Halachos for Real Estate

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Opening an Apartment to be Viewed on Shabbat

  1. It is permitted for a Jewish real estate owner to let his non-Jewish management company open an apartment on Shabbat or Yom Tov to be viewed by a potential tenant since it is well known that owners have non-Jewish management companies that do this for them.[1]

Real Estate Management on Chol Hamoed

These halachos are relevant to a Jewish real estate owner that has a management company managing his residential buildings on Chol Hamoed.

  1. Regular day to day operations such as maintenance management, landscaping, or cosmetic repairs are forbidden on Chol Hamoed even if done by a non-Jew.[2]
  2. The management shouldn't deal with cleaning or fixing up from a previous tenant on Chol Hamoed. For example, if a tenant moved out right before the holiday, it is forbidden to hire someone to do repaint it on Chol Hamoed.[3]
  3. Anything which could potentially lose a current tenant would be considered a financial loss and permitted. For example, if a pipe burst it is permitted to hire a worker to fix it.[4]
  4. Activity to attract new tenants is forbidden.[5]

Real Estate Owner for Shabbat and Yom Tov

  1. Rav Chaim Cohen in Yeshurun (v. 31 pp. 230-235) explains that it is permitted to hire a non-Jewish management companies that manages the residential buildings on Shabbat and Yom Tov and you don't obligate them to do melacha. Rav Shraga Feivel Cohen there disagrees that it is unrealistic that they the owner wouldn't want them to do melacha on Shabbat if an "emergency" came up and it is indeed amira lnochri. Rav Chaim Cohen responded that it is possible to have a non-Jewish partner that is responsible for Shabbat and Yom Tov dealings as well as a non-Jewish management company.

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