How do I check that an off-plan seller owns the land and has a building permit?

Also asked as: “How do I check that an off-plan seller owns the land in Lebanon?” · “How to verify a building permit before buying off-plan” · “Does the developer own the land my apartment is built on?” · “Check a developer's title deed and permit in Lebanon”

What exists on paper before the flat is built#

The Land Registry is kept by property, not by owner. Each plot has its own folio under its survey number, and that folio holds every right and charge on the plot^[9]. A flat in an unfinished building has no folio of its own yet, because the registry cannot finally split a building into separate units until the owner shows an occupancy permit^[4]. Before completion, what you can check is the plot the building stands on.

Ownership passes only when a sale is inscribed at the Land Registry^[10]. Until then you have a personal claim against the seller, and you do not own anything^[10,11]. Kallas Law Firm warns that every mortgage, attachment or notice of litigation on the folio passes to the buyer unless it is cleared first. Libnanews reported in August 2026 that bank mortgages on the projects of the developer Sayfco, which went bankrupt in 2018, left about 600 buyers unable to get their titles^[12]. More on this risk in can the developer's bank take the land.

Is the seller the registered owner?#

The official certificate lists the owners, the source of their right and the shares each holds^[2,3]. The whole property is 2,400 shares^[2,11,13]. Compare every name on the certificate with the ID of the person who will sign. Shares are undivided fractions of the plot, not a marked-out piece of land^[9,11,14]. Where several people own the plot, Kallas Law Firm says one co-owner cannot act over the whole plot, or over a defined part of it, without the others' consent^[14].

If the seller is a company, Kallas Law Firm describes a two-step search. A general search lists the company shares held under a person's name, and an individual company certificate then shows the shareholders, the management and the registered offices^[3]. The firm puts the timing at about 1 week (general); 2 business days (individual company certificate). It does not name the office or give the fees, so ask a Lebanese lawyer to order these searches for you.

The registry can also be searched by name. Kallas Law Firm describes a general search using the person's full name, birth year and mother's name^[3,8], which lists every property registered to that person with its number, district and shares. We found no source on who may request a name search or at which office. Annahar reported in April 2026 that older registry entries lack details such as the mother's name^[8].

The person signing may be an agent acting for the owners under a power of attorney (POA). An irrevocable POA to sell is not a sale: whoever holds only the POA has a personal right against the owner, and no ownership^[15]. Kallas Law Firm says that personal right can be lost after ten years^[16] if the owner invokes the time bar. Kallas also says a POA used to register a sale must be no more than five years old^[15,16], and that the owner can in principle revoke an ordinary POA at will. We found no public register of revocations, and no source on how a buyer confirms that an agent's POA covers every owner and is still valid. A lawyer and the notary who drew up the POA are the people to ask.

Forged POAs, deeds and IDs have been used to try to sell or mortgage property in Lebanon^[17,18,19]. In August 2026 the ISF said two notary offices, one in Jounieh and one in the Bekaa, had reported suspect powers of attorney, a title deed and an ID card to its Baabda detachment^[20]. See how to check a power of attorney is genuine.

Checking the building permit#

Under Law 646 of 2004, every new building needs a prior permit, and the application and plans must be signed by a responsible engineer and registered with the Order of Engineers in Beirut or Tripoli^[4]. The permit is issued by the head of the municipality, or the governor or caimacam outside municipal areas. It runs for six years, renewable once for two years. No slab or roof may be poured without a pouring permit signed by the responsible engineer.

We found no public register of building permits and no published way for a buyer to check one. Ask the seller for a copy of the permit, its number and date, and the approved plans. Take them to the municipality for the plot, or to the governor or caimacam outside municipal areas^[4], and ask them to confirm that this permit was issued for this plot number and is still valid. Ask the Order of Engineers whether the file is registered with it, and have your own engineer compare the site with the plans. More in how to check a building permit.

If the seller says a permit has only been applied for, the technical administration has 2 months on an executed road, 6 months otherwise^[4] to decide. If it does not answer in time, the law lets the applicant declare himself implicitly licensed. No source we read covers the risks of buying into a building that rests on an implicit licence, so ask a lawyer before you pay.

A clean certificate does not prove the building matches its permit. A violation is written on the folio only when the municipality or the technical administration asks for it^[4]. A 2023 academic paper reports that contractors and residents use gaps in the building law to build beyond their licence^[21]. Decree 15874/2005 also bans selling parts of a building that has no final occupancy permit, with an exception for units under Law 539/1996. It is not confirmed whether that ban reaches a promise of sale on a flat not yet built^[22].