Renovating an Older House in Romania: When No Approval Is Needed, When a Notice Is Enough and When a Building Permit Is Mandatory

An older house in Romania can be a good opportunity, but its true cost is determined by the renovation. Before hiring a contractor, it is worth answering two separate questions. The first: do you need to apply to the municipality, and on which route? The second: what exactly do you get for the money, and who is liable if something goes wrong? The Planning and Construction Code answers the first, and the contract with the contractor answers the second. In an older house you need both in writing before the first wall comes down.

This guide deals with the renovation of a house you already own or are about to buy. Additions such as a pool, a pergola or a fence are a separate topic.

1Which renovation works in Romania require no approval at all?

Works that leave the house in its existing structure and appearance. Under Article 299(2)(a) of Law 169/2026, among others:

• Repairing a roof without changing its shape and appearance (point 2).
• Replacing exterior windows and doors in the same shape and the same opening size, even in a different material (point 4).
• Interior finishes: flooring, plaster and paint (point 7).
• Repairing stoves and chimneys (point 8).
• Repairing or replacing internal installations (point 9).
• Local heating, hot water and air conditioners (point 10).
• Solar panels for self-consumption, with prior notice to the municipality (point 13).

An older house may not have a technical book (cartea tehnică a construcției, the building's technical documentation file). It is worth opening one. This is the file that the next buyer, or their bank, will ask to see.

2Which works proceed by notice to the municipality only?

Article 294(2)(b) lists larger interventions that can be carried out on the basis of a notice, without a full permit:

All of this applies only outside protected built-up areas and outside the protection zones of historic monuments. Within them the rules are stricter and the written consent of the heritage authority is required (Article 294(3)). One of the first checks on an older house is therefore whether it is located in such an area.

3How does the notice route work, step by step?

1. Prepare a file: a notice form, a simplified technical project signed by an architect with signing rights and the relevant engineers, and payment of the fees the law sets for permits (Article 295(4)).
2. File with the municipality on paper or digitally. A digital filing receives an automatic acknowledgement of receipt (Article 295(5) and (6)).
3. Wait 15 working days. During this period the municipality may approve tacitly, request clarifications or further approvals, give notice that a permit is required, or refuse (Article 296(1)).
4. Start work 15 calendar days after the tacit approval takes effect (Article 296(6)).
5. Finish within 3 years, which is the validity period of the works you gave notice of (Article 296(5)).

The notice route saves time, not the architect. A simplified project is still a project, with a professional signature and professional liability.

4When does renovating an older house require a building permit?

Any work that touches the load-bearing structure, adds a storey, extends the house beyond the notice list, or changes the type of roof requires a permit. For an intervention on an existing building, the permit project includes a detailed survey of the house, technical expert reports on the relevant quality requirements and an analysis of the condition of the building (Article 282).

This is the main difference between an older house and a new one. The expert report reveals what the structure can bear even before design begins, and in areas at seismic risk, such as Bucharest, it is especially important. The building permit fee for a residential building is 0.5% of the approved value of the works (Tax Code, Article 474(5)).

5Insulation and energy renovation: what does the code allow, and what about grants?

The code simplifies the most common energy upgrade. Insulating the entire envelope or roof of a private house of up to 3 storeys proceeds by notice, as long as the type of roof does not change. Solar panels for self-consumption require prior notice only.

As for grants, caution is advisable. The Environmental Fund Administration (AFM) runs support programmes in rounds, such as Casa Verde, and their conditions change from round to round. As of October 2026 we did not find in an official source an open national programme for individuals for insulating or renovating an existing house. Check the AFM website before planning, and do not build a budget on a grant that has not yet opened.

6What should you put in the contract with the contractor?

Under the Civil Code, a renovation is a construction contract (contract de antrepriză, Article 1851). The first decision is how the price is set:

• Payment dates. Unless otherwise agreed, the price is paid on acceptance of the entire work (Article 1864). Payment by completed stages protects you more than a large advance.
• The contractor's legal charge. The contractor has a legal mortgage over the work to secure the price, up to the amount of the added value (Article 1869 and Article 2386 point 6). Pay against invoices and keep receipts.
• Liability. The builders are liable for hidden defects discovered within 10 years of acceptance, and for structural defects for the entire life of the building (Law 169/2026, Article 451(3)).
• Acceptance. In writing, with a list of defects to be remedied and a deadline for remedying them.

7Which official costs should you budget for?

There is no official price list for the construction works themselves. Ask for a detailed quotation (deviz, a bill of quantities and prices) from at least three contractors for the same project, so that the comparison is like for like.

8Before you start: a checklist and how we accompany you

1. Check in the land book that the registered house matches the actual house.
2. Classify each work: no approval, notice or permit.
3. Check whether the house is located in a protected area, and if you are not sure what is permitted on the plot, request an urban planning certificate.
4. Bring in an architect for anything beyond repairs, and a structural engineer for anything that touches the structure.
5. Sign a written construction contract with the type of price, stages, payments, deadlines and penalties.
6. On completion, carry out a written acceptance, update the technical book, and if the area or the structure changed, update the land book.

When Israeli buyers are considering an older house, we check with them before the purchase whether the registration matches the actual situation and what type of works will be required, and we go through the construction contract before signing. Filings with the municipality are made by an architect with signing rights in Romania, and local legal acts by a locally licensed lawyer or notary.

Read next · 7 min readA Will for an Israeli With Property in Romania: Choice of Law, Form of the Will and Coordination With the Will in IsraelHow to write a will that works for property in Romania: Regulation 650/2012 and choice of law, notarial or handwritten wills, reserved shares, the Israeli will.Read the guide

The information in this guide is general in nature and does not constitute legal or tax advice on any specific transaction. Every transaction is assessed on its own facts.