How much rent does an old-rent tenant pay now, and what is bedel al-mithl?

Also asked as: “How much do old-rent tenants pay now in Lebanon?” · “What is bedel al-mithl?” · “How is equivalent rent calculated for old leases?” · “Old-rent increases in Lebanon”

What bedel al-mithl means#

Bedel al-mithl means equivalent rent. Under Law 2/2017, tenants who benefit from the Fund pay it during their twelve-year extension (Art. 15), and a new lease of up to three years under Art. 16 is at the same rent^[1,2,3]. LCPS, a policy think tank, describes old rents as meant to rise gradually to a "fair lease price".

None of the sources we read explains how the amount is worked out, who sets it or what the yearly steps are, and we did not read the law text itself. Ici Beyrouth reports that the committees meant to assess the market value of dwellings were never formed^[1,2,3]. If you need a figure for your flat, ask a lawyer who handles rent cases to read Art. 15 with you, and do not rely on a number from the other side.

Shops and offices follow different rules. For non-residential leases, Law 11/2025 sets bedel al-mithl at 5% of the property value (was 8%)^[13], and that rate does not apply to old residential leases.

What old-rent tenants actually pay#

The Fund was supposed to pay all or part of the rent increases for tenants within the income limit^[1,12]. For scale, The National put the monthly minimum wage at LBP 28 million in October 2026. How a tenant proves income while no committee exists is not published; ask a rent lawyer. According to the landlords' syndicate head, the Fund was meant to receive about USD 50 million a year^[4,8] from the Treasury, but as of February 2026 it had never been funded. More in whether the old-rent Fund is working.

What reports describe instead are symbolic rents. As of February 2026 some landlords received under USD 40 a year^[8,9], and a landlords' syndicate source said the planned gradual increases never reached them. These are individual reports. No published survey gives what old-rent tenants pay today.

Which group you are in, and why it changes the rent#

The end date of the nine years is itself argued over. The Metn court and Annahar use 28 February 2026, Charbel Charfan (on the landlords' side) counts to 27 February, and Public Works Studio argues it moved to 2 March^[3,4,5].

Who counts as a Fund beneficiary is unsettled while no Fund operates^[1,4,5]. Applying alone has not protected tenants: judges in March 2026 held that an application does not mean the tenant benefits, because no committee was ever formed^[1,9,15]. See who gets 9 years and who gets 12 and how to request the extra three years.

Once the extension ends without the Art. 8 and Art. 16 steps, the Metn appeals court and landlord-side lawyers say the lease falls under the Code of Obligations and Contracts and freedom of contract, so the tenant must leave or agree new terms^[3,4,9,14]. Tenant-side lawyers argue that Art. 58 suspends the law until the Fund operates; the Metn court held in June 2026 that it does not suspend the tenant's deadlines^[1,3,15]. Either way, the end of the extension does not remove a tenant by itself, and landlords have gone to court for eviction orders^[3,5,15]. The wider picture is in old-rent tenants after February 2026.

What may change#

As of 13 October 2026, Parliament's Administration and Justice Committee was still studying two old-rent drafts, with no decision^[7]. Several MPs urged housing indicators and precise equations for rent increases. A bill filed on 25 February 2026 by MP Halima Kaakour and four other MPs proposes gradual increases by inflation correction plus an area-linked addition, but it is a bill, not law^[16,17]. Follow what Parliament may change.