IDF Reservist Sued for 300,000 NIS After Terminating Lease via WhatsApp
An IDF reservist faces a 300,000 NIS lawsuit after terminating his Givat Shmuel shop lease via WhatsApp instead of registered mail, triggering an automatic five-year renewal clause.
A civil lawsuit seeking over 300,000 NIS was recently filed against an IDF reservist who leased a commercial shop in Givat Shmuel. The legal action was initiated after the tenant attempted to terminate his lease agreement via a WhatsApp message rather than through registered mail, as strictly stipulated in the contract.
The defendant, identified as B., is an IDF reservist who served for approximately six months in the Gaza Strip as a heavy machinery operator. He operated a small Judaica shop in Givat Shmuel. The original lease term was set from the beginning of 2024 until the end of 2025. The contract contained a specific clause stating that unless the tenant provided written notice of termination via registered mail at least six months prior to the expiration date, the lease would automatically renew for an additional five years, extending until the end of 2030.
The deadline for submitting the termination notice was the end of June 2025. In late April, B. sent a WhatsApp message to the landlords stating: "I want a meeting regarding the termination of the contract." In August of that year, approximately four and a half months before the lease expired, he explicitly declared his intention to vacate the premises. He attempted to find an alternative tenant, but discovered that the landlords demanded the replacement tenant also commit to a five-year lease in advance. At the end of December 2025, B. vacated the shop, handed over the keys, and left the property at the landlords' disposal.
The landlords refused to accept his departure and filed a lawsuit. They argue that the April WhatsApp message was legally invalid. "He did not write that he was terminating the lease; he only requested a meeting," the landlords claimed, adding that such a notice strictly required delivery via registered mail. According to them, "It must be an explicit notice, not a hint or an opening for negotiations," and a unilateral evacuation does not release the tenant from his financial obligations.
Following the dispute, the landlords are demanding payment for the automatic contract extension. The reservist is represented in this case by the law firm S. Horowitz & Co., as part of a pro bono legal representation project for IDF reservists, which is currently working to have the lawsuit dismissed.
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