Law 169/2026 in Romania: What Moved Where in the New Planning Code, and What It Changes for Buyers and Developers

If you received a legal opinion, a checklist or a draft contract in Romania before the end of August 2026, it probably refers to articles that no longer exist. Romania has consolidated its planning and construction law into a single code, and the article numbers have changed almost everywhere.

This guide is a concordance map: for each rule a buyer or developer relies on, where it was, where it is today, and what has actually changed. We wrote separate guides on a developer's permit route, on a buyer's check of a permit and a PUZ, and on works in a villa's garden.

1What was repealed, and from what date?

Law 169/2026, the Code of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and Construction, was published in Monitorul Oficial (the Official Gazette of Romania) No. 661 of 10 August 2026, and came into force 15 days later, on 25 August 2026. Under Article 575, its entry into force does not depend on secondary regulations.

• Repealed in full: Law 350/2001 on spatial planning and urbanism, and Law 50/1991 on building permits, together with its implementing regulations (Order 839/2009).
• Repealed for the most part: Law 10/1995 on quality in construction. Only Article 10 (technical regulation) and Article 41 (quality system regulations) remain, to preserve a legal basis for the technical regulations.
• What continues to apply: under Article 583, government decisions issued under the old laws continue to apply as long as they do not conflict with the Code, and a reference to an old law is read as a reference to the Code.

2The concordance table: where was each rule and where is it today?

3What does the change mean for you as buyers?

For the most part, the rules that protect you remain, only at a new address. The differences worth knowing:

• A cheap and quick early check. The urban planning certificate for information is open to any applicant, and is issued within 5 to 10 working days. You can use it before reserving a property, including for neighbouring plots.
• The off-plan protections are the same. A preliminary contract only after the permit has been noted in the land book and pages have been opened for the future units; a notarial contract noted on the same working day or the next; a reservation of up to 5% for up to 60 days, refunded within 30 days if the developer is at fault; a dedicated account with caps of 25% and 20%.
• Insurance you can ask to see. Under Article 556, developers and contractors must carry 10-year civil liability insurance for damage discovered after acceptance, with an insurer authorised by ASF (the Financial Supervisory Authority), and present it at the start of works. Before, there was no such duty.
• More documents at handover. Besides the technical book, the developer hands over a maintenance and service life manual and an as-built plan. The technical book is also registered digitally in the national register of buildings.
• Liability has not been shortened. Contractors are liable for 10 years for hidden defects and for the building's entire life for structural defects, and a contract cannot reduce this (Article 451).

4What does the change mean for developers?

• The permit clock. A fixed 3 years from issue to the start of works; after notice of the start of works, validity continues for the whole execution period. The permit lapses if works did not start on time, were not completed within the execution period without a request for extension, or were suspended for more than 24 months (Article 310).
• Extensions. Article 309(5) prohibits extending the three years, and Article 309(6) allows an extension of up to 12 months where the works cannot be completed within the execution period, on a request at least 15 days before lapse. Article 310 allows one extension of the execution period for 30% of the original fee. It is worth planning the timetable so that you do not need to rely on an extension.
• Urban planning certificate for construction. Issued within 15 working days, valid 12 to 36 months, and it lapses if you did not request an extension 15 working days before it expires.
• A faster PUD. The mayor approves it within 15 calendar days of the chief architect's opinion, and it becomes part of the PUG or the PUZ.
• A PUZ that changes rules. A change of use, height, POT or CUT only in justified cases and after an initiation opinion, and approval by the council by an absolute majority.
• Insurance from all participants. Under Article 279, construction works require insurance from the developer, the designer, the verifier, the site supervisor and the contractors. Someone building a single-family house for themselves is exempt, once and for one house.
• Classification of buildings. Under Article 370, instead of "importance categories", buildings are now classified by "consequence classes".

5What happens to what began before 25 August 2026?

The short answer: what you already hold is preserved, and what is in progress is completed under the old rules. The main transitional provisions:

1. Urban planning certificates issued before the date remain valid, and a permit is obtained on the basis of them (Article 582(4)). If the competence has passed to another authority, the new authority issues it, unless an application has already been filed with the old authority (Article 582(5)).
2. PUG, PUZ and PUD procedures that began before the date, meaning that their initiation document was published to third parties, are completed under the law that applied when they began (Article 582(1) and (6)). Opinions already obtained remain valid.
3. Works in progress can undergo partial acceptance under the new Code (Article 574).
4. Old PUG plans: a plan more than 7 years old must be updated within 3 years, and until then remains in force (Article 573).
5. Old regulations, including the regulation on acceptance of buildings in Government Decision 273/1994, remain in force until amended (Article 577). Authorities must update their procedures by 31 December 2026 (Article 578).
6. Bucharest: from 1 November 2028, planning powers pass from the sector mayors to the general mayor, and open files continue without starting over (Article 584).

The transitional provisions do not expressly govern building permits already issued or permit applications already filed, apart from partial acceptance. In a project that began before the Code, the permit is checked according to what it says and the actual start date of the works.

6What to do before signing?

Before signing in a project in Romania, it is worth asking the developer to refer to the articles of Law 169/2026 and not to repealed laws, obtaining a copy of the permit with the date of issue and the notice of start of works, and asking to see the 10-year insurance policy. We accompany Israeli buyers and developers in reviewing the documents against the new Code, and applications to the authorities, land book checks and signing are carried out by lawyers, architects and notaries licensed in Romania.

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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.