Where can I get a Lebanese lease contract template?
On this page
Short answer
We could not find an official Lebanese lease template. Have a notary (kateb adel) or a lawyer draft or check yours, and make sure it states the property number and location, the parties, the rent, the term, any services and the intended use. One municipal union asks for these before it registers a lease[1].
Also asked as: “Lebanon lease contract template” · “Rental agreement form Lebanon” · “What should a lease contract in Lebanon include?” · “Lebanese rent contract in Arabic and English”
Key facts
- Official template
- None found or verified, as of October 2026
- Is writing required?
- No: oral leases are binding[2], according to Adala Law Firm. Writing serves as proof
- What the lease states, for municipal registration
- Property number and location, premises, parties, rent in Lebanese currency, term, services, owner's address, use[1]
- Subletting, if the lease is silent
- allowed for the same use unless the lease forbids it[3]
- Municipal registration (Dahye union)
- every year by 31 December; done immediately[1]
Why there is no single template to download
No ministry or municipality we checked publishes a model lease. We did not open or check the forms you find online for this page, and we found no bilingual model that covers the generator, building fees, currency and leaving early. Use any template as a first draft, then have a notary or lawyer read it against your situation.
ExpatLife.ai, a commercial expat guide, says Lebanese leases may be notarised or informal written agreements, and advises insisting on a written lease that states the rent, the deposit terms and the notice period[6]. On the law, Adala Law Firm says oral leases are binding[2]. Writing serves as proof, and a lease can also be proved by receipts, witnesses and presumptions. Proving the rent and term of an oral lease is harder, and you need a written lease to register it at the municipality and with EDL.
What the lease should say
For municipal registration, the Dahye municipalities union's page lists what a lease must state[1]:
- the property number and location (area, street, floor)
- a description of the premises
- the names of landlord and tenant
- the rent, written in Lebanese currency
- the term
- any services the owner provides, and their price
- the owner's full address
- the intended use
That page is undated (its footer says 2017) and covers one municipalities union, so ask your own municipality whether it wants more[1]. Be precise about the use. Choueh Law Firm says the premises must be used exactly as the lease states, for example as a home or an office, or the lease may be terminated[7]. For landlords, Jaber Law Firm advises checking four points: the tenant's identity, the rent and how it is paid, the lease period, and the private conditions on damage, breakage and non-payment[3].
The currency clause is the hardest one to write. The Dahye page asks for the rent in Lebanese currency, and we did not find whether a lease written in US dollars is refused or converted today[1]. Lebanon Law Review (2021) says the parties may agree on payment in foreign currency under Art. 301(2) of the Code of Obligations and Contracts[8]. The same source also says a landlord cannot force a tenant to pay in dollars or refuse lira[8,9]. We found no ruling that reconciles the two. More in paying rent in dollars or lira.
Clauses a template often leaves out
The law fills in some points when the lease is silent. On others, no source we read says anything, so the lease is your only protection. This table covers leases signed after July 1992, which are governed by Law 159/92[2,3,7,10] and the Code of Obligations and Contracts.
| Clause | If the lease says nothing | What to write |
|---|---|---|
| Subletting | allowed for the same use unless the lease forbids it[3] | Allow or forbid it expressly |
| Taxes and municipal fees | Sources differ. Adala Law Firm puts municipal fees 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[2,3] | Who pays each charge |
| Generator and building service charges | No source we read covers them[2,3] | Who pays, and how it is measured |
| Rent increase | Adala Law Firm: no increase before the term ends[2] | The rent for the whole term |
| Deposit | Two law firms say there is no deposit-protection law[3,7], so refund terms depend on the lease | Amount, when it is returned, what can be deducted |
| Leaving at the end of a period | Jaber Law Firm: a tenant on an extension notifies the landlord two months before the end[3], by registered mail or through a notary | Notice period and method |
| Leaving early | No source we read covers it[3] | Notice and any penalty |
Two firms say a post-1992 home lease runs at least three years, even if the paper says one year, but they cite different legal bases[2,3,4]. See the three-year minimum for new leases. For deposits and months paid in advance, read how much deposit a landlord can ask for.
How to put a lease together and register it
- Get the property's Land Registry extract. To register a new lease, the Dahye union asks for a Land Registry (السجل العقاري) real-estate statement (ifadeh aqariyeh) under three months old[1]. The page does not say who obtains it, so ask the municipality. A tenant can use the extract to check that the landlord really owns the flat and to copy the property number into the lease.
- Draft from the list above. Start from any template, but fill in every item the municipality asks for[1]. Then add the clauses on charges, deposit, currency and leaving. A notary or lawyer can check the draft. If your Arabic is weak, ask for a translation of the version you sign.
- Agree the open points in writing. The table above shows which points the law leaves unsettled. Settle them in the text of the lease, not by phone or message.
- Sign and keep copies. The Dahye union asks for the lease and its annexes in two copies, plus a copy of your ID for a property registered for the first time[1]. Keep your own signed copy and every rent receipt or transfer.
- Register it at the municipality where the property lies. The Dahye union says the owner must register leases there every year by 31 December, that registration is done immediately, and that the office gives a stamp-exempt certified copy[1]. To move a meter into a new subscriber's name, EDL asks for a lease signed by the municipality[11,12]. Steps and fees are in registering a lease at the municipality.
- Ask the municipality for the current fee. The Dahye page lists a fixed LL 3,000 stamp per contract or annex, plus 3 per mille of the real rent over the whole lease term[1]. That page's footer says 2017, and the LL 3,000 stamp may have been raised since. Kallas Law Firm and PwC give 4 per mille for contracts in general, and neither applies it to leases expressly[1,13,14]. PwC also reports that Ministry of Finance decision 684 of 23 November 2023 converts contracts in foreign currency at the Sayrafa rate for stamp duty. Ask the municipality how it applies this to a lease written in dollars.
It depends on
- Old or new lease. Residential leases signed before 23 July 1992[15,16,17] fall under the old-rent regime, not freedom of contract. Check whether your lease is old or new before you rewrite it.
- Seasonal or employer housing. Jaber Law Firm says the three-year rule does not cover seasonal lets and employer housing[3]. No source defines whether a furnished or short let counts as seasonal, so ask a notary.
- Your municipality. The required contents and documents above come from one union's undated page. Ask your municipality what it wants before you print the final copy.
Common questions
Is a verbal lease valid in Lebanon?
Yes. Adala Law Firm says oral leases are binding[2], and writing serves only as proof. An oral lease is harder to prove, and you need a written one to register it at the municipality and with EDL.
Can a Lebanese lease be written in US dollars?
The sources conflict. The Dahye municipalities union's undated page asks for the rent in Lebanese currency[1]. Lebanon Law Review says the parties may agree on foreign-currency payment under Art. 301(2) of the Code of Obligations and Contracts[8], and also that a landlord cannot refuse lira[8,9]. As of October 2026 we found no ruling that settles it.
Sources
Checked against these sources. The numbers in the text point here.
- 1.Request to register a lease contract
Dahye (Southern Suburbs) Municipalities Union · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
- 2.New rent contracts explained
Adala Law Firm · 23 Oct 2025 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 3.Jaber Law Firm: Real Estate in Lebanon (FAQ)
Jaber Law Firm · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
- 4.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
- 5.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
- 6.ExpatLife.ai: Renting in Lebanon 2026 (Housing guide)
ExpatLife.ai · 13 Aug 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 7.Leasing Rights in Lebanon
Choueh Law Firm · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
- 8.The fate of rent contracts as the lira exchange rate moves
Lebanon Law Review (HAQQ) · 8 Jul 2021 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 9.Can an owner force the tenant to pay in US dollars?
Annahar · 27 Nov 2019 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 10.Old rents… a crisis without a settlement
MTV Lebanon (article by Ramah El Hashem, Nidaa Al Watan) · 13 Oct 2026 · 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.Real estate fees calculator
Kallas Law Firm · 24 May 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 14.Lebanon: Individual – Other taxes
PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries · 1 Jul 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 15.Legislative and Administrative Land and Property Rights Framework. Lebanon
GLTN / UN-Habitat · May 2024 · read 16 Oct 2026
- 16.قانون الإيجارات الجديد في لبنان... هل يصبح نافذاً نهاية شباط؟
Annahar · 26 Jan 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 17.Lebanon's Rental Law and the Housing Crisis
LCPS (Lebanese Center for Policy Studies) · 23 Sept 2025 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 18.Hona Lebanon: non-residential leases law, application and amendment
Hona Lebanon (هنا لبنان) · 9 Aug 2025 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 19.Non-residential leases: law in force or challenged?
Al-Modon · 30 Jun 2025 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 20.Limitations and Restrictions for foreign investors
IDAL (Investment Development Authority of Lebanon) · undated · read 16 Oct 2026
Related questions
- 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.
- Can my landlord force me to pay rent in US dollars?No settled rule: the lira has full discharging power, but a lease may stipulate dollars. What the law says, which rate applies and what to do in a dispute.
- How much deposit and advance rent can a landlord ask for in Lebanon?No law caps deposits or advance rent in Lebanon; they are agreed in the lease. Typical amounts, what is refunded and how to protect your money.
- Is there a three-year minimum for a new lease in Lebanon?Two law firms say yes: a home lease signed after July 1992 runs at least three years. The legal basis, exceptions, longer leases and the five-year bill.
- 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 check that my landlord in Lebanon is the real owner or authorised to rent?Get the flat's Land Registry certificate and check the person renting to you is a listed owner or has the owner's written authority. Steps, costs, red flags.
- 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.
- 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.
