Is Airbnb or short-term letting legal in Lebanon, and do I need a permit?

Also asked as: “Airbnb Beirut” · “Airbnb Lebanon rules” · “Do I need a licence to rent my flat on Airbnb in Lebanon?” · “Is short-term rental legal in Beirut?”

What the law says, and what it leaves open#

We found no Lebanese law, decree or ministry rule written for Airbnb-type lets. According to Pierre Achkar, head of the hoteliers' syndicate, speaking in July 2025, these lets pay no taxes, are not inspected by General Security and are governed by no specific law. The syndicate says it does not reject Airbnb but wants it regulated^[2,5]. Hotels compete with short lets, so treat this as an interested party's view. We found no official text that confirms or denies it.

Ordinary lease law is the nearest thing to a rule. Leases signed after July 1992 fall under Law 159/92^[4,6,7,8] and the Code of Obligations and Contracts, which let landlord and tenant set rent and term freely. Jaber Law Firm says the three-year minimum for a new lease does not apply to seasonal lets and employer housing^[4]. No source we opened says whether a nightly or weekly let to tourists counts as "seasonal" (see How does renting a furnished apartment work in Lebanon?).

What the hoteliers asked for in February 2026#

In February 2026 the Hotel Owners Syndicate asked the Tourism Ministry to regulate Airbnb-type lets. It wanted an official name and a prior ministry licence for each let, reclassification of the flat from residential to commercial at the municipality, and a Finance Ministry tax number. It also asked for guests to be reported to General Security and for at least 75% of the building's owners to approve^[2]. These are proposals only, not law, and no source reports that the ministry had adopted any of them by October 2026.

In June 2026 the Tourism Ministry issued circulars 4 and 5^[3], on regularising tourist establishments working without a licence and on lifeguard licence tests. The report we read does not say they apply to short-term lets. Nobody has established whether a flat let to tourists counts as a "tourist establishment" that needs a licence, so ask the Ministry of Tourism directly.

If you rent the flat, or own in a shared building#

If you are a tenant, the lease comes first. Choueh Law Firm says the premises must be used exactly as the lease states, for example as a residence, or the lease may be terminated^[7]. Jaber Law Firm says that in a post-1992 lease subletting is allowed for the same use unless the lease forbids it^[4]. Nobody we read says whether letting to tourists is the "same use" as living there, so get the landlord's written consent before you list. More in can a tenant sublet the flat.

If you own the flat, the other owners matter too. We found no source on whether an owners' association can ban short lets; the 75% consent rule is only a hoteliers' proposal^[2]. Read the building's rules and ask its committee. See how owners' associations take decisions.

Tax, guests and registration#

No source we found confirms whether a host owes income tax or VAT on short-let income. A tax adviser or the Ministry of Finance can tell you. Guest reporting to General Security appears only as a hoteliers' demand^[2]; ask the municipality whether anything applies locally.

For ordinary leases, the Dahye municipalities union says owners must register leases at the municipality where the property lies every year by 31 December^[9]. It does not say whether bookings of a few nights count. See how to register a lease at the municipality.