Can I use a BDH loan to buy an old apartment, or only a new one?

Key facts#

Maximum building age

None published by BDH^[1,2]

Maximum property price

None published by BDH^[1,2]

Home size

150 m² at most^[1,2,3]

Loan amount

up to USD 100,000 (minimum USD 20,000)^[1,2]

Down payment

at least 20% down; loan at most 80%^[1,2], on the bank's valuation

Rate (October 2026)

5.75% a year (APR 6.33%)^[1,4,5], subject to change

When the seller is paid

paid to the seller after the title is in your name^[1,2]

How to check an old flat for a BDH loan#

1. 1
   Get a recent Land Registry extract. You or your lawyer request it from the Land Registry. It shows the owner, mortgages, charges and restrictions on the plot^[6,7]. If you don't have the property's identifying numbers yet, here is how to find the property number, zone and section.
2. 2
   Confirm the size and your eligibility. The home may be 150 m² at most^[1,2,3]. You need Lebanese citizenship for at least 10 years^[1,2]. BDH is open to residents and expatriates, and the full loan needs a family net income of USD 2,500 to 5,000 a month (family net income).
3. 3
   Apply to BDH directly. BDH takes applications on an online platform open 9:00 to 13:00 on working days^[1,3,8]. It does not work through brokers or intermediaries^[1,8]. Ask the bank in writing whether the building's age affects its valuation, and which permit papers it needs.
4. 4
   Know the valuation before you fix the price. The loan is at most 80% of the bank's figure, and any gap up to the agreed price is yours to pay in cash^[1,2].
5. 5
   Sign at the notary and register. The sale is signed as a notarial deed, and ownership passes when it is registered at the Land Registry^[7]. BDH then pays the seller directly. As we read BDH's Key Fact Statement, the money goes by wire from a bank outside Lebanon to the seller's fresh-dollar account, in Lebanon or abroad^[1,2]. BDH does not explain how buyer and seller cover the time before that payment, so agree it in writing with a lawyer. More on when BDH pays the seller.

It depends on#

• The bank's valuation. It sets your down payment, and BDH does not say how it treats old buildings. Ask BDH before you sign anything with the seller.
• Whether the flat has its own title. Payment needs a new title deed in your name^[1,2]. Ask the Land Registry, or a lawyer reading the extract, whether the unit is separately registered.
• The size. A flat over 150 m² is outside the purchase loan^[1,2,3]. If the deed and the real flat differ, ask BDH how it measures the area.
• What you already own. If you already own an apartment, the new one must be at least 25 km from the home you own^[1,2].
• How you will use it. A BDH-financed home must be used only as the family's home. Breaking this makes the whole loan due at once^[1,2].

Common questions#