The hidden costs of buying a home in Lebanon

On top of the price, a Lebanese buyer pays about 4% in government fees, most of it the 3% registration fee. A foreign buyer pays about 6%. Add the usual 2.5% agent's commission and your lawyer's fee, and a $200,000 apartment costs a Lebanese buyer about $13,000 more, plus the lawyer. Older guides often say "about 6%" for everyone: that was before the 2022 budget law set the rate at 3% for Lebanese buyers and 5% for foreigners.

The government fees, line by line

For a $200,000 apartment, when the price is at or above the Ministry of Finance's figure:

The fees grow with the price: about $6,000 on a $150,000 flat and $12,000 on a $300,000 one for a Lebanese buyer. There's no discount for a first home or a small flat. A foreign buyer is anyone without Lebanese nationality, and foreign ownership has its own limits, covered in how buying a home in Lebanon works.

What the fees are charged on

The registry charges the fees on the price in the contract or on the Ministry of Finance's value for the property, whichever is higher. For a built property, that value is the yearly rental value set by the Ministry's regional office, times 30. For land, the Ministry makes its own estimate.

The fees are paid in Lebanese pounds at the Banque du Liban rate (89,500 pounds to the dollar in the 2026 budget's figures). In the years after the 2019 crisis, many sales were converted at official rates far below the market, which made the fees tiny. For a sale signed now that's over: the fees follow real dollar prices.

Who pays what

Article 375 of the Code of Obligations and Contracts puts the costs of the sale deed on the buyer, and the contract can share them out differently. In practice the buyer pays the registration fee, stamp duty, the Bar fee and the notary.

The seller pays:

• Capital gains tax on the profit, when the seller is an individual rather than a company: normally 15%, cut to 1% until 31 December 2026. The taxable profit is reduced by 8% for each full year the seller owned the property, and there's no tax after 12 years. Gains on the seller's main home are exempt, for up to two homes.
• Built-property tax arrears. The Ministry of Finance won't issue the rental value statement the registry needs until the property's tax is paid, so the sale can't be registered with arrears outstanding.

The 1% rate ends on 31 December 2026 unless a new law extends it, so a seller may push to register before January 2027. That can help you negotiate, or it can mean a rushed timetable.

Tip: Put the split of every fee in the promise to sell, in dollars or as a percentage. Don't leave it to "the usual".

The agent and the lawyer

Agent's commission. No law in force sets it. The usual figure is about 2.5% of the price from the buyer and 2.5% from the seller, which is also what a draft law on brokers would fix. On $200,000, that's $5,000 from you. Agree the rate, and when it's due, in writing before you visit anything. Since January 2026 the agent's name and tax number go into the notarised contract.

Lawyer. There's no official scale of fees in Lebanon. The Beirut Bar publishes a guidance table, but fees are negotiated. Ask for a fixed fee for the whole purchase, in writing, before the lawyer starts.

Buying from abroad. A power of attorney signed at a Lebanese embassy or consulate costs a flat fee: $50 or $100 in Washington, €44 or €88 in the Netherlands, A$72.50 or A$145 in Sydney, depending on whether it's specific or general. Add your bank's charges for transferring the money to Lebanon.

Costs that catch buyers out

These don't appear in any fee table, so ask about each one before you sign:

• Electricity arrears. EDL won't transfer the meter or refund a deposit until the arrears are paid, and it charges a new deposit on transfer.
• Building fees. If the seller owes the building committee (لجنة البناية), the committee can take them to the execution office. Ask the committee for a statement and have the seller settle it before the sale.
• The generator subscription. Ask who runs it, how the subscription is transferred and whether a deposit is due.
• A second title extract. Get a fresh extract (إفادة عقارية) just before signing. It costs little and can save the whole price.

What owning costs each year

• Built-property tax: 4% to 14% of the property's net yearly rental value, rising with the value. Homes you live in get an exemption on the first 360 million pounds (about $4,000) of rental value, for up to two homes. A 10% municipal surcharge is added to the tax.
• Municipal fees: 5% of the rental value for a home, plus 1.5% for sewers and pavements, paid by whoever lives there.
• The generator: a monthly subscription. Ask the seller for the last few bills so you can budget for it.
• Building fees: set by each building's committee.

Use the mortgage calculator to fold these into a monthly budget, then search homes for sale with your real ceiling in mind.