What is the municipal clearance and why does a seller need it?

Key facts#

Who issues it

The municipality^[1]; building permits come from the head of the municipality, or the governor or caimacam outside municipal areas

Building violations

There is no municipal clearance until the violation is settled^[1]

Conforming work built without a permit

Permit granted with a fine of twice all the fees due^[1] on the part built

On the Land Registry

A violation can be recorded on the real folio until settled or removed^[1], at the authority's request

Older violations (Law 139/2019)

Covers violations built from 13 September 1971 to 31 December 2018^[2,3]

Unpaid Law 139 sums

Privileged debt; the original Art. 9(3) text sets interest at 12% a year^[2], and the article is marked amended by Law 10/2022^[3,4]

Rental value statement

Issued after built-property tax and capital-gains tax are paid^[5,6], if there is no Treasury seizure

Selling unbuilt land

Instead of the rental value, a statement of contents from the municipality; also a location map^[7,8]

How to sort out the clearance before you sell, from Lebanon or abroad#

1. 1
   Get an official Land Registry extract (ifadeh aqariyeh). You, or someone in Lebanon, go in person to the land registry office for the area where the property lies^[8,12]. Give the office the property's governorate, district, real estate zone, property number, section and block^[12,13]. Section and block apply only to some properties. One law-firm page (Legalmondo, June 2025) puts the fee at USD 5^[12]. The same page says anyone may request an extract without showing a legal interest, but none is issued while a lien or registration on the plot is still in process. Kallas Law Firm gives about 2 business days for a physical certificate (October 2025)^[14]. Copies from the website or OMT are unofficial^{[12,13,14,15]}. More in how to get a Land Registry extract.
2. 2
   Read the folio line by line. The certificate shows the owners and their shares, mortgages, seizures, other charges and pending court actions^[12,14]. Note any violation entry, privileged debt or Treasury seizure, and keep a copy.
3. 3
   Ask the municipality where the property lies. Bring the property number, the real estate zone and the extract. Ask whether there is a violation report or unpaid fine on this property, and whether they will issue a براءة ذمة for it. Ask which documents they need, what it costs and how long it takes, and whether they deal with an agent who holds a power of attorney. We found none of this published, so write down the answers and the name of the office that gave them.
4. 4
   Have an engineer compare the building with its permit plans. Violations reach the folio only at the authority's request, so the municipality and the engineer will find what the extract misses^[1].
5. 5
   Settle what is owed and get it in writing. Conforming work is regularised with the fine and fees^[1]. The text of Law 139/2019 lets a violator who did not use the Art. 9 discounts ask, within six months of notification, to pay in three instalments of 40%, 30% and 30%^[2]. The balance stays a privileged debt on the folio. Several of the law's articles are marked amended by Law 10/2022^[3,4]. We could not confirm whether this option is still open or whether Law 10/2022 changed it. The municipality, the technical office of the General Directorate of Urban Planning (DGU) or a lawyer can tell you. Ask for the written letter that lifts the folio entry. More in legalising a building built without a permit.
6. 6
   Clear the seller's taxes, then sign. For a built property, pay built-property tax and capital-gains tax to get the rental value statement^[5,6]. For land, get the municipal statement of contents and the location map^[7,8]. The sale is then signed before a notary (kateb adel) and registered at the Land Registry^[9].
7. 7
   If you live abroad, act through an agent. Kallas Law Firm says a sale needs an express special mandate to sell, and a general power of attorney is not enough^[16]. See selling from abroad with a power of attorney, and have your agent ask the municipality whether that mandate is enough for it.

It depends on#

• Built property or land. A built property needs a rental value statement, issued after built-property tax and capital-gains tax are paid^[5,6]. Land needs a statement of contents from the municipality instead, plus a location map^[7,8]. Ask the notary which papers your sale needs.
• When the work was done. Work from 13 September 1971 to 31 December 2018 falls under Law 139/2019^[2,3]. Work after 1 January 2019 is outside it and falls under Law 646 Art. 23, though Law 139 Art. 14(5) says such violations are demolished by law^[3]. How the two apply to conforming newer work is not confirmed, so ask the municipality or a property lawyer.
• Road setbacks. For buildings inside road setbacks, unexecuted approved road plans or public-property setbacks, the administration keeps the right to demolish even after the fine is paid^[2]. Ask the municipality whether your plot is affected.
• Where the property is. Outside municipal areas, permits come from the governor or caimacam^[1]. We found nothing on who issues a clearance there, so ask the caimacam's office.
• A flat in an undivided building. Without an occupancy permit the building cannot be finally divided into units, except units under Law 539/1996^[1]. The permit comes only after fines for extra area are paid. Ask the developer or building owner for the permit before you agree a sale date.

Common questions#