Question:
If I rented a room in a hotel or rented a room in a house that is owned by a Jew or gentile in middle of pesach, do I need to check it for chametz?
Answer:
Thank you for your question.
We may not have any chometz in our possession during the whole of Pesach. If you are renting the room starting from in middle of Pesach you will have to do a bedika on the room, to verify that there is no chometz inside the room. If the room is owned by a gentile, then any chometz that is his, has to be covered so you won’t come to eat or benefit from it. If it is owned by a Jew then the chometz has to burned. If the room is owned by a Jew, then ask him if the room was checked for chometz, (if the owner is religious and you can trust his answer). If it was already checked then it is fine, (unless it was rented to a non-Jew for the first days of Yom Tov etc.).
Additionally, before taking possession of the room, you should say that you do not want to acquire any chometz that is in the room from before you entered it. There are times that a hotel will leave beer and other foods in the room for the customer to use and pay for them. Tell them that you do not want any of this and that they should all be removed from the room.
Chag Sameach
Sources:
Siddur Pesach Hkilchoso 12-8, Otzar Hahalachos 2 pg. 154.
