Permission to light candles in rental

May I light Shabbos candles in my apartment if the landlord says not to?

It is the renter’s—and every individual’s—responsibility to take all necessary precautions to prevent their Shabbos candles—or their menorah on Chanukah—from posing a fire hazard, and not to leave lit candles unattended. However, a renter (termed socher in halachah) is not bound by any new conditions their landlord might impose after the rental agreement has been signed.

Someone who is borrowing living space is responsible to prevent any damage to the premises in the course of their stay. Although a borrower (shoel) does not pay for accommodation, the transmission of responsibility for the premises constitutes a form of halachic kinyan (acquisition), even if it is only implicit and not verbalized or transcribed. The borrower, as the renter, is only obligated in the original regulations concerning their stay, and the owner cannot later demand they refrain from using candles in a responsible manner.

On the other hand, a houseguest who does not have any type of agreement with their host—such that the length of their stay is at the whim of the homeowner, is bound to follow all their instructions, whether they were set out at the beginning of their stay or added at a later time.

https://halacha2go.com?number=741

Practical Halacha: One minute a day. By Horav Yosef Yeshaya Braun, shlita, Mara D'asra and member of the Badatz of Crown Heights.