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Off-Campus Housing: Finding an Apartment
As mentioned on our general housing page, Yad2.co.il and Facebook Marketplace are always good places to start when looking for an off-campus apartment. Likewise, there are a number of local Facebook and other groups that could be useful when looking for a rental apartment, including:
General Be’er Sheva Groups
Be’er Sheva Real Estate Groups
Hiring a Realtor
Since you may be looking for an apartment before you arrive in Israel, a realtor may be useful. Both renters and landlords in Israel pay realtor commissions. This is usually the equivalent of one month’s rent for rental contracts of a year or more. For shorter rental contracts, the fee is usually 10 per cent of the total rental costs. In both cases, 17 per cent tax will be added to the commission.
Below is a list of English-speaking realtors in Be’er Sheva:
Off-Campus Neighbourhood Guide
Shchunah Dalet (D)
Ben-Gurion University is located in one of Be’er Sheva’s older areas. The neighbourhoods in this area of Be’er Sheva are numbered from 1 to 11 in Hebrew and lettered in English. The university is in Dalet, D.
Shchunah Dalet was built in the 1950s as a neighbourhood meant to house new immigrants. Since the university was built in the 1970s, the neighbourhood has attracted lots of students. The neighbourhood’s main street, Rager, runs west of the university campus and is one of the city’s main thoroughfares. The student areas are full of cafes, restaurants and other entertainment options.
Rent in Shchunah Dalet runs from about NIS 2,000 for a studio or one-bedroom to NIS 3,300 for a two-bedroom apartment.
Shchunah Vav Hayashan (Old V)
Also known as D East, this neighbourhood borders the university on the north. It too was established in the 1950s and became a student neighbourhood with the establishment of the university. The main street, Ringelblum, is flanked by cool bars and eateries, making it a lively student hangout. The university is about a five- to ten-minute walk from most places in the neighbourhood.
Rent in Shchunah Vav ranges from about NIS 1,540 for a studio to about NIS 3,400 for a two-bedroom apartment.
Shchunah Gimmel (C)
Located at the southern border of the university, and right next to the Soroka Medical Center, this neighbourhood is popular with doctors, medical students and other hospital personnel. A number of sports facilities and teams, such as the Be’er Sheva Cricket Club, are also located in the neighbourhood. It is also home to the Be’er Sheva North train station, making it a good option for commuters and students.
The neighbourhood is characterized by low buildings and single-family homes with yards. Most places in the neighbourhood are about a 10-minute walk from the university. Rent in Shchunah Gimmel ranges from NIS 1,530 for a studio to NIS 3,400 for a two-bedroom apartment.
Shchunah Bet (B)
Sitting to the west of the university, Shchunah Bet is known as the heart of Be’er Sheva. It is popular with students, young singles and young couples. It is home to the world-famous Be’er Sheva Chess Club, the iconic Conservatory of Music and the public library. One of the neighbourhood’s main features is Hasofrim Park. This large park serves as a green artery running through the neighbourhood and connecting its various parts.
It is about a 20-minute walk from Shchunah Bet to the university. Rent ranges from about NIS 1,950 for a studio to NIS 3,700 for a two-bedroom apartment.
Ramot D
Located at the northwest edge of the city, Ramot D is one of Be’er Sheva’s more upper-class neighbourhoods. It was established in the 1980s and is characterized by single-family homes and large apartments. Though it is literally on the other side of the train tracks from Ben-Gurion and other parts of the city, in reality, it is only about a 25-minute walk from the farthest reach of the neighbourhood to the university.
Rent ranges from about NIS 2,000 for a studio to NIS 3,800 for a two-bedroom apartment.
For more information regarding renting an apartment in Israel, see our general housing page.
On-Campus Housing
Ben-Gurion University
Ben-Gurion University offers housing for international students and postdoctoral fellows in the Me’onot Dalet complex, located across the street from campus. Each apartment in the dormitory has four private bedrooms and a shared kitchen and bathroom.
Prices range from NIS 790 for a single room to NIS 2,300 for a couple.
Additionally, the university offers housing for postdocs in an apartment complex built and managed by the Ashtrom company. The complex contains both one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments. The university provides rent subsidies for these fully furnished apartments. Rent for a one-bedroom is NIS 3,652 with a NIS 1,321 subsidy, making the total rent NIS 2,331 per month. Rent for a two-bedroom is NIS 4,373 a month with a subsidy of NIS 1,473, making the total cost of rent NIS 2,900 per month.
You can find out more about the Ashtrom apartments here.
In addition, the university runs guest apartments for singles or couples on Rager Boulevard, close to the campus. The apartments are fully furnished. Rent is NIS 2,500 a month.
For more information contact Ms. Hen Crispel Shaya at megurim@bgu.ac.il, or Ms. Polina Domalevski at here4u@bgu.ac.il.
