A Mezuzah in a Rented Apartment
Question
My landlord is religious, but he is not willing to pay for a mezuzah for the courtyard gate. May I put up a mezuzah there at my own expense, and when I leave the apartment take it with me? I heard that perhaps it is permitted to remove the mezuzah for checking, and if by the time it is returned other tenants have moved in and put up a new mezuzah, there is no problem. Is this correct, or is there another leniency? I should note that I plan to leave the apartment in about six months to a year and a half, so not much time will pass between buying the mezuzah and leaving.
Answer
Shalom u’vracha.
The obligation to put up a mezuzah is upon the resident, not upon the homeowner.
It is forbidden to remove the mezuzahs when you leave, and doing so involves danger.
You may take mezuzahs from a gemach, and inform the next tenant that he should put up his own mezuzahs and return these to the gemach.
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