now be measured by the external wall surfaces. Shared walls between apartments or between living spaces and common areas will be calculated along their centerline. Attics with permanent staircases will be included in the total area, while those without such access or with temporary stairs will not.

Additionally, storage rooms will only count towards an apartment's area if they are physically attached and have an internal entrance from the dwelling. Storage units located in common building areas will not be included in the apartment's calculated size.