Is viager legal in Lebanon?
Lebanese contract and obligations law (the Lebanese Code of Obligations and Contracts, 1932), directly inspired by French law, includes a framework for aleatory contracts and life annuities. Liban Viager has every arrangement certified by a lawyer registered with the Lebanese Bar Association before a case is brought to market.
What is the difference between free viager and occupied viager?
In occupied viager, the seller keeps a right of use and habitation (DUH) for life; the buyer only takes possession on the seller's death, in exchange for a discount on the price. In free viager, the seller leaves the home at signing and the buyer can use it immediately, with no occupancy discount.
What happens if the buyer stops paying the annuity?
A non-payment guarantee, placed with our insurance partner, takes over after a waiting period, alongside the legal remedies (resolutory clause, seller's lien) pursued against the defaulting buyer.
How is my annuity calculated?
The market value is first reduced by the right of use and habitation (in occupied viager). The bouquet is then deducted from the market value (full price), and the resulting residual capital (occupied value minus bouquet) is converted into a monthly annuity based on remaining life expectancy and a discount rate. See our Homeowners page for a detailed simulator.
Is the contract signed before a notary?
Yes. Every viager sale is signed before a Lebanese notary and recorded with the Land Registry (Cadastre) — the transfer of ownership is enforceable against third parties only once this recording is made.
Can a foreign or diaspora buyer invest?
Yes, subject to the Lebanese rules governing real-estate acquisition by non-Lebanese nationals (Décret-loi n°11614, as amended). Our team verifies nationality and, where applicable, the thresholds that apply before any introduction is made.
What fees are charged to the seller?
The initial estimate and introduction are free. If a sale is signed, the seller bears a Liban Viager commission of 2.5% (on the bouquet + capitalized annuity) and their share of registration and notary fees (2.5%). These fees are charged once, taken from the bouquet, and never reduce your monthly annuity.
What fees are charged to the buyer?
The buyer bears a Liban Viager commission of 3.5% (on the bouquet + capitalized annuity), their share of registration and notary fees (2.5%), and the non-payment insurance premium (approximately 4.5% of the annual annuity), paid in addition to the monthly annuity. The Homeowners simulator shows the itemized figures for each of these items for a given property.
Can I pass the property on to my heirs before I die?
No: ownership transfers at the signing of the notarial deed (free viager), or remains subject to the seller's right of use until their death (occupied viager); the property is then no longer part of the seller's estate.