How do I check a title deed in Lebanon before buying?
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Short answer
Get your own official Land Registry extract (ifadeh aqariyeh) for the plot, in person at the registry office for the property's area[1,2], and read it before you pay anything. It shows the owners and their shares, mortgages, seizures, other charges and pending court actions[2,3]. Every charge on it passes to you unless cleared before the purchase[4].
Also asked as: “How do I check if a property in Lebanon is mortgaged or seized?” · “How to verify a title deed in Lebanon” · “How do I check the ifada before buying?” · “How to check property charges at the Lebanese Land Registry”
Forged deeds, ID cards and powers of attorney have been used in Lebanon to sell or mortgage property behind the owner's back, and in a June 2026 case the buyer found out only when he tried to register[5,6,7][8]. Never rely on a copy that a seller, agent or relative hands you; this page covers what was published up to 17 October 2026.
Key facts
What the extract tells you
The Land Registry is kept by property, not by owner. Each property has its own page, the real folio, under its survey number, and the owner's title deed is a copy of that page[14]. You search by plot number, not by the seller's name, so you need the plot's identifiers before anything else. Here is how to find a property's number, zone and section.
The certificate describes the plot, including its total and cadastral area, and lists the owners, where their right comes from and how many shares each holds[2,3]. Legalmondo adds that the area is not shown if the plot has not been finally surveyed. In a divided building, each flat gets its own number added to the plot number, with its own folio[15]. The numbering is common areas 1 to 3; units from 4. A building can be divided into separately registered flats only once the owner shows an occupancy permit plus electricity and water connection certificates[16] for the public networks.
Ownership is counted out of 2,400 shares[2,12,13] (see joining and re-dividing plots, dam wa faraz). A seller holding fewer owns an undivided fraction of the whole, and no marked-out piece of ground goes with it[13,14,17]. If you buy a share from one co-owner, the other co-owners can claim pre-emption after the sale is registered and take your place on the same terms[18].
The register also records the land's legal type. On mulk land the registered person owns it outright. On amiri land the State owns it and the registered person holds a right of use and disposal (tasarruf)[17]. We have not seen how the type appears on an extract, so ask your lawyer which one your plot is.
Entries that should stop you
Anything written on the folio counts against you from the date it was inscribed[14]. Read every line with a lawyer before you sign. We found no official guide to what each kind of entry means in practice, so the right-hand column says whom to ask.
| Entry on the extract | What it means for you | Ask |
|---|---|---|
| Mortgage | It passes to you unless it is released before the sale[4]. One law firm puts the release fee at 1% of the debt released[19] | The seller's bank and the notary, in writing |
| Seizure or attachment | A creditor or court has a hold on the property, and it carries over to you[4] | A lawyer, before any deposit |
| Notice of a court action | Entered only by decision of the president of the civil court; that decision can be appealed within eight days[14] of notification | A lawyer, to read the case file |
| Provisional inscription | A pending claim. One based on a deed lasts one month. One agreed by the parties lasts the agreed period and is struck off after six months. One ordered by the civil court president expires after two months if the court action is not filed. One made where an obstacle blocks inscription is struck off after one year at most[14] | A lawyer, about each one |
| Treasury lien | If registered before your contract, the finance office will not issue the statement needed to register the sale. The Director of Revenue can approve it only where the seller's tax objection is pending or the sale is to pay the tax, the property's taxes are paid, and a lien is placed on the seller's other assets worth more than twice the tax due[20] | The regional finance office |
| Building violation | Recorded until settled or removed, with fees and fines as a debt on the property[21] | The municipality |
| Note from the Special Investigation Commission | The asset is under anti-money-laundering verification[22] | A lawyer, before paying anything; the Commission can also ask the Public Prosecutor to freeze the asset[22] |
According to Legalmondo, no certificate is issued while a lien or another registration on the plot is still being processed[2]. If the office says it cannot issue one, ask exactly what is pending.
What the extract does not show
Some problems never reach the folio. Building violations are written on it only when the municipality or technical administration asks, so check with the municipality as well[16]. A lease that is not inscribed still binds a new owner for up to three years[14] of rent. Old-rent tenancies follow their own laws, so ask who lives there and on what terms.
The registry does protect you: someone who acquires a right relying on its entries keeps it, unless they knew beforehand of the defect that would annul it[14]. Lebanon has no state fund for registry errors, though. The officials are personally liable, and the State pays only if they cannot[12,14].
Matching the paper to the ground
Where the boundaries on the cadastral plan differ from those on the ground, the plan wins[12,14]. The fence, the olive trees or the neighbour's word do not settle where your plot is. Sworn surveyors work under the Cadastre's supervision[11], but we found no published route or price for ordering a plan or a survey. See how to get a cadastral map or survey for a plot.
A Land Registry is opened in an area only after it has been surveyed and certified[12,13]. Estimates of how much of Lebanon is unsurveyed differ: LIBC (2021) says 20% is neither delineated nor surveyed and 30% is delineated but not surveyed, UN-Habitat/GLTN (2024) says 35% is not surveyed, and The Monthly Magazine (2015) says about 25% is wholly unsurveyed[11,13,23]. The Monthly Magazine adds that such land is recorded only in booklets kept by mukhtars[23]. Read buying land that is not yet surveyed before going further. For unbuilt land, the sale file also needs a municipal statement of contents and a location map[1,24].
The extract says nothing about access roads, water or what the village is like. Go yourself, or send someone you hire who does not work for the seller.
How to check a title deed, step by step
- Take a first look at OMT or online, if you like. Since 13 October 2020, OMT outlets show a property's title register and give an unofficial copy; no fee is published, so ask at the outlet[9,10]. According to Legalmondo (June 2025), the land registry website (lrc.gov.lb) gives an unofficial information form for USD 4[2]; we could not reach the site to confirm it still runs. Neither copy can be used for a transaction[2,3,9,10].
- Get the official extract yourself, or through someone you hire. Go to the registry office for the property's area with the identifiers. Legalmondo puts the cost at USD 5[2] (June 2025) and says anyone may request a certificate without showing an interest, so a lawyer you hire can collect it. Opening days vary: in April 2025 several Mount Lebanon offices worked only on set days[25]. Call the office before going. Full detail in how to get a Land Registry extract and what it costs.
- Compare owners, shares and charges with what you were told. The names must match the seller's ID, and the shares must add up to what is being sold. Go through every entry in the table above with your lawyer.
- Check the seller and anyone signing for them. In the Halat case of June 2026, a forger used a fake ID in the real owner's name to transfer the property[8]. Notaries have reported suspected forged deeds, IDs and powers of attorney to the police[26], so ask the notary to check identities. According to Kallas Law Firm, an ordinary power of attorney used for registration must be no more than 5 years old[27,28] (a truly irrevocable one is exempt), and an ordinary one can be revoked at any time. If you suspect forgery, you can report it through the ISF Baligh service, the ISF app or the nearest police station[29]; to get money or property back you will need a lawyer. See how to check a power of attorney to sell and how fake-owner and forged-deed sales work.
- If the owner has died, ask for the heirs' clearance. According to Kallas Law Firm, notaries and the registry may not register anything on an estate until the Ministry of Finance authorises it[1].
- Get a fresh extract just before signing, then register without delay. No source says how recent the extract must be, so ask the notary (kateb adel). Between competing rights, priority goes by the date of entry in the registry's daily journal, not the date you signed[14]. If you sign a promise of sale first, have it provisionally inscribed to keep your rank[4,18]. You own the property only once the sale is inscribed[4].
It depends on
- Surveyed or unsurveyed land. Unsurveyed land has no ordinary registry folio and follows a special procedure before any new inscription[14]. Ask a property lawyer in the district before you pay anything.
- Who is selling. A sole owner, co-owners, heirs or an agent with a power of attorney each need different papers. An irrevocable power of attorney is not ownership: its holder has only a personal right against the seller[28].
- Apartment or land. A flat in a building that was never divided has no folio of its own[16]. A plot of land needs a survey to tie the paper to the ground. Ask the notary which papers the sale file needs.
- Where the property is. In the south, the Finance Minister said the Bint Jbeil and Ain Ebel registry offices could not be reached, as of April 2026[30]. A draft law approved by the Cabinet in September 2026 would bar sales in Israeli-occupied towns until the occupation ends; it needs Parliament's approval[31,32]. Ask the registry office about its current status.
- How fast you register. Until the sale is inscribed, the property stays in the seller's name and can still be sold, mortgaged or seized[4].
Common questions
Can I check a Lebanese title deed online?
Is the title deed the seller shows me enough?
No. Forged deeds and IDs have been used to sell property the seller did not own[8]. Get your own official extract from the registry office for the property's area.
How recent must the Land Registry extract be?
No published rule says. Every charge on the folio passes to the buyer unless cleared first[4], so ask the notary which date they accept and get a fresh one just before signing.
Sources
Checked against these sources. The numbers in the text point here.
- 1.Inheritance in Lebanon: Probate, Estate Declaration and Inheritance Tax (2026)
Kallas Law Firm · 27 Jun 2022 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 2.How to Find Real Estate and Land Register Information in Lebanon
Legalmondo · 17 Jun 2025 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 3.Lebanon Asset Search: How to Find Real Estate and Company Ownership Records
Kallas Law Firm · 25 Oct 2025 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 4.How to Buy Property in Lebanon: The Legal Steps from Verification to Inscription
Kallas Law Firm · 9 Jun 2026 · read 16 Oct 2026
- 5.حاولوا الاستيلاء على عقار بقيمة نصف مليون دولار... ما علاقة كاتب العدل؟
Annahar · 19 Oct 2025 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 6.Photograph of a suspect arrested for fraud and forgery circulated: Have you been a victim of his crimes?
Internal Security Forces · 14 Jul 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 7.Sanitized Cases – 2023 Forgery Report (STR)
Special Investigation Commission · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
- 8.ISF: arrest of suspect forging a property deed in Halat
Internal Security Forces (ISF), Lebanon · 24 Jun 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 9.OMT: Viewing Title Registers (Land Registry service page)
OMT (Online Money Transfer S.A.L.) · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
- 10.Viewing Title Registers Electively Through OMT
OMT (Online Money Transfer S.A.L.) · 13 Oct 2020 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 11.LIBC: How GDLRC is implementing the Roadmap to Build Land Industry in Lebanon
LIBC (Lebanese International Business Council) · 21 Jan 2021 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 12.Land Delimitation and Registration Works in Lebanese Law — Part Seven of the Practical Guide to the Code of Real Property
Kallas Law Firm · 25 May 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 13.Legislative and Administrative Land and Property Rights Framework. Lebanon
GLTN / UN-Habitat · May 2024 · read 16 Oct 2026
- 14.The Land Registry in Lebanese Law — Part Six of the Practical Guide to the Code of Real Property
Kallas Law Firm · 25 May 2026 · read 16 Oct 2026
- 15.Condominium Ownership of Built Immovables in Lebanese Law — Eighth and Final Part of the Practical Guide to the Lebanese Code of Real Property
Kallas Law Firm · 25 May 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 16.Law 646 of 16/12/2004 (Building Law), amending Legislative Decree 148 of 16/09/1983
Lebanese Republic, Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Directorate General of Urban Planning (DGU) · 16 Dec 2004 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 17.Definition of Real Property and Types of Ownership in Lebanese Law (Part One of the Practical Guide to the Code of Real Property)
Kallas Law Firm · 25 May 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 18.The Promise of Sale, the Right of Pre-emption, and Acquisitive Prescription in Lebanese Real-Property Law (Part Five of the Practical Guide to the Code of Real Property)
Kallas Law Firm · 25 May 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 19.Real estate fees calculator
Kallas Law Firm · 24 May 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 20.Ministry of Finance Decision 825 of 8/11/2023 on the rental-value statement for real-estate transfers (Art. 66 of Law 10/2022)
Lebanese University Legal Informatics Center (Ministry of Finance decision, Official Gazette) · 8 Nov 2023 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 21.Law 139 of 9/7/2019 settling building violations committed 13/9/1971 to 31/12/2018
Lebanese University Legal Informatics Centre (copy of DGU text) · 9 Jul 2019 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 22.ABL compilation: Full text of main financial and banking laws 2015-2016 (incl. Law 42 of 24 Nov 2015 on cross-border cash declaration), French text
Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL) · 24 Nov 2015 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 23.Decrees Reinforce Urban Chaos
The Monthly Magazine · 5 Jan 2015 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 24.Lebanese Real Estate Differences
Choueh Law Firm · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
- 25.Work programme at the land registry offices for the current week
Annahar · 1 Apr 2025 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 26.The Baabda Judicial Detachment arrests a dangerous wanted man who forged property deeds and documents and defrauded his victims of sums of money
Internal Security Forces (ISF) Lebanon · 17 Aug 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 27.Real estate sale in Lebanon: ordinary sale contract, irrevocable power of attorney and registration in the land registry
Kallas Law Firm (klfi.net) · 12 Apr 2025 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 28.The Irrevocable Power of Attorney for the Sale of Property in Lebanon: Its Limits and Prescription
Kallas Law Firm · 9 Jun 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 29.The Internal Security Forces warn of scammers exploiting displaced persons through fake housing advertisements on social media platforms
Internal Security Forces (ISF), General Directorate – Public Relations Division · 8 Mar 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 30.Southerners carry their property documents: what if documents are lost or burned in the war?
Annahar · 27 Apr 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 31.A new law could reshape property sales in southern Lebanon's occupied towns
LBCI (LBC Group) · 26 Sept 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 32.Who will protect occupied southern Lebanon from controversial land sales?
Arab News · 30 Sept 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
Related questions
- How do I get a land registry extract in Lebanon and what does it cost?Ask in person at the land registry office for the property's area; one law firm says USD 5. The numbers you need, OMT and online copies, and what to check.
- How do I find my property's real estate number, zone and section?Property number, zone and section are on your title deed or a Land Registry extract. Without papers, a search by the owner's name may find the number.
- Can someone sell my property, or one I buy, with a forged deed or a fake owner ID?Yes: 2026 police cases show forged deeds, fake IDs and forged POAs used to sell or mortgage property. How it worked and the checks to run.
- How do I get a cadastral map or survey for a plot in Lebanon and confirm its boundaries?Get an official extract, then ask the Cadastre and a sworn surveyor; the certified plan beats the ground. Unsurveyed land, shares and deadlines explained.
- How do I check that a power of attorney to sell a property is genuine and still valid?Check the mandate to sell, the names and plot against the registry extract, the date and revocation. We found no public POA register. Steps and fraud risks.
- Can I buy land in Lebanon that is not yet surveyed, and what are the risks?It depends on the plot's papers. Until a sale is registered you hold only a claim on the seller. Circular 609/2026, survey deadlines and checks before paying.
- How can I find out if a property has building violations or unpaid fines before I buy it?Get an official Land Registry extract, ask the municipality for its clearance, and have an engineer check the permit. What each shows and what it misses.
- How do I buy property in Lebanon from abroad, step by step?Through a power of attorney: check the official Land Registry extract, then your agent signs the deed and registers it. Steps, costs and fraud checks.
