Is there a three-year minimum for a new lease in Lebanon?
On this page
Short answer
According to two law firms, yes, for homes. On their reading, a residential lease signed after July 1992 runs at least three years[1,2,3], even if the contract says one year. The firms cite different legal bases, and Jaber Law Firm excludes seasonal lets and employer housing[1]. A February 2026 bill would raise the minimum from 3 to 5 years (proposed)[3]; no source reports it adopted.
Also asked as: “Minimum lease term in Lebanon” · “Is a one-year rental contract valid in Lebanon?” · “Can my landlord make me leave after one year?” · “Lebanon new rent law three years”
Key facts
- Which leases
- Signed after July 1992, under Law 159/92[1,2,4,5] and the Code of Obligations and Contracts
- Not covered, according to Jaber
- seasonal lets and employer housing[1]
- Rent changes
- adjustment every three years[6], according to LCPS (September 2025)
- Proposed change
- from 3 to 5 years (proposed)[3], bill of 25 February 2026
What the law firms say, and why it is not settled
Leases signed after July 1992 are free contracts. Landlord and tenant set the rent and the term between them, under Law 159/92[1,2,4,5] and the leasing chapter of the Code of Obligations and Contracts. The three-year floor sits on top of that freedom, and the two firms that describe it explain it differently[1,2,3].
Jaber Law Firm says a tenant on a one-year contract may stay three consecutive years, under Art. 543 of the Code of Obligations and Contracts. Adala Law Firm says a lease with no term, or with a shorter agreed term, is treated as three years under Law 159/92[1,2,3].
Choueh Law Firm does not mention the rule, and our research notes flag that Art. 543 may have been repealed. We could not confirm this either way[1,2,3]. The firms also swap the numbers 159 and 160 for the 1992 laws in places[1,2,4,5]. One point supports the rule: the 2026 bill proposes raising the minimum from three to five years, which assumes three is the current rule.
The exact cut-off date is slightly unclear too. Adala, Jaber and a third source, Zuhairi, give 23 July 1992, while Choueh Law Firm says "after the 22nd of July 1992"[1,2,4,5]. A lease signed before 23 July 1992[6,8,9] falls under the old-rent regime instead. See whether your lease is old or new.
What the rule covers, and what nobody has answered
On Jaber's wording, the rule gives the tenant the right to stay three years[1,2,3]. No source we read says whether the tenant is also bound for three years, whether a tenant can waive the rule in the contract, or what happens if the tenant wants to leave before three years. For leaving early, see breaking a lease early.
According to Jaber, the rule does not apply to seasonal lets and employer housing[1], meaning seasonal leases of summering or wintering places, and housing an employer gives its staff. No source defines whether a furnished flat or a short-term let counts as "seasonal". If that is your case, ask a lawyer before you sign.
On rent, Adala Law Firm says a landlord may not demand an increase before the lease term ends[2]. LCPS describes post-1992 leases as allowing an adjustment every three years[6]. No source explains how these fit with a one-year contract that the law treats as three years. More in can my landlord raise the rent.
After the term, and leases longer than three years
To end a post-1992 lease at its term, Adala Law Firm says the landlord should declare he will not renew, or send a notice that the lease has expired, and should refuse further rent[2]. If the tenant stays and the landlord keeps accepting rent without objection, the lease is treated as renewed on the same terms and for the same term. Choueh Law Firm says disputes go to the rental court where the property is located[4]. See what happens when the lease ends.
Leases longer than three years should be inscribed at the Land Registry (السجل العقاري). Without inscription, a lease binds third parties, such as a new owner who buys the flat, for no more than three years of rent[1,7]. We found no published fee or procedure for inscribing a lease. Ask the Land Registry office for your property, or a notary (kateb adel).
How to protect your lease term
- Put the term in writing. Oral leases bind too, but writing is your proof[2]. Write the start date, the term, the rent and what happens at the end. The Dahye municipalities union, for one, requires a lease it registers to state the property number and location, the parties, the term, the rent written in Lebanese currency, and the use[10]. We did not find whether a lease written in USD is accepted today, so ask your municipality.
- Check who owns the flat. Ask for a recent Land Registry extract (ifadeh aqariyeh) for the plot and compare the owner's name with the person signing. The Dahye municipalities union, for one, asks for an extract under three months old to register a new lease[10].
- Have the lease registered at the municipality. According to the Dahye union, the owner registers it at the municipality where the property lies, every year by 31 December, and it is done on the spot[10]. EDL accepts a lease signed by the municipality to move a meter into your name[11,12]. More in registering a lease at the municipality.
- Ask a lawyer before relying on the rule. If a landlord asks you to leave after one year, or you are a landlord writing a short lease, a rent lawyer can tell you which legal basis the local rental court follows.
It depends on
- What kind of let it is. Jaber excludes seasonal lets and employer housing[1]. For furnished or short-term lets, ask a lawyer whether they count as seasonal.
- Whether you are foreign. Two law firms say a tenant may be Lebanese or foreign[1,4]. IDAL says a foreigner holding a normal lease right for more than 10 years[13] needs a Council of Ministers decree; see leases over 10 years for foreigners.
- What Parliament does. The February 2026 bill would raise the minimum to five years if adopted[3] (see Is Lebanon introducing a tax on empty apartments?). Ask a lawyer whether it has passed before you sign.
Common questions
Is a one-year lease valid in Lebanon?
Can the landlord raise the rent before three years are up?
Is the minimum lease term going up to five years?
No source we read up to 17 October 2026 reports it adopted. A bill submitted on 25 February 2026 would raise the minimum term from 3 to 5 years (proposed)[3]. Ask a lawyer whether it has passed before you sign.
Sources
Checked against these sources. The numbers in the text point here.
- 1.Jaber Law Firm: Real Estate in Lebanon (FAQ)
Jaber Law Firm · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
- 2.New rent contracts explained
Adala Law Firm · 23 Oct 2025 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 3.Kaakour and MPs submit two bills to amend the old and new rent laws
Public Works Studio (استوديو أشغال عامة) · 26 Feb 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 4.Leasing Rights in Lebanon
Choueh Law Firm · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
- 5.Old rents… a crisis without a settlement
MTV Lebanon (article by Ramah El Hashem, Nidaa Al Watan) · 13 Oct 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 6.Lebanon's Rental Law and the Housing Crisis
LCPS (Lebanese Center for Policy Studies) · 23 Sept 2025 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 7.The Land Registry in Lebanese Law — Part Six of the Practical Guide to the Code of Real Property
Kallas Law Firm · 25 May 2026 · read 16 Oct 2026
- 8.Legislative and Administrative Land and Property Rights Framework. Lebanon
GLTN / UN-Habitat · May 2024 · read 16 Oct 2026
- 9.قانون الإيجارات الجديد في لبنان... هل يصبح نافذاً نهاية شباط؟
Annahar · 26 Jan 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 10.Request to register a lease contract
Dahye (Southern Suburbs) Municipalities Union · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
- 11.EDL: new subscription in a completed building connected to the grid
Electricité du Liban (EDL) · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
- 12.EDL: transfer a subscription to a new subscriber
Electricité du Liban (EDL) · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
- 13.Limitations and Restrictions for foreign investors
IDAL (Investment Development Authority of Lebanon) · undated · read 16 Oct 2026
Related questions
- 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 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.
- 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.
- Can a tenant break a lease early in Lebanon, and what notice is needed?No published rule covers leaving a lease early, so your lease decides. The three-year minimum, notice to leave, and what happens to deposit and advance rent.
- How do I register a lease at the municipality in Lebanon, and what does it cost?Per the Dahye municipalities union, owners register leases by 31 December. Documents, the disputed stamp fee, and when EDL or the Land Registry need it.
- Where can I get a Lebanese lease contract template?There is no official Lebanese lease template. What a lease must state, clauses to add on currency, charges and deposits, and how to register it.
- Can a foreigner or Lebanese abroad rent an apartment in Lebanon, and what documents are needed?Yes. Lebanese and foreigners can rent any property if they are adults. We found no published document list. What to get in writing, deposits, registration.
- Can a foreigner lease property in Lebanon for more than 10 years?According to IDAL, a foreigner needs a Council of Ministers decree for a lease over 10 years. What the rule says, what is unknown and whom to ask.
