Can I use my trapped bank deposit to settle a loan or buy property in Lebanon?

Key facts#

Deposits used in sales

Bankers' cheques common in 2020-21, most 2022 sales paid in real dollars, according to JSK Real Estate (2023)^[1]

Lollar withdrawal haircut

about 80% at the peak^[2] (AGBI, October 2023)

The market in 2025-26

Largely cash-driven^[3,4]

Bank home mortgages

Still not being written as of autumn 2026^[4,5]

BDH loan to clear an old debt

Not allowed^[6,7]

Bank offers to settle with property

Terms not published; ask the bank and a lawyer

When ownership passes

On registration at the Land Registry^[8]

Before you pay with a deposit or accept a bank's offer#

1. 1
   Get a recent Land Registry extract for the exact property. First ask the seller, or the bank if it is offering you the property, for the plot number and the real estate district, and for an apartment the section number too. Then ask the Land Registry (السجل العقاري) for the extract of exactly that plot, using your property's number, zone and section. The extract shows the owner, mortgages, charges and restrictions^[8,11]. If the Special Investigation Commission has noted that the asset is under verification, that note would appear there too^[10]. Our sources give no fee or waiting time for the extract, so ask at the registry office. The full procedure is in how to check a title deed.
2. 2
   Ask your bank in writing. Ask what it will issue (a cheque or a transfer), what it charges, and whether the seller's bank will accept it. If the bank offers property against your deposit or loan, ask for the valuation, the fees and what you will still owe or be owed afterwards.
3. 3
   Agree the payment method with the seller in writing. Put the currency, the instrument and the amount in the promise of sale. You can have a promise of sale provisionally inscribed on the property's folio, which protects your rank against a later sale or mortgage^[8,12].
4. 4
   Sign the deed at a notary and file it at the registry straight away. According to Kallas Law Firm, when rights compete the Land Registry gives priority by the date of entry in its daily journal, not by the date the deed was signed^[11]. You own the property only once the sale is registered^[8].
5. 5
   Have a lawyer read any settlement offer. A lawyer can tell you what you give up and what the bank can still claim. Keep copies of every document you sign.

It depends on#

• The seller. The seller decides whether to accept a cheque or lollars, and at what discount. No 2026 source gives a market rate^[1]. Ask the seller or the broker before you negotiate.
• Your bank. Fees and offers can differ by bank. AGBI reported in October 2023 that BDL Circular 679 limits some commissions on pre-crisis deposits, but whether it is still in force is not confirmed^[2]. Ask the branch for its written fee schedule and any settlement terms.
• Buying or settling a debt. Buying is an ordinary sale through a notary and the Land Registry^[8]. Settling a loan with property depends on the bank's offer, so ask a lawyer to read the contract.
• Whether you are Lebanese. The Land Registry fee on a sale is 3% of the value for Lebanese buyers, 5% for non-Lebanese^[13]. Whether and how it applies to a property settlement with a bank is not published, so ask the notary and the bank.

Common questions#