If I pay my rent in lira, which exchange rate applies?
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Short answer
No law or ruling we found settles it[1,2,3,4,5]. In 2019 a notary-board member said courts used the 1,507-1,515 rate; a 2021 legal review found no official rate. A bank reports an official rate of LBP 89,500 since February 2024, and the Energy Ministry used LBP 89,700 in September 2026. Agree the rate in writing.
Also asked as: “Rent in lira, which exchange rate in Lebanon?” · “Can I pay my dollar rent in lira?” · “Which dollar rate applies to rent in Lebanon?” · “Lira rent conversion rate”
Key facts
- Official rate reported by a bank
- USD/LBP 89,500 (from 1 February 2024)[3]
- Paying in lira
- The lira has full discharging power under Arts 7 and 8 of the Code of Money and Credit, according to Lebanon Law Review (2021)[1,2]
- Rent in dollars by agreement
- Allowed under Art. 301(2) of the Code of Obligations and Contracts, according to Lebanon Law Review[2]
- Refusing lira
- An offence under Art. 319 of the Penal Code, punishable by 6 months to 3 years in prison[2] and a fine in pre-crisis lira, according to Lebanon Law Review
What the sources say about the rate
Each source below was written at a different point in the lira's collapse, and none of them is a court ruling on what a tenant owes today[1,2,3,4,5].
| Source | When | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| A notary-board member, in Annahar | November 2019 | Courts used the Banque du Liban rate of 1,507-1,515[1,2,3,4,5] |
| Lebanon Law Review | July 2021 | No legal official rate exists. It listed the 1,500, platform (3,900) and market (about 18,000) rates of that time[1,2,3,4,5] |
| BLOMINVEST Bank | July 2025 | It converts at a new official rate of LBP 89,500, in effect from 1 February 2024[1,2,3,4,5] |
| Ministry of Energy and Water | September 2026 | Its private generator tariff used LBP 89,700 per dollar[1,2,3,4,5] |
The 2019 view is outdated, because it dates from before the lira collapsed[1,2,3,4,5]. In the same interview, the notary-board member said a landlord may sue for damages caused by the dollar's rise but cannot change the base rent because of the exchange rate[1]. That was one person's opinion, and we found no ruling applying it.
Why the gap matters less since 2024
In 2021 the rates in use ranged from 1,500 to about 18,000 lira per dollar, so the choice of rate could multiply a lira rent many times over[1,2,3,4,5]. The figures reported since 2024 are close: BLOMINVEST's official rate of LBP 89,500 and the Energy Ministry's LBP 89,700 in its September 2026 generator tariff. For stamp duty, PwC reports that Ministry of Finance decision 684 of 23 November 2023 converts foreign-currency contracts at the Sayrafa rate.
None of these figures is a rule for rent. If you owe rent from before 2024, the rate used for those months can still change the amount a lot, so take that question to a rent lawyer.
Can the landlord refuse lira or insist on dollars?
Lebanon Law Review (2021) and a notary-board member (2019) both say a landlord cannot force a tenant to pay in US dollars or refuse lira, because the lira has full discharging power[1,2]. Both sources predate 2023 and cite no court decision. Many rents since 2020 have been agreed in fresh dollars.
The same review also says the parties may agree that payment will be made in foreign currency, and that a lease is subject to this freedom of contract[2]. We found no ruling that reconciles the two rules where a lease expressly stipulates dollars. More on this in can my landlord force me to pay rent in dollars.
If the landlord refuses your rent, you can make a formal offer and deposit the rent with a notary (kateb adel)[2,6,7]. See what to do if the landlord refuses the rent. No source gives the notary's steps, fee or timing, so ask the notary before you go.
How to settle the rate with your landlord
- Agree the rate in writing. You and the landlord sign a short clause or annex. It should name the rate or reference you both accept and the day the rate is taken, such as payment day or the first of the month.
- Pay in a way you can prove. Use a bank transfer, or get a signed receipt that shows the amount in lira, the rate used and the month covered. Keep copies.
- If you cannot agree, see a rent lawyer. Disputes go to the rental court where the property is located[7]. We found no ruling we could read on this; reports of 2022 Beirut appeals rulings that split between rates were not checked, so ask the lawyer about them and which rate local judges accept[1,2,3,4,5].
It depends on
- Old or new lease. Residential leases signed before 23 July 1992[8,9,10] are under the old-rent regime, and later ones are free contracts. Check whether your lease is old or new before relying on any rule here.
- What the lease says. A lease that expressly stipulates dollars raises the unresolved clash between freedom of contract and the lira's discharging power[2]. Ask a lawyer how local courts treat such clauses.
- Registering the lease. For municipal registration, the Dahye municipalities union says the rent must be written in Lebanese currency[11]. We did not find whether a lease written in dollars is refused or converted today. Ask your municipality, and see how to register a lease.
Common questions
Can I pay my dollar rent in lira at 1,500?
Which exchange rate do official notices use in 2026?
Sources
Checked against these sources. The numbers in the text point here.
- 1.Can an owner force the tenant to pay in US dollars?
Annahar · 27 Nov 2019 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 2.The fate of rent contracts as the lira exchange rate moves
Lebanon Law Review (HAQQ) · 8 Jul 2021 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 3.Real Estate Transactions Hit $498.6M by May 2025
BLOMINVEST Bank SAL (Research Department) · 15 Jul 2025 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 4.Private generator tariff for September 2026
Beirut24 (reproducing National News Agency / Ministry of Energy and Water statement) · 1 Oct 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 5.Lebanon: Individual – Other taxes
PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries · 1 Jul 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 6.New rent contracts explained
Adala Law Firm · 23 Oct 2025 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 7.Leasing Rights in Lebanon
Choueh Law Firm · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
- 8.Legislative and Administrative Land and Property Rights Framework. Lebanon
GLTN / UN-Habitat · May 2024 · read 16 Oct 2026
- 9.قانون الإيجارات الجديد في لبنان... هل يصبح نافذاً نهاية شباط؟
Annahar · 26 Jan 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 10.Lebanon's Rental Law and the Housing Crisis
LCPS (Lebanese Center for Policy Studies) · 23 Sept 2025 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 11.Request to register a lease contract
Dahye (Southern Suburbs) Municipalities Union · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
Related questions
- 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.
- What can a tenant do if the landlord refuses to take the rent?Make a formal offer and deposit of the rent with a notary. Old vs new leases, rent in lira or dollars, what to ask the notary, and what is not published.
- What does 'fresh dollars' mean in Lebanon?Fresh dollars usually means US cash or transfers from outside Lebanon, as opposed to 'lollars'. What it means for buying property and BDH loans.
- 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.
- 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.
- Do I pay Lebanese property fees and stamp duty in LBP or USD, and at which exchange rate?Lebanese state property fees are collected in pounds. The rate for converting a USD price is disputed or unpublished. What is known and whom to ask.
- Where can I get a Lebanese lease contract template?There is no official Lebanese lease template. What a lease must state, clauses to add on currency, charges and deposits, and how to register it.
