Renting Property to Non-Jews
There is a prohibition in the Torah, “Lo savi so’aivah el beisecha” (Do not bring idol worship into your house). Accordingly, we may not rent our property to non-Jews, due to the concern that they might bring avodah zarah (idols) into the house. However, the accepted custom among Yidden these days in chutz la’aretz (outside Eretz Yisroel) is to rent property to non-Jews, and some poskim even permit it in Eretz Yisroel as well. There are a variety of reasons for leniency in chutz la’aretz: 1. Some poskim maintain that there is no issur (prohibition) of renting property to a goy in chutz la’aretz; 2. Goyim in our times are not fixated on avodah zarah, as they were in the olden days, and do not generally keep avodah zarah in their homes permanently—only temporarily—which does not pose a halachic problem; 3. Yidden pay taxes on their properties, and therefore the property is not considered totally theirs, but partially owned by the non-Jewish government; 4. According to secular law, holding a lease constitutes a form of ownership. Consequently, the property does not halachically belong to the Jew for the duration of the lease.
In conclusion: Regardless of the reason for the leniency, the consensus among poskim in chutz la’aretz is to permit Yidden to lease their property to goyim, although some poskim suggest that it is commendable for a baal nefesh, a G-d fearing person, to be strict. #269