Is the deadline to settle building violations under Law 139/2019 still open?

Also asked as: “Is the deadline to settle building violations under Law 139 of 2019 still open in Lebanon?” · “Has the Law 139 building violation settlement been extended?” · “Can I still settle a building violation under Law 139/2019?” · “Law 139 building violations deadline”

What Law 139/2019 covers#

The law deals with buildings and parts of buildings that owners put up on their own private property in breach of the building laws, between 13 September 1971 and 31 December 2018 inclusive^[1,2]. It does not cover public property.

Violations committed after 1 January 2019 are outside the scheme: Art. 14(5) says they are demolished by operation of law^[2]. The general Building Law, Law 646/2004, separately says that conforming work done without a permit can be permitted against a fine of twice the fees on the part already built, while non-conforming work is demolished^[5]. How these two rules fit together for work done after 2018 is a question for a lawyer. The general route is covered in whether a building without a permit can be legalised.

Why nobody can give you a date#

The original text uses two different periods. Arts. 3 and 5(1) give owners two years from the law to choose removal or settlement and to file, while Art. 5(2) quadruples the fees after one year^[1,2]. Under the 2019 text, a building that conforms to the rules but had no permit is settled for twice the permit fees, or four times for owners who file late.

The Lebanese University legal database marks Arts. 3, 5, 7 and 9 as amended by the 2022 Budget Law, which took effect on 15 November 2022^[2,3]. We could not find or read the amending articles, so we cannot say whether they reopened, extended or closed the window. We found no later law that extends it. The money side of a settlement, including the discounts and instalments in the 2019 text, is in what a Law 139 settlement costs.

Two other measures are easy to confuse with Law 139. According to ALDIC's summary of the 2022 Budget Law, Art. 107 cut penalties owed to the State, municipalities and public bodies by 85% if they were fully paid before 30 March 2023, and construction violations were excluded; that date has passed^[4]. Art. 47 of the 2026 Budget Law (Law 40/2026) exempted owners who had not reported changes to their buildings to the Land Registry from the double construction fee, but only if they paid before 30 June 2026, and that window has also closed^[6,7].

What an unsettled violation means when you buy or sell#

A violation is entered on the property's real folio at the Land Registry and stays there until it is settled or removed, with the fees and fines as a privileged debt^[1]. The entry is lifted only on a written letter from the administration that asked for it. Under the 2019 text, unpaid sums carry legal interest of 12% a year; Art. 9 is marked as amended in 2022, so confirm the current rate with a lawyer. Kallas Law Firm says every charge on the folio passes to the buyer unless it is cleared first^[8].

A clean extract does not prove there is no violation. Under the Building Law, a violation is recorded only at the request of the municipality or the technical administration, not automatically^[5]. The municipality also gives no clearance (bara'at dhimma) until the fine and fees are paid and the violation is settled. See why a seller needs the municipal clearance.

If you are buying a flat, a violation can also stand in the way of its own title. A building can be divided into separately registered units only if the construction complies with the building laws^[9]. Under the 2019 instalment rules, the balance of a settlement must be paid before the property is subdivided^[1]. Where the building sits inside a road setback, settling does not remove the administration's right to demolish.