Landlord association calls for enforcement of commercial lease law

BEIRUT - The Landlord Association, gathered on Saturday to discuss the implementation of the commercial rent law, denounced the "campaign of intimidation" against it, calling on former owners to "begin applying the law" and on deputies to "not challenge the legislation," reports the state-run National News Agency (NNA).

The law, which releases commercial rents, some of which do not exceed a dollar per month, was published Thursday in the Official Journal (OJ), after being blocked by former Prime Minister Nagib Mikati in December 2023.

"Since the publication in the OJ of the new law on commercial leases in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, we, the owners, are faced with a fierce campaign of intimidation by trade committees, beneficiaries, and influential individuals, while they have enjoyed these properties for more than forty years, paying rents of one or two dollars a month, almost for free," denounces the owners' statement, accusing "former tenants of using economic conditions as a pretext to try to prolong the confiscation of private property."

"The new law on commercial rents has been published and entered into force after a delay of forty years. All parliamentary groups unanimously voted for it. Therefore, we call on deputies from all groups not to sign a request for recourse, but rather to appeal to their conscience, based on the Constitution and justice, because any signature will have social repercussions on the owners and their families," adds the association.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam had considered at the end of March that the publication of the commercial lease law, along with two other laws on the revaluation of retired private school teachers' salaries, was an administrative procedure. He requested its publication in the OJ following the State Council's decision in mid-March to invalidate the Mikati government's decision not to sign their promulgation on December 23, 2023.

The owners denounced the merchants' intention to roll back and challenge the legislation. "Every deputy who appeals signs the death warrant of former owners, as it displaces their families again by depriving them of their right to rent increases," states the communiqué, lamenting that "tenants and merchants have enriched themselves at the expense of the owners."

"We will not accept the confiscation of our properties by millionaire traders, import and export companies, and large institutions and companies," the text asserts, assuring that "the properties will be restored in accordance with the new law, to which we adhere until our last breath." "We hope that deputies will not be dragged into steps against the former owners and will not exploit their positions to contribute to our injustice."

The publication of this law in the OJ has prompted reactions from former tenants, some of whom have held protest sit-ins, notably in Saida and in the North.