How do I register or claim for war damage to my home in Lebanon?

Also asked as: “How do I register a claim for war damage to my home in Lebanon?” · “Lebanon war damage compensation application” · “Council for the South damage survey” · “How to report a destroyed house in Lebanon”

Who is paying, as of October 2026#

The state has not paid. In July 2026 Hashem Haidar, head of the Council for the South (مجلس الجنوب), said there had been no state compensation paid (July 2026)^[1], because the state lacks the money. The same Asharq Al-Awsat report said Hezbollah had paid nothing either: its claims were being examined and verified, with no decision to start payments. For the wider picture, see who pays for war damage to homes.

On 13 October 2026 Reuters reported that Hezbollah announced aid for families whose primary homes were destroyed or made uninhabitable in the 2026 war. Families would get USD 14,000 (Beirut and southern suburbs) or USD 12,000 elsewhere^[2], paid in four instalments over one year. This is aid from a political party rather than state compensation, and it covers furniture and rent only, with nothing for rebuilding. The report does not say how to apply, and no source confirms that payments have started.

The aid is for primary residences only^[2]: families who lived in the home and own no second one. Summer homes and abandoned properties are excluded. The damage criteria are not published, and the report says nothing about landlords or about people who bought a damaged home.

Who is surveying damage#

The Council for the South said in July 2026 that it began surveying straight after the ceasefire, only in areas that had become safe, starting with completely destroyed homes so rubble could be cleared^[1]. The report does not say how an owner gets onto the survey, which documents are needed, or whether owners abroad can register. Its teams had not entered parts of the "yellow zone" because access was impossible.

In Beirut, LBCI reported in July 2026 that the Cabinet asked the Higher Relief Commission (الهيئة العليا للإغاثة), with engineering offices and the Order of Engineers, to survey structurally damaged buildings. Residents of buildings classed as dangerous could then get temporary housing allowances. The report gives no public form or contact^[3]. One Haret Hreik resident told Asharq Al-Awsat that some municipalities had done preliminary inspections to document damage for a later stage^[1]. Al Jazeera reported in October 2026 that the government has promised prefabricated homes in some areas^[5]. We found no official page on where, for whom or how to apply.

If you have home insurance#

Most policies will not pay. Kallas Law Firm says that under Art. 969 of the Code of Obligations and Contracts, war risks are excluded unless agreed^[4], the insurer must prove the damage came from war, and a clause putting that proof on you is void. In March 2026 An-Nahar quoted a war exclusion covering any loss from war or military operations; that clause came from one person's car policy, and wording varies by insurer^[6,7]. More in does home insurance cover war damage.

If your policy did include war cover, the head of the insurers' association said in March 2026 that pre-war policies with war cover were being paid normally^[6,7]. According to Kallas Law Firm, you must tell the insurer within 3 days^[4] of learning of the damage (Art. 974), and claims are time-barred 2 years from the incident (Art. 985). Whether the 2026 law suspending deadlines changes that count has not been checked, so ask a lawyer. Your policy may set its own notice terms.

Keep proof that the home is yours#

Any future scheme will need you to show ownership. The Finance Minister said in April 2026 that the land registry still rests on paper registers, with no comprehensive backup^[8]. Annahar reported that if registry files were destroyed, every owner would be asked to prove ownership again, a process that could take years. See what happens to registry records damaged in the war.