What can a tenant do if the landlord refuses to take the rent?
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Short answer
Also asked as: “Landlord refuses rent deposit notary Lebanon” · “My landlord will not accept my rent” · “How do I deposit rent with a notary in Lebanon?” · “Landlord refused my rent in lira”
Jaber Law Firm lists two months' unpaid rent after legal notice as a ground to evict a tenant whose lease was signed before 23 July 1992[5,6,7]; the ground comes from the 1992 law, and how far it still applies under the 2014 law as amended in 2017 was not checked, so ask a rent lawyer[8]. This page covers what was published up to 17 October 2026.
Key facts
- Is refusal proof you did not pay?
- No, according to one notary-board member in 2019[4]
- Landlord's steps, per the same 2019 opinion
- formal notice, then two months[4] before going to court
- Rent in lira
- Lebanon Law Review (2021) says a landlord cannot refuse lira[2,4]; the same review says parties may agree on foreign currency, so a dollar lease is unresolved[2]
- Where disputes go
- the rental court where the property is located[3]
- Notary's fee and timing
- Not published; ask the notary
Why a refused rent needs a paper trail
A landlord who will not take your money can later say you stopped paying. In 2019 notary-board member Wahib Fayyad told Annahar that a landlord's refusal does not prove non-payment, and that a landlord who refuses must send a formal notice and wait two more months before going to court; this is one person's opinion, and he gave no legal basis for the two months[4].
The safeguard the sources describe is a formal offer and deposit of the rent through a notary. Choueh Law Firm calls depositing rent or service fees with a notary a well-established safeguard[1,2,3]. The deposit gives you an official, dated record that you offered the rent.
Old lease or new lease: what changes
Which rules apply depends on when your lease was signed. The old-rent regime covers residential leases signed before 23 July 1992[5,6,7]; later leases are free contracts. If you are not sure which you have, see how to tell an old lease from a new one.
| Point | Old lease (before 23 July 1992) | New lease (after July 1992) |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit with a notary | Lebanon Law Review cites Art. 43 of the 2017 rent law for depositing lira rent[1,2,3] | Adala Law Firm describes an offer and deposit during the lease term[1,2,3] |
| If rent goes unpaid | Jaber Law Firm lists two months' unpaid rent after legal notice as an eviction ground, from the 1992 law[8] | Jaber Law Firm says non-payment of rent due is a ground to cancel the lease[8] |
| Where disputes go | the rental court where the property is located[3] | the rental court where the property is located[3] |
We found no source saying whether the two-month notice rule applies to new leases, or whether Art. 43 of the 2017 law covers only old leases. A notary or a rent lawyer can tell you. If you are an old-rent tenant facing a court case after February 2026, also read whether the landlord can evict an old-rent tenant now.
When the lease has ended
A refusal can be deliberate. Adala Law Firm says a landlord who does not want to renew a new lease at its end should refuse further rent, because accepting it counts as tacit renewal[1]. If the tenant stays and the landlord keeps accepting rent without objection, the same firm says the lease is treated as renewed on the same terms and term.
So a landlord who suddenly refuses rent at the end of the term may be signalling that he will not renew. The sources describe the notary deposit during the term, and none says what a deposit achieves once the term has ended. Ask a lawyer before you rely on it, and see whether a landlord can evict you after the lease ends.
When the fight is about lira or dollars
Some landlords refuse rent because it is offered in lira. Lebanon Law Review (2021) says the lira has full discharging power, so a landlord cannot force a tenant to pay in US dollars or refuse lira, and a notary-board member said the same in 2019[2,4]. The review also cites Art. 319 of the Penal Code, which punishes refusing Lebanese currency with 6 months to 3 years in prison[2] and a fine set in pre-crisis lira; we found no case of a landlord prosecuted.
The same review says the parties may agree that payment will be made in foreign currency, and we found no ruling that reconciles the two rules[2]. Both sources predate 2023, and since 2020 rents are usually set in fresh dollars[2,4]. If your lease names dollars, read whether your landlord can make you pay rent in US dollars and which exchange rate applies to lira rent before you offer lira.
How to offer and deposit the rent
- Record the refusal. Keep the landlord's messages, any returned transfer and a note of the date and amount you tried to pay. This is your own evidence, and no official form is involved.
- Call a notary before you go. No source gives the steps, fee or timing, so ask the notary directly: do you handle an offer and deposit of rent (عرض وإيداع)[1,2,3], which documents do you need, what is your fee, how is the landlord told, how long do you hold the money, and what receipt will I get? Have your lease, your ID and the full rent ready.
- Keep offering the rent each time it falls due. Ask the notary whether each payment needs its own deposit, and keep every receipt in date order.
- Bring in a rent lawyer if papers arrive. If you receive a formal notice or a summons, Choueh Law Firm says disputes go to the rental court where the property is located[3]. Take your lease and all notary receipts to the first meeting.
It depends on
- Whether the term has ended. At the end of a new lease, a landlord's refusal may be his way of not renewing[1]. A rent lawyer can tell you whether depositing still helps.
- The currency in the lease. A lease that names dollars raises an unresolved conflict with the rule against refusing lira[2]. Ask a lawyer before you deposit lira against a dollar lease.
- The notary. Fees, documents and how the landlord is notified are not published. Ask for them in writing before you pay.
- Whether you are in Lebanon. If you live abroad, ask the notary whether someone can make the deposit for you, and with what kind of power of attorney.
Common questions
Does a landlord refusing my rent mean I have stopped paying?
Can my landlord refuse rent paid in Lebanese pounds?
How much does a notary charge to hold my rent?
No published source gives the fee, the steps or how long the process takes. Ask the notary for a written quote before you make the deposit.
Sources
Checked against these sources. The numbers in the text point here.
- 1.New rent contracts explained
Adala Law Firm · 23 Oct 2025 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 2.The fate of rent contracts as the lira exchange rate moves
Lebanon Law Review (HAQQ) · 8 Jul 2021 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 3.Leasing Rights in Lebanon
Choueh Law Firm · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
- 4.Can an owner force the tenant to pay in US dollars?
Annahar · 27 Nov 2019 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 5.Legislative and Administrative Land and Property Rights Framework. Lebanon
GLTN / UN-Habitat · May 2024 · read 16 Oct 2026
- 6.قانون الإيجارات الجديد في لبنان... هل يصبح نافذاً نهاية شباط؟
Annahar · 26 Jan 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 7.Lebanon's Rental Law and the Housing Crisis
LCPS (Lebanese Center for Policy Studies) · 23 Sept 2025 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 8.Jaber Law Firm: Real Estate in Lebanon (FAQ)
Jaber Law Firm · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
Related questions
- Can my landlord force me to pay rent in US dollars?No settled rule: the lira has full discharging power, but a lease may stipulate dollars. What the law says, which rate applies and what to do in a dispute.
- Can the landlord evict an old-rent tenant now, and how fast?Often yes, through the courts: 2026 rulings ordered old-rent evictions after the nine years ended. Who is at risk, tenant defences, and timing.
- Can the landlord evict a tenant after the lease ends, or if there is no written contract?It depends on the lease date. For post-1992 leases: the three-year minimum, notice, tacit renewal, oral leases and where eviction disputes go.
- If I pay my rent in lira, which exchange rate applies?No law or ruling settles which rate converts a dollar rent into lira. What the sources say, how close the rates are since 2024, and how to fix it in a lease.
- Is my lease old (before 23 July 1992) or new, and why does it matter?Signed before 23 July 1992, a home lease is an old rent under Law 2/2017; later leases are free contracts. How to tell, and what changes for you.
- Can my landlord raise the rent during the lease or every year?Not during the term of a post-1992 lease, says Adala Law Firm. When a rise can happen, renewals, dollar rent, a new owner and the 2026 bill.
