New Israeli Standard Aims to Clarify Apartment Sizes

Israel's Ministry of Justice has approved a new appraiser standard, 9.1, designed to standardize how apartment sizes are calculated and reduce discrepancies that often confuse homebuyers. The previous standard, 9.0 from 2006, left room for interpretation, particularly regarding shared walls and attached spaces.

The new standard clarifies that apartment measurements should include the external faces of exterior walls and the center of shared walls, meaning walls themselves are factored into the total area. This differs from simply measuring the usable floor space within rooms. For instance, half the thickness of a wall separating an apartment from a common area, up to 10 cm, is now included, while laundry rooms are excluded.

While the standard provides a uniform method for appraisers, it does not automatically change existing property tax (Arnona) calculations, older land registry (Tabu) records, or sales contracts. The relevant measurement method depends on the purpose of the calculation. Discrepancies between appraiser measurements, Arnona bills, and Tabu records require individual investigation into when and how each measurement was taken.

Buyers are advised to request a detailed breakdown of apartment areas, including separate figures for balconies and storage units, rather than relying solely on a total square meterage. This is crucial for accurate price comparisons, as including non-living areas like large balconies or storage can inflate the advertised size and distort the price per square meter. The new standard aims to provide clarity on what constitutes the "100 square meters" advertised, enabling better informed purchasing decisions.