Can a building built without a permit be legalised in Lebanon?

Also asked as: “How do I settle a building violation in Lebanon?” · “Law 139 building violations settlement” · “Can an illegal floor be regularised in Lebanon?” · “Can I legalise a house built without a licence in Lebanon?”

Which rule applies depends on when it was built#

Law 139/2019 is a settlement law for buildings and parts of buildings put up on private property in breach of the building rules between 13 September 1971 and 31 December 2018^[1,2]. It does not cover public property. For violations after 1 January 2019, the same law says they are not covered and are demolished by operation of law^[2].

The Building Law (Law 646/2004) separately deals with any work started without a permit. The work is stopped and a violation report is drawn up. If the work conforms to the planning and building rules, the permit is granted with a fine of twice all the fees due^[3] on the part already built, and a building whose roof is poured counts as complete. Our sources do not explain how this rule fits with Law 139's demolition clause for work after 2019. A property lawyer is the right person to ask, and you should bring the dates of the work.

Buildings completed before 13 September 1971 come up in a different context. Article 7 of the Building Law bars dividing a building into separate units without an occupancy permit^[3]. For such older buildings, it accepts in place of that permit an official statement of the completion date from the records of the municipality head, governor or caimacam, or of the finance department. That statement concerns dividing the building into units. It does not settle a violation.

What "conforming" means and what it costs#

Conforming means the building respects the planning and building rules for its plot. Only an engineer who compares the building with those rules can tell you whether yours does. Start with how to find the zoning for a plot.

Art. 5 of Law 139, in its 2019 wording, settles a conforming building put up without a permit for twice the permit fees (four times if late)^[1,2]. The base is the fee a legal permit would have cost, and that depends on the certified land value and municipal rates. The Lebanese University legal database marks Art. 5 as amended by Law 10/2022, in force from 15 November 2022^[2,4]. We could not read the amending text, so the multiple may have changed. Ask the municipality or the DGU technical office to confirm the current figure in writing.

When you apply for a permit, the authority must give you a certified copy of the approved land-value estimate within one month^[3]. We found no published fee table and no worked example. Ask the municipality and your engineer for a written estimate before you file.

Buildings inside a road setback, an approved but unbuilt road plan or a public-property setback are treated more harshly. The fine is four times the total permit fees plus an amount tied to the land's notional value, and the administration keeps the right to demolish^[1].

Law 139 also allows payment in three instalments of 40%, 30% and 30%^[1], the last at the end of the second year. You have to ask within six months of notification and must not have used the early-payment discounts. If you miss an instalment, the rest falls due with 12% interest, and the balance must be paid before the property is subdivided. The 2019 text gives 40% off fines filed and paid within three months of notification. Art. 9 is also marked as amended, so that figure may have changed^[2,4]. More in what Law 139 settlement costs and how instalments work.

Two general relief measures do not help. According to ALDIC's summary, the 2022 Budget Law's 85% cut in penalties excluded construction violations, and its 30 March 2023 deadline has passed^[5]. The 2026 Budget Law spared owners who had not reported building changes to the Land Registry the double construction fee only if they paid before 30 June 2026. We found no extension as of October 2026^[6,7].

Why an unsettled violation follows the property#

A violation is recorded on the property's real folio at the Land Registry when the municipality or the technical administration asks for it, and it is struck off only once it is regularised or removed^[3]. Under Law 139, violations, fees and fines stay on the folio as a privileged debt until a written letter from the administration that requested the entry lifts it^[1]. In the 2019 text, unpaid Law 139 sums carry legal interest of 12% a year. Art. 9, which sets that rate, is marked as amended by Law 10/2022, so check the current rate with the municipality^[2,4].

The municipality issues no clearance (bara'at dhimma) until the fine and fees are paid and the violation is settled^[3]. See what the municipal clearance is. The occupancy permit also waits until all fees and fines for area built without a permit are paid and any non-compliant part is brought into line. Without an occupancy permit the Land Registry will not divide a building into separate units, and units can be registered separately only if the construction complies with the building laws^[8]. This is how a violation can stop a buyer from getting their own title deed for an apartment.

If you are buying, keep in mind that the entry is made at an authority's request and not automatically, so a clean extract does not prove there is no violation^[3]. Here is how to find violations before you buy.