How do you rent a home in Romania in 2026?

Have your passport or EU ID, a local mobile number, and income or bank proof ready. A CNP and residence document smooth longer leases and utility setup, yet many owners will rent to newcomers who pay deposit and first month while IGI paperwork is pending: Apply for a residence permit and Open a bank account. Shortlist by city and barrio first. Floreasca, Dorobanți, Cotroceni, and Centrul Vechi edges sell different Bucharest products; Cluj Centru, Zorilor, and Gheorgheni sell compact tech-city stock: Where to live in Romania, Living in Bucharest, and Living in Cluj-Napoca.

Filter portals by newest listings, ask whether the ad is owner or agency, and treat suspiciously cheap Floreasca asks as unverified leads: Avoid rental scams. Prefer owners or agenții you can meet in person. Price bands differ sharply by corridor: How much is rent.

Insist on a written lease that names the parties, address, rent amount and currency (often EUR quoted, RON paid), due date, deposit handling, utilities, întreținere, and exit notice. Get a bilingual version or certified translation if you cannot read Romanian. Ask the landlord to register the contract with ANAF (commonly described via form C168 within about 30 days); refusal is a practical red flag for IGI and banking address proof.

Deposits commonly run about one to two months. Agency fees, when you use an agenție imobiliară, often near one month’s rent paid by the tenant. Photograph meters, appliances, and walls at handover with a proces-verbal inventory. Confirm whether electricity, heating, water, and fibre sit outside rent: Utilities, internet, and transport. Summer AC and winter heating are housing features in Bucharest, not luxuries: Monthly budget. Keep every receipt; cash handshakes without paper become deposit fights later.