Lebanese real estate and property law developments

Lebanese authorities are addressing various legislative and security concerns regarding real estate and property rights.

Andrea Zuhairi, President of the Lebanese Real Estate Authority, has formally rejected proposals to amend existing rent laws. Zuhairi argued that such changes would undermine legislative stability and unfairly burden property owners. She noted that the implementation of laws for non-residential spaces is nearly complete and suggested that housing crises should be addressed through mortgage improvements and state support for heritage building owners rather than lease extensions.

Concurrently, Finance Minister Yassin Jaber has moved to prohibit real estate transactions in occupied border areas, specifically in coastal regions stretching from Mansouri and Bayda to Naqoura. This legislative action follows reports of individuals in the United States attempting to purchase large properties in these zones at prices exceeding market value. The government aims to prevent permanent annexation and demographic shifts by instructing land registry offices to halt sales and referring a draft law to Parliament to nullify such transactions.