Can I sell a mortgaged property in Lebanon, and how is the mortgage released?

Also asked as: “Can I sell a house with a mortgage in Lebanon?” · “How do I remove a mortgage from a Lebanese title deed?” · “Tax department approval to release a mortgage in Lebanon” · “Selling a property with a bank loan in Lebanon”

Where the mortgage shows, and why buyers care#

A Land Registry extract (ifadeh aqariyeh) lists the owners and their shares. It also shows mortgages, pledges, provisional and executive seizures, other charges and pending court actions^[6,7]. The buyer's lawyer or notary will read it. According to Kallas Law Firm, every charge on the folio carries over to the buyer unless it is cleared before the purchase^[1]. So expect a buyer to want the mortgage gone before or at the sale.

Copies you get online or through OMT are unofficial. A real estate transaction needs the official certificate from the Land Registry^[6,7,8,9]. That certificate is issued in person at the Land Registry office that covers the property^[10,11]. Kallas gave about 2 business days for a physical certificate in October 2025^[7]. More in how to get a Land Registry extract.

Releasing the mortgage: the tax-department approval#

Under Art. 40 of Law 10/2022, no one may obtain a full or partial release of a registered mortgage or lien securing an interest-bearing debt without prior approval of the tax departments^[2,3]. If the enforcement office enforces the mortgage instead, it withholds the tax from the sums it collects.

Some releases are excluded: passenger cars, agricultural machinery, and residential units owned by natural persons under loans where the interest is taxed in the creditor's own profits^[2,3]. We have not confirmed whether an ordinary bank home loan falls under that residential exclusion. Ask your bank in writing whether your loan needs the tax approval and who requests it.

We found no source that describes the practical steps with a bank: the bank's release letter, which tax office gives the approval, or how long each step takes. We also found nothing on how loans from before 2019, taken or repaid in lollars, are settled for a release. Your lending bank and the Land Registry office are the ones who can tell you.

What releasing a mortgage costs#

Kallas Law Firm (May 2026) says releasing a mortgage costs 1% of the debt released^[3], under item 20 of Table 2 of Legislative Decree 20/1939. Registering a mortgage costs 1% of the secured debt under item 15. We have not checked these figures against the decree text, so ask the notary to confirm the amount before you pay. Kallas also mentions a 0% rate for Housing Corporation loans on one dwelling of a Lebanese citizen.

Guarantees registered for BDH carry no mortgage filing or release fee^[4,5]. The purchase registration fee, notary and stamp charges still apply. No source says whether the seller or the buyer pays the release fee, so put it in the sale contract. The seller's other costs are in the total cost of selling.

A bank mortgage is different from a Treasury lien for unpaid taxes. If a Treasury lien was registered before the sale contract, the rental-value statement is not issued, except with the Director of Revenue's approval^[12]. Without that statement the sale cannot be registered. See a Treasury lien on your property and the taxes a seller must clear.