Can I get a BDH loan if I already own a home, or for a second home or investment property?

Also asked as: “Can I get a BDH loan for a second home?” · “BDH loan if I already own an apartment” · “Can I use a Banque de l'Habitat loan for an investment property?” · “BDH 25 km rule”

If you already own an apartment: the 25 km rule#

Owning a home does not shut you out of a BDH loan, but the new apartment has to be at least 25 km from the home you own^[1,2]. A new flat closer than 25 km to the one you own does not qualify.

BDH does not publish how it applies this rule. It does not say how the 25 km is measured, how it checks what you already own, or whether owning land, a house, a share of an inherited property or a home outside Lebanon counts the same as owning an apartment. Ask BDH these questions in writing before you sign a promise of sale or pay a deposit, and keep the answer.

Second homes, rentals and investment property#

A BDH loan cannot buy a holiday home, an investment property or a flat to rent out. A second property qualifies only if it is at least 25 km from the one you own and becomes your family's home^[1,2]. A holiday flat further than 25 km away still does not qualify, because the home must be used only as the family's housing.

Breaking the rule is costly: the contract ends and the principal, interest and charges all become due at once^[1,2]. You cannot simply repay early to free yourself of the condition either. Early repayment, full or partial, is barred for 7 years from signing unless the bank agrees, and later prepayments carry a penalty fee whose size is not published.

If you live abroad, BDH is open to expatriates^[1,2,3], and for non-residents it counts housing rent among their charges^[1,2]. BDH does not publish how it treats a home that a family abroad plans to use for part of the year, so ask the bank before applying. BDH loans for Lebanese abroad covers the income side.

If you had a BDH loan before#

BDH allows only one loan per borrower. Once an earlier BDH housing loan is settled, you can apply again 2 years after the previous loan is settled^[1,2]. We found no source on whether a BDH loan affects a later PCH loan, so ask BDH if that matters to you.

If you do not qualify#

If you want to improve the home you already own, BDH has separate renovation loans. The USD renovation loan is up to USD 50,000 over 7 to 10 years^[6], but family net income must be at most USD 2,000 a month and you must own at least 1,800 of the home's 2,400 shares. See BDH loans to renovate or build.

For a second home or an investment, other bank finance is scarce. As of autumn 2026, the press reports that Lebanese commercial banks are still not writing home mortgages^[4,7]. More in do commercial banks give mortgages and paying without a mortgage from abroad.