Removing the Mezuzah upon moving out of a home-Part 2-Circumventing the prohibition

May a renter remove his Mezuzah upon moving out of the home-Part 2-Circumventing the prohibition:

It is possible to circumvent the prohibition, and retrieve one’s Mezuzos, in the following ways:

1. The new renter or owner comes to the home and removes the Mezuzos of the previous renter and replaces it with his own Mezuzos.[1]
2. The renter may remove the Mezuzos to be checked and then replace them with other Mezuzos of the owner, or renter, or of a Gemach.[2] The Gemach may then remove their Mezuzos if other Mezuzos of the owner or new renter are immediately placed on it.
3. The renter may remove his Mezuzos from the home [even not to be checked] and immediately replace them with other Mezuzos, and then immediately place the removed Mezuzos in his new home.[3]
4. The renter may purchase Mezuzos of the owner/new renter in exchange for his Mezuzos, and then remove his Mezuzos and place the “newly purchased” Mezuzos on his doors, and then buy back his Mezuzos from the owner/new renter.[4]
5. Some Poskim[5] rule the renter may paint the home and remove his Mezuzos in order so they don’t get ruined with the paint. Once they are removed, he is no longer required to replace them.

Q&A

May one place the Mezuzos on the rental home on condition that he be allowed to remove them upon moving?

No. There is no such allowance mentioned in the Poskim.[6] One is rather to resort to one of the previously mentioned allowances.

May the Mezuzos be removed if people will not be living in the house for a very long time?

No.[7] However some Poskim[8] are lenient in this matter.

If the renter placed borrowed Mezuzos on his door, may they be removed upon moving?

They may only be removed if other Mezuzos are placed in its stead.

If the doors originally had Mezuzos of the owner and were replaced with the renters Mezuzah, may the renter remove the Mezuzos and replace the owners Mezuzos to the doors upon moving?

Seemingly it is permitted to do so.[9]

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[1] See Kevius Mezuzah Kehilchasa 14 footnote 16; Lehoros Nasan 6:126

[2] Daas Kedoshim 291:1; Chelkas Yaakov 3:160; See Kevius Mezuzah Kehilchasa 14 footnote 16; Perhaps this is permitted even if he does not immediately replace the Mezuzos by his home as the Mezuzos were removed in a permitted way, for the sake of checking. Vetzaruch Iyun.

[3] See Chelkas Yaakov ibid regarding switching for less Mehudar Mezuzos; So seems Pashut that it is permitted to do so, as he is not transgressing any reason brought in Poskim for the reason of the prohibition and so is implied from Birkeiy Yosef 291:6 that if he himself will be placing other Mezuzos it is permitted and so rules Chelkas Yaakov ibid that in truth even if he removes it not for the sake of checking, but simply to place in his own home it is permitted; However see Igros Moshe O.C. 5:44 who is stringent in general against switching a more Mehudar mezuzah for a less Mehudar one.

[4] See Kevius Mezuzah Kehilchasa 14 footnote 16

[5] Igros Moshe O.C. 5:44 in name of Rav Henkin

[6] The concept of a stipulation is only to prevent the status of holiness from befalling an item while here the issue has nothing to do with status of holiness but rather from loss of protection from the demons of which no stipulation can help.

[7] Sheilas Yaavetz 2:119; Minchas Yitzchak 10:96

[8] Chelek Halevi 114

[9] So seems Pashut that it is permitted to do so, as he is not transgressing any reason brought in Poskim for the reason of the prohibition. See Chelkas Yaakov ibid