Protected Tenant Evicted From Tel Aviv Store After 50 Years

A Tel Aviv court has ordered Avraham Tsikbashvili to vacate a chandelier and lighting fixture store on Hachlutzim Street, which his family has occupied for nearly 50 years as protected tenants paying a monthly rent of 250 shekels. Judge Meirav Kenzi-Naman ruled that Tsikbashvili had effectively ceased operating the business.

The original protected tenancy was held by Tsikbashvili's father, Reuven Tsikbashvili, who ran a workshop and store there. After his death in 1999, Avraham continued to manage the store while also working as a food engineer and deputy director of business licensing for the Holon Municipality until 2012. The property owner, Arie Dov Kastenbaum, filed a lawsuit in September 2024 to evict Tsikbashvili, claiming the store was closed, with a "clearance sale" sign on the window.

Tsikbashvili argued he visited the store several times a week, but his presence was reduced due to the war and his health. He also cited structural defects that damaged inventory, prompting him to sell remaining stock and plan a restart. However, photographic evidence presented by Kastenbaum, taken over 14 visits between May and June 2024, showed the store consistently dark and closed. Further evidence included nearly zero electricity consumption from mid-2020 to 2025, which the judge found highly improbable for an active business.

The court also scrutinized financial documents submitted by Tsikbashvili, including invoices with identical numbers, dates, and goods but different prices, and many lacking customer names. The judge dismissed Tsikbashvili's explanations for these discrepancies as unsatisfactory. Additionally, supplier invoices included items like Shabbat candles and mezuzahs, which were deemed inconsistent with a lighting fixture business. Tsikbashvili's failure to produce supporting witnesses further weakened his case.

Despite Kastenbaum's claim that Tsikbashvili never inherited the protected tenancy, the judge ruled he had become one, partly due to the owner's inaction for two decades. Kastenbaum himself admitted the lawsuit should have been filed much earlier. The court applied the principle of "reversed equity relief," allowing eviction only after compensation. Considering the family's long tenure, consistent rent payments, and market changes affecting the lighting industry, the judge ordered Kastenbaum to deposit 125,000 shekels into escrow by November 4. Tsikbashvili will then have 30 days to vacate the premises and must also pay Kastenbaum 15,000 shekels in legal costs.