As a result of the conflict in Syria, Lebanon is facing a situation in which one-quarter of its population is comprised of refugees. Lebanon has not ratified the 1951 refugee convention, and 35-70% of Syrian refugees, in addition to 86% of Palestinian refugees from Syria do not have the ability to stay legally in Lebanon. This situation, combined with other factors, resulted in special vulnerability among refugee women and girls, who are now facing challenges such as: Changing roles; lack of options for refugee Women facing violence; exploitation and sexual harassment; and other consequences of the lack of legal stay.This briefing is based on data collected through Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) fieldwork and then analysed in relation to the current context for refugees in Lebanon. The aim is to highlight some of the consequences of limited legal status, with a specific focus on the coping mechanisms of refugees to try to maintain their housing each month and what impact such, often negative, coping mechanisms have on women in particular.