Romanian apartments are listed by number of rooms, not bedrooms. A garsonieră is a studio, a "two-room" flat is a living room plus one bedroom, and so on. That small translation problem is the first thing to settle when renting in Romania, because it shapes how you read prices and how an advertisement should be understood. The rest is a mix of straightforward rules and a few traps around registration, notice and eviction. Here is what the official sources say, and where to be careful.
What are rents like when renting in Romania?
The EURES portal published average monthly rents for March 2026, in euros. They are averages, not offers, and they move quickly in big cities.
- Studio: about €350 in Iași, about €400 in Cluj, €410 to €450 in Bucharest.
- One-bedroom: €510 to €680 in Bucharest, about €600 in Cluj, about €450 in Iași and Timișoara.
- Two-bedroom: about €480 in Oradea, €500 to €550 in Iași and Timișoara, about €700 in Cluj, €600 to €1,250 in Bucharest.
The wide Bucharest range is the story: a flat in a central, renovated building and one in a distant district do not belong in the same category. Rents are often quoted in euros in advertisements, but the Romanian contract may state lei, and it is the contract that counts. To compare with salaries, see cost of living in Romania.
What should a written lease contain?
You sign a written contract de închiriere with the landlord and show your identity document. A good contract names both parties, the address, the rent and the currency, the payment date and method, the start date and term, the deposit and conditions for returning it, who pays which utilities, who handles repairs and the notice rules.
Two protections are worth knowing. First, under article 1826 of the Civil Code, a clause that makes you pay in advance for repairs priced by the landlord alone, or that obliges you to take an insurance the landlord imposes, is treated as not written. Second, the Civil Code does not set a deposit cap or a time limit for returning it, so write the amount and the deadline into the lease rather than rely on a verbal promise.
Reading a lease in a language you do not master is the weak point. Moovy can explain the clauses of your contract in plain English, point out what to ask the landlord to change and prepare a checklist for the visit. It is not a lawyer and does not sign for you; for a disputed contract, see a Romanian lawyer.
Who must register the lease?
The landlord. According to our fact sheet, he or she must register the contract, and any change, with the tax authority ANAF within 30 days and pay tax on the rent. As a tenant, ask for the proof of registration. It protects you in two ways: you can prove your address and your payments, and an unregistered contract exposes your landlord to problems that can reach you when the lease is disputed.
You will use the lease for your residence file too. The IGI expects an address when you register, as explained in residence in Romania for EU citizens.
How do you pay, and what about utilities when renting in Romania?
Pay by bank transfer where possible. If you pay in cash, insist on a receipt each month. EURES recommends exactly that. Utilities are normally on top of the rent: electricity, gas, water, heating and telephone. Unpaid bills can lead to disconnection, so find out whether the contracts are in the landlord's name or yours, and take readings on the day you move in. In an apartment block, ask about the monthly maintenance statement of the owners' association, because the building's costs are shared and the tenant often reimburses the landlord for them.
What are the notice and eviction rules?
The Civil Code (articles 1824 and 1825) distinguishes two cases.
- Fixed-term lease: you can leave at any time with at least 60 days' notice, and a contrary clause is void. The landlord can end it early only if the lease allows it, to house himself or herself or family, with 60 days' notice for a monthly rent.
- Lease without an end date: your notice is at least a quarter of the rent period. The landlord's is at least 60 days.
A fixed-term lease ends by itself at its term. If it is notarised or registered with ANAF, the landlord has an enforceable title (article 1809) and can obtain your departure without a trial. In other cases, eviction goes through a judge (article 1831). In practice, a registered or notarised lease works both ways: it protects your rights and speeds up your landlord's if there is a conflict.
What are the typical traps?
- No lease, or an unregistered one. You will struggle to prove your address and payments.
- Cash without receipts. Keep proof of every payment.
- Forgetting the bills. The rent is rarely all-inclusive.
- Verbal deposit terms. Write the amount and the return date.
- Reading rooms as bedrooms. Check the floor plan before the visit.
- Judging a city by an average. Bucharest spans a wide range. Ask for the exact street and the transport.
What changes depending on your nationality?
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens rent exactly like Romanians. British citizens and other non-Europeans also rent freely, but their right to stay and their documents are different, as described in moving to Romania from the UK.
What should you check when viewing a flat for renting in Romania?
A viewing is your chance to test the contract against reality. Ask who the owner is and ask to see the ownership document, because the person showing the flat may be an agent or a relative. Check whether the lease will be registered with ANAF and by whom. Ask what is included, which utilities are in whose name, how the heating works and whether there is a monthly maintenance statement from the owners' association. Read the meters with the landlord and write down the numbers in the handover record, with photographs of any damage. Ask how repairs are handled, and put the answer in writing.
Look at the practicalities too: whether the address will be accepted for your registration at the IGI, whether the building has an elevator if you have mobility needs, and whether the quoted rent is in lei or in euros. If it is quoted in euros, the lease should say at which exchange rate and on which date it is converted.
How do tenants register their stay, and what proof helps?
The lease is your main proof of address. When you register at the IGI, keep a copy, along with proof of rent payments. If you pay by transfer, your bank statement is evidence. If you pay in cash, insist on a signed receipt every month, as EURES recommends. Landlords who register the lease at ANAF produce a document you can request. This protects you in a dispute about the date you moved in, about the amount of rent, or about the return of the deposit.
If you are a student, a retiree or a freelancer, the lease also supports the resources you show to the IGI, as described in residence in Romania for EU citizens. For longer plans, the cost of staying is compared with the cost of buying in buying property in Romania.
Where to start?
Pick the city first, using the best places to live in Romania, then visit in person before signing. Bring your passport or identity card, read the contract with someone who knows Romanian, and keep every document. Rules change, so confirm important points with a lawyer before you commit to a long lease.