Can the landlord evict a tenant after the lease ends, or if there is no written contract?

Also asked as: “Landlord evict tenant after lease ends Lebanon” · “Can I be evicted without a written lease in Lebanon?” · “Does my lease renew automatically if I stay?” · “How does a landlord end a lease in Lebanon?”

First, check whether your lease is old or new#

Everything on this page depends on the signing date. If the lease was signed before 23 July 1992^[1,2,3], it falls under the 2014 rent law, as amended by Law 2/2017^[1,2,9], and the rules below do not apply. If you are not sure which side of the line you are on, read is my lease old or new.

For old leases, the extension for tenants who do not benefit from the Fund ended on 28 February 2026^[2,10,11]. That end date does not remove the tenant by itself, and landlords have gone to court for eviction orders^[10,11,12]. Under the 1992 regime, a landlord who took the flat back for his own family's use or to rebuild had to compensate the tenant. Jaber Law Firm puts this compensation at 25% to 50% of the property value, while Choueh Law Firm puts it at 30% to 50%^[3,4,7]. No source says whether it is still owed now that the extension has ended. The details are in can the landlord evict an old-rent tenant now.

Ending a new lease at its term#

For leases signed after July 1992, landlord and tenant set the rent and the term freely under Law 159/92^[4,5,7,8] and the Code of Obligations and Contracts. Two law firms say a residential lease still runs at least three years^[4,5,6], even if the contract says one year, but they cite different legal bases for the rule. See the three-year rule for new leases. Jaber Law Firm says the rule does not apply to seasonal summer or winter lets or to housing an employer gives its staff^[4].

When the term ends, the landlord does not get the flat back automatically. Adala Law Firm says he should declare he will not renew, or send a notice that the lease has expired and ask the tenant to vacate, and he should also stop accepting rent^[5]. If the tenant stays on and the landlord keeps taking rent without objection, the same firm says the lease is renewed on the same terms and term. A tenant who stays on against the landlord's wishes has not renewed it. No source we read gives a minimum notice period, so ask a lawyer or a notary (kateb adel) in the property's district.

A tenant who wants to leave at the end of an extended period should tell the landlord two months before the end^[4], by registered mail or through a notary, according to Jaber Law Firm. Adala Law Firm adds that a landlord may not demand higher rent before the term ends. To raise it, he asks the tenant to vacate at the term or signs a new lease at a higher rent^[5]. More in can my landlord raise the rent.

If there is no written contract#

A lease does not have to be written to count. Adala Law Firm says oral leases are binding^[5], like written ones. Writing only serves as proof, and a lease can be proved by receipts, witnesses and presumptions. The same firm says a lease with no stated term is treated as lasting three years^[4,5,6].

Proof is the hard part, so keep every rent receipt and every bank or money-transfer record, with the date and the amount. A written lease also helps with practical steps: EDL asks for a lease signed by the municipality to move a meter into a tenant's name^[13,14]. For registration, the Dahye municipalities union requires the lease to state the property number and location (area, street, floor), the parties' names, the rent written in Lebanese currency, and the term^[15]. That page is undated (its footer says 2017) and covers one municipalities union, and we found nothing on whether a lease written in dollars is refused or converted today. Ask the municipality where the flat is what it requires now, and see how to register a lease at the municipality.

Can the landlord remove the tenant himself?#

According to haqq.ai, a legal-information website, eviction in Lebanon always needs a court order and a landlord may not evict by himself. The site cites no law for this^[16]. What the sources do show is that the reported evictions of old-rent tenants in 2026 went through the courts^[10,11,12], and that rent disputes go to the rental court where the property is located^[7]. No source gives the court steps, the cost or how long an eviction case takes.

The landlord can also end a new lease before its term for the tenant's fault. Jaber Law Firm says the lease is cancelled for other use, serious neglect or unpaid rent^[4], and that it does not end when the tenant or the landlord dies. If a landlord refuses your rent, you can make a formal offer and deposit with a notary^[5,7,17], according to Adala Law Firm. No source gives the notary's fee, the steps or the timing. See what to do if the landlord refuses the rent.