Documents to check before you buy

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Who owns it, and what weighs on it

A recent property statement (إفادة عقارية)From the Land Registry: the owners and their shares, and any mortgage, seizure or easement on the lot. Ask for one dated this week — an old one says nothing about last month.
Where: The Land Registry of the districtUsually the same day to a few days
The title deed (سند التمليك)It should match the statement: the same lot number, the same owners.
Where: Held by the owner; issued by the Land Registry
Is the apartment its own lot, or shares?An apartment in a building that has been divided (إفراز) has its own section number. In a building that has not, you buy shares (أسهم) in the whole plot — possible, but it changes what you own. Ask which it is.
Where: Shown on the property statement
The seller's ID, or their power of attorneyIf someone signs for the owner, read the power of attorney (وكالة): is it notarised, current, and does it cover selling this property?
Where: A notary, or a Lebanese embassy abroad
If the owner has died: the inheritance papersAn inheritance decision (حصر إرث) naming every heir, and the transfer to them registered. One missing heir can stop a sale for years.
Where: The competent court, then the Land RegistryWeeks to months

The cadastral map and survey (خريطة مساحة)From the Cadastre: the lot's boundaries and area. Compare the area with what you are being sold.
Where: The Cadastre (المساحة)Usually a few days
The building permit (رخصة بناء)Floors and areas built beyond the permit are a risk: they may not be registrable, and may be fined.
Where: The municipality
The occupancy permit (رخصة إسكان)Issued when the building is finished as permitted. A building without one is harder to divide into lots and to register.
Where: The municipality
The zoning and alignment statement (إفادة تخطيط وارتفاق)From the municipality or Urban Planning: whether a road widening or a planned alignment cuts into the lot.
Where: The municipality or Urban PlanningUsually one to two weeks

Municipal clearance (براءة ذمة بلدية)No unpaid municipal fees on the property. The registry asks for it at the transfer.
Where: The municipalityUsually a few days
Tax clearance on the built propertyNo unpaid built-property tax (ضريبة الأملاك المبنية). Also asked for at the transfer.
Where: The Ministry of FinanceUsually a few days
The building committee's statementUnpaid service charges and planned works (a new generator, a lift, a roof) often pass to the next owner in practice. Ask the committee, not only the seller.
Where: The building committee
Utility accountsThe electricity meter, the water subscription and the generator subscription: paid up, and how each passes to you.
Where: Électricité du Liban, the water establishment, the generator provider

A written preliminary agreementIf you pay a deposit, the price, the date, what happens to the deposit if either side walks away, and what stays in the home.
Where: You and the seller, ideally drafted by your lawyer
The sale contract before a notary (كاتب العدل)Then registered at the Land Registry in your name. Until it is registered, the property is legally still the seller's.
Where: A notary, then the Land Registry
Registration fees and taxesCharged on the declared value at the transfer. The rates change with the budget; your lawyer gives today's figures.
Where: Paid at the Land Registry
A record of every paymentPay by bank transfer or cheque, never cash you cannot prove.
Where: Your bank