What does Lebanon's co-ownership law say about common parts, shares and votes?
On this page
Short answer
The co-ownership law, Legislative Decree No. 88 of 16 September 1983[1,2], makes the land, structure, stairs, lifts and top roofs common to all the building's owners. Each flat holds a share of the common parts counted out of 1,000 and votes in proportion to that share[1]. Once a building has more than three private units, its owners form an owners' association by law. Day-to-day decisions go by majority vote.
Also asked as: “Lebanon co-ownership law Decree 88/1983” · “Who owns the roof of a building in Lebanon?” · “How do votes work in a Lebanese owners' association?” · “Shares out of 1,000 in a Lebanese building”
Key facts
Common parts: what belongs to everyone
The decree sorts common parts into two kinds. Common parts by nature are the land, the structure and foundations, entrances, facades, stairs, sewers, lifts and the top roofs. Common parts by designation are garages, gardens, installations and any equipment that gives a shared service[1,2]. So under the decree, top roofs and lifts are common parts, and the roof is not the property of the top-floor flat.
A building's own management regulation can allocate particular parts differently, so read it before you assume who owns the roof or a garage. You can check it at the Land Registry[1,2]. Kallas Law Firm reads the decree as tying your share of the common parts to your flat: it cannot be sold, mortgaged or partitioned on its own[3]. If you are thinking of solar panels on the roof, read about putting solar panels on a shared roof.
Shares out of 1,000, and how your flat is numbered
Each flat's rights in the common parts, and its duties towards them, are written as a number out of 1,000, and each owner has as many votes as that share[1]. This is a separate system from the 2,400 shares used to count ownership of a property or unit. If your extract mentions 2,400 shares, see what 2,400 shares means.
According to Kallas Law Firm, buildings with three or more units[3] must deposit regulations certified by a notary. These contain a table of units, a plan and management rules, and they give each unit's share out of 1,000. That table is where you find your flat's share and its votes.
Each unit gets a number added to the plot number, and its own folio in the Land Registry. The numbering runs common areas 1 to 3; units from 4[3]. This unit number is probably the "section" that certificate requests ask for, but no source we read says so outright. Ask the Land Registry to confirm, and see how to find your property's number, zone and section.
How the owners' association decides
You do not need to set up the association. It exists by law once the building has more than three private units[1,2]. It must elect a president by secret ballot as soon as it is formed and meet at least once a year. Meetings are called by written invitation to each owner, or on a petition from owners holding at least a quarter of the votes. According to the Army magazine's summary, a first meeting is valid only if owners holding an absolute majority of votes attend, unless a text requires another majority, and a second meeting is valid with whoever attends[2].
| Decision | Votes needed |
|---|---|
| Administrative matters, including maintaining, repairing and replacing lifts, motors and shared water and electricity installations[1,2] | absolute majority, then majority of those present[1,2] |
| Adding a building, or installing necessary or useful equipment or machines | at least 75% of owners' votes[1,2] |
| Changing common parts, and items such as entrance doors, windows and balconies for the building's harmony (Army magazine summary of Art. 11) | at least 75% of owners' votes[2] |
| Other acts of disposal of common parts | Unanimity[1,2] |
| Changing units' shares and duties, or a flat's use (Army magazine summary of Art. 49) | unanimity[2] |
Neither source on the decree mentions solar panels. Applying the 75% equipment rule to a shared rooftop system is our reading, and a lawyer should confirm it[1,2]. Separately, Banque de l'Habitat asks for the written approval of 75% of the building co-owners' committee, and approval from the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, when one of its renovation loans includes a solar system[4,5,6].
The president keeps the accounts and presents the annual budget between one and three months before year end. All money goes into a bank account in the association's name[1]. The president can ask owners for monthly or quarterly advances, and the decree sets no amount[1,2]. More in who sets building service charges.
Checking the co-ownership rules when you buy a flat
- Get the unit's Land Registry details. Ask the seller for the plot number, real estate district and unit number, then request the extract for that unit yourself from the Land Registry instead of relying on a copy. Each unit has its own folio[3].
- Ask the association for its paperwork. Ask the president or administrator for the latest budget and for any unpaid charges on the flat. The president keeps the accounts and presents a yearly budget[1]. Settle any arrears in the sale contract.
- Notify the administrator after you buy. Do it within 30 days[3] and deposit the official documents proving your purchase. Until you do, the former owner still represents the flat at owners' meetings, and according to Kallas the association can claim service charges from either the old or the new owner. Keep a copy of what you sent and the date.
It depends on
- Whether you own or rent. The decree addresses owners, and its rule for collecting unpaid charges targets the owner, not a tenant[1,2]. Tenants should read who pays the generator and common areas and write the split into the lease.
- Whether the flats are registered as separate units. The registry will not finally subdivide a building without an occupancy permit and certificates of connection to the public electricity and water networks[7]. Kallas puts the registry fee for registering a building under the condominium regime at 1%, without saying what it is calculated on or who pays it[3], so ask the registry or a notary. See getting your own title deed in a new building.
Common questions
Does the roof belong to the top-floor flat in Lebanon?
Do we have to create an owners' association?
What happens if an owner does not pay their share of building expenses?
How many votes does my flat have?
As many as its share in the common parts, counted out of 1,000. That share is set in the building's regulations[1].
Sources
Checked against these sources. The numbers in the text point here.
- 1.Legislative Decree No. 88 of 16/9/1983 on co-ownership of built property
Joseph Wanis Official Site (lawyer Joseph Wanis) · 22 Mar 2019 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 2.Managing the ownership of floors and flats (Dr Nader Abdel Aziz Chaffi, Army Magazine issue 302-303, August 2010)
Lebanese Army (Army Magazine, "We and the Law" section) · August 2010 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 3.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
- 4.Banque de l'Habitat - Renovation Loan (USD) details
Banque de l'Habitat S.A.L. · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
- 5.Banque de l'Habitat - Renovation Loan in LBP: loan details
Banque de l'Habitat (BDH) · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
- 6.Banque de l'Habitat - Construction loan details
Banque de l'Habitat S.A.L. (BDH) · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
- 7.Law 646 of 16/12/2004 (Building Law), amending Legislative Decree 148 of 16/09/1983
Lebanese Republic, Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Directorate General of Urban Planning (DGU) · 16 Dec 2004 · read 17 Oct 2026
Related questions
- Is an owners' association mandatory in Lebanon, and how are decisions taken?Yes: in buildings with more than three units the owners' association exists by law. Who runs it, quorum, and which votes need a majority, 75% or unanimity.
- What are building service charges in Lebanon, who sets them, and what do they cover?The owners' association sets them through a yearly budget and advances; no law fixes the amount. What they cover, how votes work, and unpaid charges.
- Can I put solar panels on my building's shared roof, and do the other owners have to agree?Probably: the top roof is a common part and new equipment likely needs 75% of owners' votes. The law, the dropped solar rule, tenants and safety.
- Who pays for the building generator, lift and common-area electricity in Lebanon: owners or tenants?Owners fund lifts and shared equipment through the owners' association under Decree 88/1983; the lease decides what a tenant pays. Rules, votes, arrears.
- What does 'green tapu, 2400 shares' mean on a Lebanese property?2,400 shares is the whole property: Lebanese ownership is counted out of 2,400. What shares mean and how to check them on the registry extract.
- How do I get my own title deed for an apartment in a new building in Lebanon?Only once the building's owner divides it into units at the Land Registry. What must happen first, what your deed shows, fees and how to protect yourself.
- How do I find my property's real estate number, zone and section?Property number, zone and section are on your title deed or a Land Registry extract. Without papers, a search by the owner's name may find the number.
