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RENTING IN ROMANIA

Tom Moldovan
Aug 24
4 min read

City of Sibiu in Transylvania


Foreigners can rent property in Romania with no special permission, whatever their nationality. Rents are among the lowest in the EU, and a furnished two-room flat in a major city sits between roughly 400 and 600 EUR a month. The difficulty is not legal, it is practical: the market runs in Romanian, the good stock rarely reaches an English-language platform, and the price often depends on who is asking. This guide covers the legal framework, what things actually cost, the contract and its registration, and how long you can legally stay.


LEGAL FRAMEWORK

Renting in Romania is governed by the Civil Code, under the "contract of locațiune", articles 1777 to 1835. There is no nationality restriction on renting. An EU citizen, a non-EU citizen and a Romanian sign the same contract on the same terms.


A written contract is not strictly required for the contract to exist, but you want one, and you want it registered. A lease registered with ANAF, or one authenticated by a notary, is an enforceable title in its own right, which matters to both sides if things go wrong. An unregistered verbal arrangement leaves you proving what was agreed.


The core protections sit in the Code rather than in the contract. The landlord must hand over the property in usable condition, keep it that way, and leave you in quiet enjoyment of it. He cannot enter without your agreement, cut off utilities, or change the locks to force you out. At the end, you return the property in the condition you received it, allowing for ordinary wear.


Sources: Civil Code, articles 1777 to 1835 — https://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/175630


NOBS note: We read the contract before you sign it and tell you which clauses shift risk onto you. Most Romanian leases are short and improvised, and the problems are usually in what they leave out.

FINDING A PLACE

Romania has functioning listing platforms. Storia and OLX Imobiliare carry most of the visible market, and Storia's own data shows apartments with two rooms accounting for nearly half of all listing views nationally.

The problem is that a large part of the medium-term market never reaches them. Owners with one flat often post in local Facebook groups, or tell a neighbour, or leave a phone number in a window. Those places rarely have an English description, and the owner will not answer an English message. What remains visible to a foreigner is the segment already priced for foreigners.

The other issue is the short-let premium. Data from AirDNA shows around 9,000 short-term rentals in Bucharest earning an average of about 687 EUR a month, against an average asking rent of 593 EUR for a two-room flat on a normal lease. Booked by the night for three months, the same flat costs considerably more than either figure.

Sources: Storia — https://www.storia.ro/ OLX Imobiliare — https://www.olx.ro/imobiliare/

NOBS note: We search in Romanian, including local groups that never appear in a search engines, we ring the owners, and we tell you what a local would pay. You deal with the owner yourself.



WHAT IT COSTS Asking rents for a two-room flat in June 2026, from Storia listing data: Bucharest around 593 EUR a month, the highest of the nine cities analysed. Oradea and Sibiu are the most affordable at around 400 EUR. Brașov and Timișoara sit between the two. Cluj-Napoca stood at around 575 EUR in April.

Within Bucharest the spread is wide. In April 2026 the city average was about 609 EUR, but Sector 1 averaged around 806 EUR and Sector 6 the least of any sector. City averages are close to useless for budgeting, since the sector or neighbourhood moves the number more than the city does.

On top of the rent you should expect: a deposit, normally one month's rent, two for a fully furnished flat or a premium area. Romanian law does not cap it, and anything above three months is treated as abusive in practice rather than illegal. It covers unpaid rent, unpaid utilities and damage beyond ordinary wear. Photograph everything at handover and insist on a written inventory.

Utilities and the association fee, which are usually not included and which vary enormously by season and by building. A flat on district heating in a communist-era block costs a fraction of an electrically heated one in a new development, and a February bill bears no relation to a September bill. Ask for the actual figures from last winter, not an estimate.

Agency commission, where an agent is involved, typically around one month's rent, though this is negotiable and not always charged to the tenant.

Sources: Storia market analyses — https://www.storia.ro/blog/newsroom/ Civil Code, articles 1821 and following — https://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/175630

NOBS note: We ask the owner what the utilities actually cost in February, what the association fee covers, and who pays for what. These are the questions that decide whether a cheap rent is cheap.


THE CONTRACT AND ANAF (FISCAL AUTORITIES) REGISTRATION

Since 2023, a landlord who is a private individual must register the lease with ANAF within 30 days of signing, using form C168, submitted through the Spațiul Privat Virtual. The same 30-day deadline applies to any amendment and to early termination. The obligation sits with the landlord, not with you.


It still matters to you. An unregistered contract loses its status as an enforceable title, which weakens both parties if there is a dispute, and it signals a landlord who is not declaring the income. That is his problem until it becomes yours, usually when you need a registered lease as proof of address for a residence permit, a bank account, or a company registration.


On the tax side, the landlord pays 10 percent on net rental income, with a flat 20 percent deduction for expenses, which works out at 8 percent of the gross. Health contributions may also apply above certain income thresholds. None of this is your liability as a tenant, but it explains why some owners prefer cash and no paperwork, and why that offer is worth declining.



NOBS note: If you need the lease for a residence permit or a company registration, the registration is not optional in practice. We check it has been done. [Write us].



DISCLAIMER: The information in this section reflects Romanian property law and tax regulations as of late 2026. Legislation changes frequently, and we recommend verifying all details with a Romanian notary or legal advisor before making any purchase decision. NOBS does not provide legal or tax advice.

 
 
 

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