How can a student rent a room or flat near a university in Lebanon?

Also asked as: “Student housing rent Beirut” · “Renting a room near a university in Lebanon” · “Student accommodation in Lebanon” · “Can students sign a lease in Lebanon?”

Who can sign, and how long a lease lasts#

We found no separate set of rules for students. Two law firms say a tenant may be Lebanese or foreign and may rent any kind of property, as long as the tenant is an adult able to contract^[1,2]. If the student is not yet an adult, or a parent wants to sign instead, ask a lawyer or notary (kateb adel) how to draw up the lease. Leases signed after July 1992 fall under Law 159/92 and the Code of Obligations and Contracts, which let landlord and tenant set the rent and term freely^[1,2,3,6].

Length is the awkward part for a student. Jaber Law Firm says a tenant on a one-year contract may stay three consecutive years, citing Art. 543 of the Code of Obligations and Contracts. Adala Law Firm says a shorter agreed term counts as three years under Law 159/92^[2,3,4]. Earlier notes flag Art. 543 as possibly repealed, and we did not read the law text, so a lawyer or notary should confirm which basis applies. Jaber says the rule does not cover seasonal lets and employer housing^[2], and no source says whether a nine- or ten-month academic-year let counts as seasonal. More in the three-year rule for new leases.

Adala Law Firm says the landlord may not demand a rent increase during the term^[3]. A bill submitted on 25 February 2026 would change the minimum term from 3 to 5 years (proposed)^[4], and no source reports it adopted. No source covers a tenant leaving in the middle of a term, so write an exit clause and its notice period into the lease. To leave at the end of an extension, Jaber Law Firm says the tenant must tell the landlord two months before the end^[2] of the extended period, by registered mail or through a notary.

Rooms, shared flats and furnished places#

No source covers room contracts, shared-flat contracts or guarantors. Ask the university's housing or student-affairs office what it offers or recommends, and ask the landlord directly what they require. In a lease signed after July 1992, Jaber Law Firm says subletting for the same use is allowed unless the lease forbids it^[2]. If one flatmate signs and lets rooms to the others, check that the lease says nothing against it.

Use the place only as the lease states: Choueh Law Firm says any other use may end the lease^[1]. ExpatLife.ai, a commercial guide, said in August 2026 that furnished flats cost 20-30% more than unfurnished ones, and put 1-bedroom rents outside central Beirut at USD 350-600 a month^[5]. That is one guide's estimate. To get a feel for a neighbourhood near campus, start with the area pages, then have someone walk the route or try the commute in person.

Money up front: deposit, advance and commission#

According to ExpatLife.ai (August 2026), deposits are usually 2-3 months' rent in USD cash. It advises budgeting 4-5 months' rent up front: first month, last month, a two-month deposit and a one-month agent commission^[5]. Jaber and Choueh law firms say Lebanon has no law protecting tenants' deposits^[1,2]. Khatt30 reported in April 2026 that the agency commission is not refunded, a deposit may be, and advance months are deducted from rent with no guarantee they come back if you leave early^[7]. What you get back depends on what the lease says. See how much deposit and advance a landlord can ask.

Accounts of the agent's fee differ. JSK Real Estate (2018) says each side pays its own agent one month's rent, while ExpatLife.ai (2026) says one month's rent is split between tenant and landlord or paid by the tenant^[5,8]. Under the Commercial Code the fee is set by agreement, tariff or custom, and a judge may cut a disproportionate fee^[9]. Agree the amount and who pays it in writing before a viewing turns into a deal. More in who pays the agent on a rental.

The paperwork: written lease, registration, electricity#

Adala Law Firm says oral and written leases both bind the parties, and a lease can be proved by receipts, witnesses and presumptions^[3]. The rent and term of an oral deal are still hard to prove. One commercial guide, ExpatLife.ai, advises insisting on a written lease that states the rent, the deposit terms and the notice period^[5].

For municipal registration, the Dahye municipalities union says a lease must state the property number and location (area, street, floor), a description of the premises, the parties' names, the rent in Lebanese currency, the term, any services and their price, the owner's full address and the use^[10]. The same union says owners must register leases every year by 31 December at the municipality where the property lies, and registration is done on the spot. Other municipalities may ask for different things, so ask yours. See registering a lease at the municipality.

A registered lease also matters for electricity. To transfer an existing meter, EDL asks for the meter's bill, an ID and one of a title deed, a sale contract or a lease signed by the municipality^[11,12]. EDL also refuses any transaction until arrears on the meter are paid.