Can arnona arrears prevent me from selling my apartment?

Yes — in practice, if not always technically. Any buyer's attorney will require a municipal clearance certificate confirming no outstanding arnona or other municipal debts before completing the purchase. A lien registered by the municipality for substantial arrears will also appear in the Land Registry title search and will need to be cleared before registration of the transfer. In practice, outstanding arnona arrears must be settled as part of any property sale. This is a particular concern when purchasing property from an estate, where previous owners may have left years of unpaid bills.