Beirut Governor Issues General Warning to Remove Encroachments on Municipal Properties and Setbacks

The Public Relations Department of the Beirut Municipality announced in a statement that the Governor of Beirut, Judge Marwan Abboud, issued General Warning No. 11866/2026 dated 2-11-2026 regarding the obligation to remove encroachments on public municipal properties, legally imposed setbacks, and occupations extending beyond the legal boundaries of establishments.

The content of the decision is as follows:

In order to protect public property, preserve freedom of use, ensure citizen safety and the free movement of pedestrians and vehicles, and maintain public order and the civilized appearance of the city of Beirut; and since preserving public property is a constitutional duty imposed on public administrations, Article 23 of Decision No. 144/S dated 10/6/1925 (Determination of Public Property) required the organization of violation reports for breaches of regulations related to the state's public property system, its preservation, and its use, stipulating that administrative and judicial penalties be decided while reserving the administration's right to claim compensation for damages and to demolish works erected illegally on public property or easement zones, ex officio, without the need for any procedure.

Furthermore, Construction Law No. 646 dated 11/12/2004 and its implementing Decree No. 15874 dated 5/12/2005 prohibit the establishment of any constructions within the setbacks imposed from roads and public and private properties.

Additionally, Legislative Decree No. 21/L dated 22/7/1932 concerning dangerous, unhealthy, and nuisance premises imposed compliance with working within the licensed spatial scope without exceeding it. Article 19 states: "Any change in the condition of places, the type of equipment, or the work, and any expansion in investment leading to a noteworthy alteration in the conditions required by the decision or in the text of the declaration — all this requires a new license or declaration according to the category of the premise." Consequently, expanding an establishment's activity to areas not covered by the license, when it constitutes a change in the condition of places or an expansion in investment as mentioned, requires a new license or declaration; the original license alone is insufficient to cover it.

Applying the aforementioned legal provisions and constitutional principles; a general warning is directed to all perpetrators of encroachments on public municipal properties or legally imposed setbacks, or those violating the granted investment scope, whether individuals, commercial and tourist establishments, or car parking companies, requiring them to immediately cease the violations mentioned below, remove all illegal occupations and obstacles, and fully comply with the content of this warning, under threat of taking the administrative and legal measures specified therein, as follows:

First: Prohibition of occupying public properties and legally imposed setbacks.

All commercial and tourist establishments, persons practicing any commercial or service activity, and natural persons are prohibited from occupying public properties, roads, legally imposed setbacks, or sidewalks, or placing any equipment, materials, or obstacles therein, which inevitably affect public safety, public order, or the city's civilized appearance. This includes, but is not limited to, the following prohibitions:

- Tables, chairs, seats, tents, fixed and movable umbrellas, curtains, flower pots, metal, concrete, or plastic barriers and obstacles, and other equipment that leads to occupying, reserving, or limiting the freedom of use of the aforementioned spaces.

- Goods, shelves, commercial displays, carts, stalls, coffee and beverage preparation machines, and other tools and equipment placed outside the legal boundaries of the establishment.

- Any equipment, obstacles, or materials used to allocate parking spots or prevent others from using any area of public properties, roads, legally imposed setbacks, or sidewalks.

- Any extension of commercial or tourist activity beyond the legal boundaries of the establishment or beneath balconies, awnings, and roofs above them where present.

- Placing private obstacles to reserve parking spaces in public roads or parking cars on sidewalks designated for pedestrians.

Accordingly, all concerned parties must immediately remove illegal occupations and obstacles. Establishments and companies must confine their activities and equipment within the licensed legal boundaries of the establishments and not exceed them into public properties or legally imposed setbacks, except for occupations based on a valid licensing decision issued by the competent authority according to procedures and within the area, conditions, and duration specified therein.

Second: Car Parking Companies (Valet Parking)

All companies providing valet parking services within the city of Beirut are obligated to strictly comply with current legal and regulatory procedures. They are prohibited from reserving public properties, sidewalks, roads, or legally imposed setbacks, or allocating any part thereof for parking customers' and visitors' cars by placing metal, concrete, plastic, or other barriers or obstacles, or by any other means that prevents citizens from using these spaces.

These companies must strictly adhere to the conditions of their granted licenses and refrain from any encroachment on public properties, sidewalks, roads, or legally imposed setbacks, or reserving them or placing obstacles in them or allocating them for parking contrary to procedures. They must comply with parking cars only in the real estate units specified in the relevant licensing decision, and adhere to the official tariff value specified in Joint Decision No. 1508 dated 15/10/2026, which does not exceed five hundred thousand Lebanese pounds (500,000 LBP). In case any such violation is detected, a violation report will be drawn up against the offending company, and a concurrent decision will be taken to temporarily suspend its operations or cancel its license depending on the nature of the violation and applying the provisions of Article Ten of Decision No. 1536 dated 21/9/2011 (Regulation of Valet Parking Operations).

As for unlicensed car parking companies, they must immediately cease operating within the scope of the Beirut Governorate and refrain from resuming before obtaining the necessary legal license from the competent authority, according to current procedures and conditions. All commercial and tourist establishments are warned against contracting with any company lacking the necessary legal license, or assigning it to provide valet parking services for their customers and visitors. The establishment that contracts with an unlicensed company, or assigns it to provide this service in a manner that leads to encroachment on public properties, sidewalks, roads, or legally imposed setbacks, shall bear the responsibility for the violations attributed to it, and appropriate legal and administrative measures will be taken against it according to the nature of the violation and current texts.

Third: Measures against Violating Individuals, Establishments, and Commercial/Tourist Premises

Starting from 16/11/2026, the specialized sectors in the Beirut Police Unit, in coordination with the specialized departments and divisions in the Beirut Municipality and the Guard Battalion, will begin conducting field patrols and inspections within the city of Beirut to verify compliance with the content of this warning and document existing violations.

If any establishment, commercial or tourist premise, or natural person practicing sales or "hand-me" service activities continues to occupy public properties, sidewalks, roads, or legally imposed setbacks, or extends commercial or tourist activity beyond the legal boundaries of the establishment or beneath balconies, awnings, and roofs above them contrary to procedures, a violation report will be drawn up against them, and a concurrent administrative decision by the Governor of Beirut will close the violating establishment temporarily according to the provisions of Legislative Decree No. 21/L dated 22/7/1932, which allow for the temporary suspension of the license effect (if it exists), closing the establishment, and sealing it with red wax upon committing violations that justify such closure until the violation is permanently removed.

Fourth: Renewal of Licenses and Previous Decisions Regarding Occupation of Public Properties

Licensing decisions issued by competent authorities according to procedures, which permit the occupation of specific parts of public properties, are respected throughout their validity period. This license does not include any additional unlicensed occupation, or any breach of license limits or non-compliance with its conditions. Furthermore, no occupation continuing after the expiration of the license period is recognized unless a proper renewal decision is issued by the competent authority.

No previous license is renewed automatically; rather, any renewal request is subject to current legal and administrative procedures and conditions, particularly the licensee's lack of any violation justifying non-renewal, and what the competent authorities decide in light of public safety requirements, protection of public property, and freedom of use. The decision to refuse license renewal must be reasoned.

Fifth: This warning is considered a final general notification to all concerned parties regarding the obligation to remove existing violations and cease committing them. The concerned entities in the Beirut Police Unit, the Guard Battalion, and the specialized departments in the Beirut Municipality are tasked, each within their jurisdiction, with taking the necessary measures to implement the content of this warning, including conducting field inspections, drawing up violation reports, documenting violations, executing administrative decisions issued by the competent authority, and monitoring cases of repeated violations.