How can I find out if a property has building violations or unpaid fines before I buy it?

Also asked as: “How can I find out if a property in Lebanon has building violations or unpaid fines before buying?” · “Does the Land Registry extract show building violations?” · “How do I check a flat for unpaid violation fines in Lebanon?” · “Will I inherit the seller's building violation fines?”

Why the Land Registry extract comes first#

The Land Registry is kept by property, not by owner. Each property has its own real folio (الصحيفة العينية) under its survey number, and that folio holds all its rights and charges^[8]. An extract is a copy of the folio. It shows the owner, charges, mortgages and restrictions^[8,9], including seizures and pending court actions^[4,7].

Violations reach the folio in two ways. Under the Building Law, the municipality or technical administration can have a violation recorded, and the entry is struck off only once the violation is regularised or removed^[1]. Under Law 139/2019, a violation stays on the folio with its fees and fines as a privileged debt until it is finally settled or removed, and the entry is lifted only on a written letter from the administration that asked for it^[2]. Kallas Law Firm says every charge on the folio passes to the buyer unless it is cleared before the purchase^[9].

We found no source showing the exact wording a violation entry uses on a certificate. Before you pay anything, have a lawyer read and translate every entry under charges and restrictions for you.

What a clean extract does not tell you#

The authority has to ask for a violation to be recorded, so a violation can exist without being on the folio^[1]. A 2023 academic paper on the Building Law says contractors and residents exploit gaps in the law to build beyond the licence^[10]. An extra floor, a closed balcony or a larger footprint may not appear anywhere on the extract.

The date of the work decides which rules apply. Law 139/2019 covers violations built from 13 September 1971 to 31 December 2018^[2,11]. No source confirms whether its settlement window is still open: the original text gave owners two years to file, with fees quadrupled after the first year, and the Lebanese University legal database marks those articles as amended by Law 10/2022, whose new wording we have not read. Ask a lawyer or the municipality.

Work done after 1 January 2019 is outside Law 139's settlement scheme, which says such violations are to be demolished by operation of law^[11]. The Building Law also covers unpermitted work. If the work conforms to the planning and building rules, it can be licensed against a fine of twice all the fees due^[1] on the part already built. If it does not conform, the owner must demolish it, or the administration does so at the owner's cost.

The municipality and its clearance#

Fines and fees for unpermitted work are a privileged debt on the property. The municipality gives no clearance (براءة ذمة) until they are paid and the violation is settled^[1]. Other debts can sit on the folio too. If the facades are still unfinished a year after the permit expires, a yearly fine of 15% of the permit fees per year is imposed and registered on the folio as a privileged debt. Sums under Law 139/2019 that stay unpaid after the technical statement fixes them become a privileged debt with interest of 12% a year^[2].

No source we found explains how a buyer, rather than the owner, gets a letter from the municipality, what it costs or how long it takes. Ask the seller to obtain the clearance in their own name, and ask the municipality directly as well. More on this in the municipal clearance and why a seller needs it.

An engineer's check against the permit#

Every permit file is signed by a responsible engineer and registered with the Order of Engineers in Beirut or Tripoli^[1]. The owner applies for the occupancy permit with as-built plans registered with the Order. The permit is granted only after fees and fines for any extra area built without a permit are paid. An engineer can compare the building as it stands with those plans and spot work added later. Fees for this inspection are not published, so ask for a written quote.

For a flat, check the papers as closely as the walls. A building's parts can be registered as separate units only if the construction complies with the building laws^[12]. The registry cannot finally subdivide a building into units unless the owner shows an occupancy permit plus electricity and water connection certificates^[1]. Decree 15874/2005 also bars selling parts of a building that has no final occupancy permit, except units under Law 539/1996^[13]. Ask the seller for the final occupancy permit and for the flat's own Land Registry extract before you pay. See how to check a building permit and occupancy permit.