Off-plan and new projects

Articles: 13

Buying before it is built: contracts, developer risk, permits and getting your title at the end.

• Can I buy an apartment in Lebanon in instalments from the owner or developer?

  Payment plans appear in broker adverts, but you are not the owner until the sale is registered. How plans work and how to protect each payment.

  Last reviewed 17 Oct 2026 · 8 min read

• What deposit and payment plan is normal for an off-plan apartment in Lebanon, and in which currency?

  No Lebanese source publishes a normal deposit or schedule for off-plan flats. One advertised plan, the currency question and how to protect payments.

  Last reviewed 17 Oct 2026 · 7 min read

• Is a promise of sale enough to protect me when I buy an apartment that is not built yet?

  Not on its own. A promise binds others only if inscribed at the Land Registry, and an unbuilt flat has no folio yet. Risks, limits and checks.

  Last reviewed 17 Oct 2026 · 8 min read

• My developer stopped building after taking my money. What can I do?

  Civil remedies for stalled projects are not published, so see a lawyer. What to check at the Land Registry and municipality, and when it is fraud.

  Last reviewed 17 Oct 2026 · 7 min read

• Can I cancel or claim compensation if my developer delivers months late?

  No Lebanese law we found sets late-delivery penalties; your contract decides. Where you stand before registration, what to check and when a lawyer is needed.

  Last reviewed 17 Oct 2026 · 6 min read

• How do I get my off-plan apartment registered in my name once the building is finished?

  The building's owner gets a final occupancy permit, divides the building into units at the Land Registry, then your sale is registered. Steps, fees, checks.

  Last reviewed 17 Oct 2026 · 8 min read

• Is buying off-plan in Lebanon safe today?

  Only with checks: an unbuilt flat gets no deed of its own until the occupancy permit. The risks in October 2026 and what to verify before you pay.

  Last reviewed 17 Oct 2026 · 9 min read

• Can I buy directly from a developer in Lebanon and avoid the agent commission?

  Yes: no broker is needed, but a lower price is not confirmed. The 2.5% fee is custom, not law. When a broker is still owed and what to check.

  Last reviewed 17 Oct 2026 · 7 min read

• Can the developer's bank or creditors take the land my off-plan apartment is built on?

  Yes, if a mortgage or seizure reaches the Land Registry before your purchase does. How to check the plot, protect your rank and what is unclear.

  Last reviewed 17 Oct 2026 · 9 min read

• Can a developer legally sell me an apartment in a building with no occupancy permit?

  Not as a registered sale: Lebanese law bans selling building parts without a final occupancy permit. What is unclear, what protects you and what to check.

  Last reviewed 17 Oct 2026 · 7 min read

• Can an apartment over 300 m² be sold unfinished and still get an occupancy permit?

  Yes, if the sale contract lists the exempt works: flats over 300 m² can get a final occupancy permit unfinished inside. What is exempt and what is not.

  Last reviewed 17 Oct 2026 · 6 min read

• How can I check that a property developer in Lebanon is reliable before I pay a deposit?

  We found no register of developers, so check the project: the plot's Land Registry extract, the company's records and the permit. Steps and costs.

  Last reviewed 17 Oct 2026 · 9 min read

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

  Have someone you trust pull the official Land Registry certificate, then confirm the permit with the municipality. Steps, costs, POA risks and gaps.

  Last reviewed 17 Oct 2026 · 10 min read

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