Apartment Size in Tel Aviv: Advertised, Tabu and Arnona
Keep the advertised, registered and arnona-billed apartment areas separate until you can explain each figure’s source, date and included spaces. Match the documents to the same unit, compare the permit with the actual layout, and label the denominator in any asking-price-per-square-metre calculation. Use the blank worksheet below to record unresolved questions.
Go to the printable area worksheet · No signup needed
What should you collect when the sizes disagree?
Build an evidence file for one apartment before trying to select a single size. The table below is a collection checklist: it does not decide title, permitted construction or valuation. Keep the seller’s description beside the documents instead of replacing one with the other. Mark an unavailable document as missing, and assign the next question to someone who can answer it. An unexplained difference is a reason to investigate; this page cannot say whether it is harmless or material for your purchase.
Tel Aviv-Yafo’s municipal property-buying guide specifically tells buyers to compare the building permit with the actual area and use, and warns that the building file may be incomplete. That planning check is separate from reading a nesach Tabu (Land Registry extract) or collecting a municipal tax bill. For the wider professional split, read apartment due diligence.
| Area statement / document | What to collect or check | Question to resolve | Who to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertised area | Save the dated ad and request the seller’s written breakdown of what its area includes. | Which document or measurement supports this figure? Are balcony, storage, parking or common parts counted? | Seller / agent; professional review if disputed |
| Tabu extract | Match the land identifiers and date on the extract to the apartment being considered. Record an area only if the document actually states one. | Does this entry identify the right unit? What does any stated area describe, and what remains to be checked? | Israeli property lawyer |
| Condominium plan and related documents | Ask the lawyer to obtain the relevant registered plan and related documents, and explain the unit and any separately identified spaces. | Which plan/version matches the registration? Where are the balcony, storage and parking shown, if at all? | Lawyer; measurement professional for dimensions |
| Arnona bill / measurement record | Copy the billed area, bill period and municipal property reference. Request the applicable measurement basis and supporting record. | Which spaces and measurement rules produced this billing area? Does the document refer to this same apartment? | Municipal arnona team; adviser if disputed |
| Permit plan versus actual layout | Collect the permit and signed plan that can be located, then arrange a comparison with what stands today. | Do the actual area and use match the permit? Which document or professional check is missing? | Planning / engineering professional with lawyer |
How do you check that the documents describe the same unit?
Start with identity and dates, not just the square-metre column. The official Land Registry extract service describes the extract as legal registration information accurate as of its generation date. Its instructions distinguish block (gush), parcel (chelka) and, for a condominium, sub-parcel (tat-chelka). It warns that a sub-parcel is not necessarily the building’s apartment number. A familiar street address or door number is therefore not enough to match the file.
Ask your lawyer to connect those identifiers to the unit, then request the relevant condominium plan (tashrit) and related documents. Record the version supplied; do not assume every old plan reflects today’s layout. If an area is absent or its meaning is unclear, leave it blank and record a question. Keep the original digital extract as well as your notes. The Tabu guide explains registration; the worksheet below helps organize the comparison.
What can the arnona area tell you?
Record the area used on the municipal property-tax bill, then ask how that particular area was established. Arnona is municipal property tax; its measurement purpose should remain visible in your comparison. Tel Aviv-Yafo’s 2026 arnona order, section 1.3.1, excludes internal and external walls from building area and has separate provisions for balconies, parking and common areas. That is a reason to request the applicable rule and measurement record, rather than assuming that every document measures the same thing.
This worksheet does not recalculate a tax assessment or apply those provisions to your apartment. Copy the bill period, property reference and billed area exactly, and list any missing explanation of included spaces. Ask the municipality about the billing basis and the planning professional about the permit; keep both answers. The arnona guide covers the municipal charge. A tax figure alone does not complete the permit comparison recommended by the city.
How much can a different denominator change the ratio?
In this hypothetical arithmetic example, one fictional apartment has an asking price of ₪3,600,000 ($972,973 / €900,000 / £757,895). A seller describes 90 sqm (969 sqft); a separate hypothetical document figure is 80 sqm (861 sqft). Neither figure is presented as the correct area. Dividing the identical price by each figure gives the two ratios below. The smaller denominator raises the ratio by 12.5%; the asking price has not changed.
This is not a real listing, market-value estimate, discount, tax bill or lending decision. It supplies no conversion factor between Tabu, arnona and advertised areas. Currency equivalents use the existing July 2026 illustration assumptions, ₪3.7/$1, ₪4/€1 and ₪4.75/£1; they are not current exchange-rate quotes. Before comparing different apartments, ask whether their denominators are compatible. For the different job of valuation, see licensed apartment appraisal.
| Hypothetical basis | Calculation | Asking ratio per sqm |
|---|---|---|
| Seller’s description: 90 sqm (969 sqft) | ₪3,600,000 ÷ 90 | ₪40,000 ($10,811 / €10,000 / £8,421) |
| Alternative document figure: 80 sqm (861 sqft) | ₪3,600,000 ÷ 80 | ₪45,000 ($12,162 / €11,250 / £9,474) |
Apartment-area evidence worksheet
Use your browser’s Print menu for a worksheet copy. Write offline; leave unverified fields blank. Keep the original documents separately. Area units: sqm / sqft, labelled consistently.
Apartment / reference: ____________________ Review date: ____________________
Block / parcel / sub-parcel, if verified: ________________________________________
Advertised area
Document date / reference: ____________________ Stated area / unit: __________
Included spaces, only if evidenced (balcony / storage / parking / other):
________________________________________________________________
Open question / missing evidence: ________________________________________
Responsible professional / next step: ______________________________________
Tabu extract
Document date / reference: ____________________ Stated area / unit: __________
Included spaces, only if evidenced (balcony / storage / parking / other):
________________________________________________________________
Open question / missing evidence: ________________________________________
Responsible professional / next step: ______________________________________
Condominium plan and related documents
Document date / reference: ____________________ Stated area / unit: __________
Included spaces, only if evidenced (balcony / storage / parking / other):
________________________________________________________________
Open question / missing evidence: ________________________________________
Responsible professional / next step: ______________________________________
Arnona bill / measurement record
Document date / reference: ____________________ Stated area / unit: __________
Included spaces, only if evidenced (balcony / storage / parking / other):
________________________________________________________________
Open question / missing evidence: ________________________________________
Responsible professional / next step: ______________________________________
Permit plan versus actual layout
Document date / reference: ____________________ Stated area / unit: __________
Included spaces, only if evidenced (balcony / storage / parking / other):
________________________________________________________________
Open question / missing evidence: ________________________________________
Responsible professional / next step: ______________________________________
Comparison denominator and supporting document: ______________________________
Collection aid only. No area, title, planning or valuation certification. Source review: 22 October 2026. telavivpropertyreport.com/buying-guide/apartment-size-tabu-arnona-advertised/
What should you ask before relying on an area figure?
Turn each unresolved row into a concrete request: the source document, the spaces included, the measurement basis, or the professional comparison still needed. Ask for the explanation in writing and keep it beside the dated evidence. If a balcony appears in an ad but is unexplained in the supplied file, record that question rather than adding its area to the apartment total. If a plan is missing, name the missing plan instead of filling the gap with a guessed percentage.
For a purchase decision, ask your lawyer and the relevant planning, measurement or valuation professional what the discrepancy means for this apartment and the proposed contract. The worksheet organizes those questions; it cannot resolve them. Keep any price-per-sqm comparison labelled provisional until its basis is understood. Return to due diligence for the wider checks, or use the buyer scenario planner for separately labelled purchase-cost assumptions.
Frequently asked questions
Which apartment size should I use for price per square metre?
Use a clearly labelled, evidenced area and compare it only with a compatible measurement basis. If the basis is unresolved, keep separate labelled ratios rather than silently substituting the advertised, registered or billed number. A ratio alone does not establish market value.
Does the arnona area prove the apartment is permitted?
Do not use a municipal billing area as a substitute for checking the permit. Tel Aviv-Yafo’s buyer guide calls for comparing the permit with the actual area and use. Record the bill and permit as separate evidence and ask a professional to reconcile any mismatch.
Can I convert Tabu size to advertised size with a fixed percentage?
This worksheet supplies no conversion factor. Identify the actual documents, dates and included spaces for the apartment. A guessed percentage can hide a missing plan, an unexplained advertising figure or a different measurement purpose.
Should I automatically add the balcony, parking and storage?
No. Record each space separately and ask where it is evidenced and whether it is included in each stated total. Do not treat an advertising description as proof of registered rights or permitted construction, or count a separately stated space twice.
Is a Tabu sub-parcel number the apartment’s door number?
Not necessarily. The official Land Registry extract service warns that the sub-parcel number may differ from the apartment number in the building. Ask the lawyer to match the block, parcel and sub-parcel to the unit before comparing documents.
Can I use the worksheet without subscribing or entering details online?
Yes. The blank worksheet is visible here and prints through your browser’s Print menu. Write on your own copy. There is no upload or online apartment-input form in this worksheet; newsletter signup is separate and optional.
Sources and scope
Primary text reviewed on 22 October 2026: Tel Aviv-Yafo’s property-buying guide (permit versus actual area/use and incomplete building files); the Ministry of Justice extract service (document date and unit identifiers); and the city’s 2026 arnona order, section 1.3.1 (area definitions; council approval dated 16 June 2025). These source dates describe the documents, not new market observations.
The separate condominium-document service was inaccessible to our direct review. Ask your lawyer to obtain the relevant plan and related documents; we publish no fee, turnaround promise or guarantee that a particular file is available. The worksheet and hypothetical arithmetic are this publication’s original collection aid, not an official municipal or registry form. No named professional endorsement is claimed.
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