How do I move an EDL meter into my name after buying or renting?
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Short answer
Take meter bill, deed or municipality-signed lease or sale contract, and ID[1] to EDL's customer office. EDL says arrears must be paid before any transfer, so the old account has to be cleared first. The fee is the deposit of the subscription you take over. EDL publishes no processing time and its page is undated, so confirm the list at your office.
Also asked as: “Transfer EDL meter to my name” · “Change the name on an EDL electricity subscription” · “EDL meter transfer after buying a flat” · “Put the EDL meter in the tenant's name”
Key facts
- Where and what fee
- submitted at the EDL customer office; fee = the subscription deposit[1]
- Documents
- meter bill, deed or municipality-signed lease or sale contract, and ID[1]
- Old bills
- arrears must be paid before any transfer[1]
- For any EDL visit
- A subscription bill or the building's meter-room number[1]
- Deposits in EDL's undated table
- LBP 30,000 (15 A), LBP 60,000 (30 A), LBP 120,000 (60 A)[2]
- Processing time
- Not published by EDL[1]
Transfer or new subscription: which one you need
A transfer is for a flat that already has an EDL meter in someone else's name, usually the seller, the landlord or a former tenant. You take over that subscription. If the flat has no meter at all, you need a new EDL meter or subscription instead, and the document list is different: ID or a civil-record extract, the meter-room number or a neighbour's bill, and a deed, lease or sale contract[2].
If you are not sure which applies, look at the meter in the building's meter room and ask the seller or landlord for the latest bill. EDL asks for a subscription bill or the meter-room number on any visit, so you will need one of them either way[1].
The three documents
EDL asks for meter bill, deed or municipality-signed lease or sale contract, and ID[1]. In practice:
- The bill for that meter. Ask the seller or landlord for it. It identifies the subscription you are taking over.
- Proof of your right to the flat. A buyer brings the title deed or the sale contract. A tenant brings a lease contract signed by the municipality[1]. Here is how to register a lease at the municipality.
- Your identity. EDL asks for a copy of the ID card or an individual civil-record extract (ikhraj qaid fardi) of the person concerned[1]. The page does not mention passports. If you hold only a foreign passport, ask the customer office what it accepts before you go.
Old bills come first
EDL issues no statement and carries out no transaction on a subscription, a transfer included, until the arrears are paid. It also refunds no deposit before then[1]. EDL does not say whether the seller, the landlord or you must pay those arrears, so settle it in writing in the sale contract or the lease before you sign or pay.
For tenants, the sources disagree on who pays which charges. Adala Law Firm says municipal fees fall on the tenant and built-property tax on the landlord; Jaber Law Firm says the landlord pays taxes and other dues unless the contract says otherwise[3,4]. Neither covers electricity arrears, so write the split into the lease. More in who pays utilities in a rented flat.
What it costs
The fee EDL collects for a transfer is the deposit of the subscription being transferred[1]. The only deposit amounts EDL publishes are in an undated table in Lebanese pounds: LBP 30,000 for 15 A, LBP 60,000 for 30 A and LBP 120,000 for 60 A[2]. That table is likely outdated, and we found no current amount in US dollars. Ask the customer office for the amount and get a receipt. Once the meter is in your name, here is how to pay your EDL bill.
How to move the meter into your name
- Get the latest bill from the seller or landlord. It identifies the meter. If they cannot find it, note the building's meter-room number instead, which EDL also accepts for a visit[1].
- Agree in writing who pays any arrears. EDL will not transfer the meter until old bills are paid[1]. Put the answer in the sale contract or the lease, and ask for proof of payment before you hand over money.
- Prepare your proof of right to the flat. As a buyer, the title deed or sale contract. As a tenant, a lease signed by the municipality[1]. Bring a copy of your ID card or a civil-record extract too.
- Submit the request at the EDL customer office. The transfer is filed there[1]. EDL's page does not say which office serves which area, so ask EDL which customer office covers your building and have them confirm the document list, since the page is undated.
- Pay the deposit and keep the receipt. The fee is the deposit of the subscription being transferred[1]. No processing time is published, so ask the office when the first bill in your name will come.
It depends on
- Buying or renting. A buyer shows a title deed or sale contract; a tenant needs a lease signed by the municipality[1]. Ask the municipality how to register the lease.
- Unpaid bills on the meter. Nothing moves until they are paid[1]. Who pays is a matter for your contract; a lawyer or the notary can help you word it.
- A new building with no meter. You need a new subscription, not a transfer. A provisional occupancy permit allows a temporary electricity connection[5]. Ask the developer which permit the building has.
- More amps than the meter gives. An upgrade is a separate transaction, and it is also blocked by arrears[1]. On EDL's new-subscription page, a request above the permitted capacity needs a BC8 request and an inspection[2]. EDL does not publish the upgrade procedure for an existing meter, so ask the customer office.
- Living abroad. EDL's page does not say whether someone else can file the transfer for you. Ask the customer office whether it accepts an agent with a power of attorney, and what that POA must say.
Common questions
Can I move the EDL meter into my name if the seller left unpaid bills?
No. EDL carries out no transfer until the arrears are paid[1]. EDL does not say who must pay them, so agree it in writing in the sale contract.
Can a tenant put the EDL meter in their own name?
Yes. EDL accepts a lease contract signed by the municipality, together with the meter bill and a copy of the tenant's ID or civil-record extract[1].
How much does an EDL meter transfer cost?
What else should I move into my name after buying?
The Beirut and Mount Lebanon Water Establishment announced in January 2026, and was still reported in September 2026, a 90% cut to the fee for changing the subscriber's name[6,7]. The base fee and documents are not published, so ask the establishment. In a building with an owners' association, tell the administrator within 30 days[8] and deposit the documents proving your purchase.
Sources
Checked against these sources. The numbers in the text point here.
- 1.EDL: transfer a subscription to a new subscriber
Electricité du Liban (EDL) · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
- 2.EDL: new subscription in a completed building connected to the grid
Electricité du Liban (EDL) · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
- 3.New rent contracts explained
Adala Law Firm · 23 Oct 2025 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 4.Jaber Law Firm: Real Estate in Lebanon (FAQ)
Jaber Law Firm · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
- 5.Decree 15874 of 5/12/2005 implementing the Building Law, as amended by Decree 617 of 8/8/2007
General Directorate of Urban Planning (DGU), Ministry of Public Works and Transport · 5 Dec 2005 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 6.Beirut and Mount Lebanon Water Establishment: 2026 bills placed in collection
MTV Lebanon · 8 Sept 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 7.Beirut and Mount Lebanon Water Establishment starts 2026 collection and approves incentives and facilities
Alhadeel (quoting a Beirut and Mount Lebanon Water Establishment statement) · 7 Jan 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 8.Condominium Ownership of Built Immovables in Lebanese Law — Eighth and Final Part of the Practical Guide to the Lebanese Code of Real Property
Kallas Law Firm · 25 May 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
Related questions
- How do I get a new EDL meter or subscription for my flat, and what does it cost?Apply to EDL with ID, the meter-room number and a deed or lease. Its fee table is undated and in LBP. Documents, capacity rules, arrears and costs.
- Who pays electricity, generator, water and internet in a rented flat in Lebanon?No published rule says who pays electricity, generator, water and internet in a rented flat: the lease decides. What to write and how meters change name.
- 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.
- How do I pay my EDL bill?We could not confirm EDL's payment channels, so ask an EDL customer office. What EDL lists, the April 2026 tariff, arrears and paying from abroad.
- How do I get a water subscription in Lebanon and what does it cost?In Beirut and Mount Lebanon, the water establishment cut 2026 set-up fees by 28% (gauge) or 15% (meter). What is known, what is not, and whom to ask.
- How do I give a power of attorney for property in Lebanon from abroad?Sign at a Lebanese embassy or consulate, or before a local notary and then have it legalised. An apostille alone is not enough. Documents, fees, fraud risks.
- How much does a generator subscription cost per month for 5, 10 or 15 amps?Under the September 2026 tariff, 5 A costs LL385,000 fixed plus LL52,840 per kWh in cities. The formula, 10 and 15 A, real bills and illegal extras.
