As hopes for a ceasefire linger, the ongoing missile fire from Iran has sharpened Israelis’ focus on having a protected room, known as a “mamad.” The problem is that in many urban centers, buildings are old and some lack even a shared shelter. The result is a clear trend in the short-term rental market: sublet prices for apartments with safe rooms are soaring.
“We’ve been moving from apartment to apartment in Tel Aviv for three weeks,” said B., a city resident whose current apartment has no protected room. “It started at 5,000 shekels ($1,600) for the first week and jumped to 8,500 shekels ($2,700) a week now. It’s insane. “The newer the neighborhood, the more apartments have safe rooms and the easier they are to find, but instead of easing prices, the supply is pushing them higher.”
A spot check of listings on the Yad2 classified platform, Airbnb and social media groups offering sublets with safe rooms shows a wide price range in Tel Aviv. One apartment in the Kochav HaTzafon neighborhood is advertised on Airbnb at a “discount” weekly rate of about 6,000 shekels ($1,900) for April, down from roughly 9,300 shekels ($2,900).
On Yad2, a 20-square-meter studio with a safe room near Kikar Hamedina is listed for about 1,300 shekels a week. At the higher end, a 4.5-room apartment with a safe room in the Gush Hagadol area (north Tel Aviv) is offered for about 20,000 shekels ($6,400) for a month. In the Bavli neighborhood, a 4-room apartment with a safe room is listed for a two-month sublet at about 30,000 shekels ($9,500) total, roughly 15,000 shekels ($4,800) per month, in a building with a gym, pool and children’s playroom.
Demand rises sharply beyond central Israel
The spike is not limited to the center. Eliya Winter, head of the Mitzpe Ramon local council, said demand for sublets in the southern town has surged since the war began, driven mainly by families and individuals from the north and central regions seeking a quieter, safer environment for short stays.
According to Winter, only one siren has sounded in the town since the start of the war, making it an unusually attractive destination. “This has created significant pressure on the short-term rental market,” he said. “Prices have climbed in the private market as well, with some listings drawing multiple competing renters. If apartments here typically rent for 2,800 to 3,000 shekels a month, short-term rentals can now reach 600 shekels per night, and demand is still high with not enough supply.”
Tal Kopel, CEO of the Madlan real estate platform, said searches for apartments with safe rooms surged early in the current military Operation Roaring Lion, quickly reaching record highs last seen in June 2025, during Operation Rising Lion.
“Since early February, we’ve identified about a 133% increase in searches for properties with safe rooms,” Kopel said. “This is a broad nationwide trend. Demand for protected apartments is rising significantly in both the rental and sales markets.” He added that the data reflects a deeper shift in public preferences. “Personal security has become a central factor in decision-making, sometimes outweighing traditional considerations like location or price.”
“In times of security tension, the rental market changes the rules of the game,” said real estate appraiser Shmulik Cohen, CEO of SK Appraisal. “Demand for apartments with safe rooms, especially sublets, surges and leads to significant price gaps compared to similar apartments without a protected space. Personal security becomes the main, and sometimes the only, consideration.”
"As a result, renters are willing to pay a high premium to ensure a sense of security for themselves and their families, along with immediate access to a protected space. Cohen adds that rental premiums for apartments with a safe room typically range from 20% to 40%, and in high-demand areas or short-term deals, the gap can be even higher.
Still, he noted the trend is cyclical. “In emergencies, the safe room becomes a decisive pricing factor. But when conditions stabilize, the market rebalances and classic factors like location, accessibility and property quality return to the forefront. The safe room will remain important, but not the sole determinant of value over time.”
Real estate agent Alina Gutz, who works mainly in Petah Tikva and nearby communities, said apartments with safe rooms have effectively become a necessity. First-floor apartments with access to a shared shelter are also sought after, but they are significantly cheaper than apartments with a private safe room. Personal security and immediate access to a protected space have become integral to renters’ considerations, and the price gaps are significant.”