The houses of the open towns are accorded the advantages of the houses of walled cities, and the advantages of fields: They may be redeemed immediately, and they may be redeemed for the entire twelve months like houses; and they go out in Yovel, and with the deduction of money, like fields. These are the houses of open towns: Two courtyards consisting of two houses each, even if they are surrounded by a wall from the time of Joshua the son of Nun, are judged as houses of open towns.

[If] a Yisrael inherited from his maternal grandfather, a Levi, he does not redeem according to this order. And so, too, [if] a Levi inherited from his maternal grandfather, a Yisrael, he does not redeem according to this order. As it says (Lev. 25:33): For the houses of the cities of the Leviim — unless he is [both] a Levi and in the cities of the Leviim; [these are] the words of Rabbi. The Sages, however, say: These matters were stated only concerning the cities of the Leviim. We may not make a field into a clearing, nor a clearing into a field, nor a clearing into a city, nor a city into a clearing. R’ Eliezer said: To what does this apply? To the cities of the Leviim. But in cities belonging to Yisraelim we may make a field into a clearing, but not a clearing into a field; [and we may make] a clearing into a city, but not a city into a clearing; lest they destroy the cities of Yisrael. The Kohanim and the Leviim may sell at any time, and redeem at any time; as it says (Lev. 25:32): The Leviim shall have an eternal [right of] redemption.