How do I check that my landlord in Lebanon is the real owner or authorised to rent?

Also asked as: “How do I check that a landlord in Lebanon is the real owner or authorised to rent?” · “How do I know a flat for rent in Lebanon is not a scam?” · “Check who owns an apartment before renting in Lebanon” · “Verify the owner before paying a rent deposit in Lebanon”

What the Land Registry certificate tells you#

Lebanon's Land Registry is kept by property, not by person. Each property has its own folio under its number, and the owner's title deed is a copy of that folio^[8]. The certificate lists the owners, the source of their right and the shares each holds, out of 2,400 shares^[1,4,5] for the whole property. It also shows mortgages, seizures, other charges and pending court actions^[1,2].

This is the check the police advice points to. The ISF tells people not to send money before they have seen the property and verified its legal owner, but it does not explain how to verify the owner^[3]. Copies from OMT or the registry website are unofficial, and only the official certificate from the registry office counts in a transaction or in court^[1,2,6,7]. To decide whether to trust a landlord, an unofficial copy is a useful first look; the official certificate is stronger.

Legalmondo, a law firm, says no certificate is issued while a lien or a registration on the plot is still being processed^[1]. If the office cannot issue one, ask why before you go further.

Getting the certificate when you know nobody in Lebanon#

To request it, you give the property's governorate, district, real estate zone, property number, section and block^[1,6]. The section and block are needed only where they apply. In a building divided into flats, each flat has a unit number added to the plot number and its own folio^[9]. We found no source saying plainly that this unit number is the "section" on the request, so ask the clerk or the OMT agent which number goes where. More in how to find a property's number and zone.

Legalmondo says the official certificate can only be requested in person^[1]. The OMT outlets are all in Lebanon^[6,7], so from abroad you need someone there, such as a lawyer, to take the property details to an outlet. A lawyer in Lebanon can also collect the official certificate in person for you. Legalmondo described the online form in June 2025, but we could not reach the registry website while writing, so we cannot confirm that it still runs.

Kallas Law Firm gives about two business days for a physical certificate (October 2025)^[2]. In April 2025 several Mount Lebanon registry offices worked only on set days^[11], so check the office's schedule before anyone goes. Costs and steps are covered in how to get a Land Registry extract.

Matching the person to the certificate#

Ask to see the person's ID and compare the full name with the owner on the certificate. Newer entries record extra details such as the owner's mother's name, but older entries often lack them^[12], so a name match means less on an old entry. A matching ID is not final proof either. In a Halat case reported by the ISF in June 2026, a fake identity document in the real owner's name was used to forge a deed and sell a property^[13].

We found no published way for a tenant to check an ID against a folio entry. A lawyer can go further: Kallas Law Firm describes a general property search by a person's full name, birth year and mother's name^[2,12] that lists the properties registered to them, which shows whether the claimed owner really holds this plot. Kallas puts it at about 10 days (October 2025)^[2]. Because old entries may lack the mother's name^[12], the search may be less precise for them. Our sources do not say which office runs the search or who may request it, so ask the lawyer.

If the certificate shows several owners, often heirs, the person in front of you may hold only part of the shares. Kallas Law Firm says a co-owner may not act over the whole property, or a defined part of it, without the other co-owners' consent^[14], so ask for the others' written agreement. Legalmondo also notes that ownership can be split between a usage right and bare ownership^[1,2]. If you see this, ask a lawyer who is entitled to let the flat.

Read the charges as well. Mortgages, seizures and pending court actions all appear on the certificate^[1,2]. If you find any, ask the landlord to explain them and have a lawyer read the entry before you sign.

Leases longer than three years raise a separate point. Jaber Law Firm says they must be registered at the Land Registry^[8,15]. According to Kallas Law Firm, if the flat changes owner, a lease that is not inscribed there binds the new owner for at most three years^[8] of rent. This inscription is separate from municipal registration, and we found no published fee or procedure for it, so ask the registry office or a lawyer.

When someone else is renting it out#

The person showing the flat may be an agent, a relative or a building manager. We found no source on what document a person needs to let a flat on an owner's behalf. Ask for the owner's written authority, such as a power of attorney, and check the owner on the certificate as above. An estate agent's card proves nothing about ownership, and the Commercial Code's brokerage articles contain no licence requirement for estate agents^[16].

Treat a power of attorney with care. Forged ones have been used to try to sell or mortgage property in Lebanon^[17,18,19]. In one case reported by the ISF in July 2026, forged IDs and papers were used to get powers of attorney signed before notaries^[18]. Kallas Law Firm says an ordinary power of attorney can be revoked whenever the owner wishes^[20,21], and we found no public register of revocations. Here is how to check that a power of attorney is genuine.

Municipal lease registration can give you a second look at the extract. In Dahye, the municipalities union asks for a Land Registry extract less than three months old for a new contract^[22], and says owners must register leases every year by 31 December. Its page is undated, and other municipalities may ask for different documents, so check with the municipality where the flat is. Ask the landlord to show you the extract, and offer to register the lease at the municipality together.