In brief
A Romanian property ad relies on a few fixed terms: the type of area (utilă, construită, desfășurată), the finish level (la roșu to la cheie), the registration status (intabulat) and whether VAT is included. Some are defined by law, such as the areas in Housing Law 114/1996, and some are purely commercial, and therefore need a written specification. At the notary the deed is drawn up in Romanian, and someone who does not understand it receives an explanation from a certified translator who signs the document.
Key takeaways
- 1suprafață utilă does not include walls and balconies; suprafață construită includes them. A price per square metre is meaningful only when you know which area it refers to.
- 2Where there is no figure for the built area, the local authority calculates building tax on the usable area multiplied by 1.4 (Article 457 of the Tax Code).
- 3la roșu, la gri, la alb and la cheie are not defined by law. Require a written finish specification as an annex to the contract.
- 4intabulat means the property is registered in the land register with an owner and a cadastral number. A property in the status în curs de intabulare requires a check.
- 5Under Article 82 of Law 36/1995, the notarial deed is drawn up in Romanian, and a buyer who does not understand it receives an explanation from a certified translator who signs with the notary.
Most Israeli buyers first encounter the property in an ad on a Romanian website, machine-translated. The translation copes with the description, but misses the terms that determine the real price, the registration status and what you will receive on handover day. The same words will come back later in the preliminary contract, the extract and the deed.
This guide explains the terms in the order of the transaction: what you see in the ad, what it means legally, and what to ask for because of it. We set out how to read the documents themselves, the extract, the preliminary contract and the permit, in a separate guide.
Which square metre does the ad mean?
Romania has several official definitions of area, and they appear in Annex 1 to Housing Law 114/1996. The Ilfov chamber of notaries' 2026 market survey uses the same definitions. An ad that states “sq m” without specifying may mean any of them.
| The term in the ad | Abbreviation | What is included | What is not included |
|---|---|---|---|
| suprafață utilă (usable area) | Su | The floor of the rooms, kitchen, bathrooms, storage rooms and passages inside the home | Walls, balconies and loggias |
| suprafață construită (built area) | Sc | The usable area plus balconies, loggias, internal and external walls, and in a building also a share of the common areas | A basement storage room and parking, which are measured separately |
| suprafață construită desfășurată (gross developed built area) | Scd or Ad | The total of all floors, measured to the outer line of the walls, including the balcony walls | - |
| suprafață locuibilă (living area) | - | The bedrooms and the living room only | Kitchen, bathrooms and passages |
Another confusing term: suprafață construită la sol is the footprint of the house on the plot, not the area you will live in.
Suppose a house is offered at 240,000 euro, with 120 usable square metres and 160 gross developed built square metres. By usable area that is 2,000 euro per square metre, and by gross developed built area 1,500 euro per square metre. Same house, same price. The figures are hypothetical.
The definition also matters beyond the price. The local authority calculates the annual building tax on the built area, and where there is no such figure it multiplies the usable area by 1.4 (Article 457 of the Tax Code, Law 227/2015). When comparing with Israel, remember that the “apartment area” in the specification form under the Israeli Sale of Apartments Order is measured to the outer face of the external walls, so it is closer to the Romanian construită than to utilă.
Where there is no figure for the built area, the local authority calculates building tax on the usable area multiplied by 1.4 (Article 457 of the Tax Code).
What exactly do la roșu, la gri, la alb and la cheie promise?
Less than it seems. These are commercial, not legal, terms, and Romanian sources define them differently from one another. The table describes the customary meaning, not a binding definition.
| Term | The customary meaning | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| la roșu | Shell: structure, external walls and roof, with no systems and no finishes | Most of the work and budget is still ahead of you |
| la gri / semifinisat | Insulation, plaster, plumbing and electrical wiring run, without final finishes | The definition varies from developer to developer |
| la alb | Full interior finishes and working systems, without furniture and appliances | Check exactly which systems work |
| la cheie | “Key”: ready to move in | Some include furniture in it and some do not |
Because the words have no legal definition, your protection is the technical specification. Ask for it in writing, with a list of materials and brands, and attach it as an annex to the contract. The word la cheie without a specification is not an enforceable commitment.
Which words in the ad indicate a legal status?
Some terms describe the property, and some tell you what needs to be checked before paying:
| In the ad | Meaning | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| intabulat | Registered in the land register (Carte Funciară) with an owner and a cadastral number | This is the desired status. Ask for the land register number and order an extract yourself |
| fără intabulare / în curs de intabulare | Not registered, or in the process of registration | An in-depth legal review before any commitment |
| teren intravilan / extravilan | Land inside the built-up area of the locality, or outside it | Extravilan land cannot be built on without a change of plan |
| utilități la poartă | Utilities reach the fence | Not necessarily connected to the house. Who pays for the connection? |
| PIF (punere în funcțiune) | Official commissioning of a system, for example a gas installation | The wording PIF 2026 usually indicates completion and commissioning in that year |
| TVA inclus / + TVA | VAT included, or added to the price | On a new house from a developer, VAT is 21%, as of October 2026 |
| comision 0% | The buyer pays no brokerage commission | Find out who does pay, and for what |
| dezvoltator / direct proprietar | The ad is from the developer or the owner | Check that the advertiser is the registered owner in the extract |
And a few more descriptive terms worth knowing: P+1+M is a ground floor (parter), one floor and an attic (mansardă), and S is a basement. casă duplex is a semi-detached house with a party wall, whereas apartament duplex is a two-storey apartment. decomandat means each room opens separately onto the hallway, and centrală proprie is a private heating boiler.
Which terms will you meet from the preliminary contract to handover?
| In Romanian | In English | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| antecontract | Preliminary contract | The document binding both parties before the deed |
| extras de carte funciară | Land register extract | Shows owners, encumbrances and notations |
| intabulare | Registration of ownership in the land register | The step that makes you the owner as against everyone |
| contract de vânzare-cumpărare | Deed of sale | Signed before a notary |
| procură | Power of attorney | Allows signing on your behalf when you are not in Romania |
| autorizație de construire | Building permit | Ask for it before paying in a new project |
| proces-verbal de recepție | Acceptance report | The basis for handover and registration |
| cartea tehnică | The building's technical book | A document received at handover |
| credit ipotecar / ipotecă | Mortgage loan / mortgage on the property | The mortgage is registered in the third part of the extract |
| avans | Deposit, own equity | Check which account it is paid into |
When is a certified translator required, and when is English enough?
Meetings with brokers, developers and bankers in Bucharest are often also conducted in English. At the notary the rule is different: under Article 82 of Notaries Law 36/1995, the deed is drawn up in Romanian. A buyer who does not understand Romanian learns its content through a certified translator or interpreter, who signs the notarial document together with the notary.
- The notary themselves may translate only if the foreign language is their mother tongue, or if they are certified as a translator. Otherwise the translation is done by a translator certified by the Romanian Ministry of Justice (Article 82(2)).
- A bilingual deed, in two columns or in one language after the other, is possible in a translated document (Article 82(5)). Ask the notary in advance.
- Documents from Israel submitted for a notarial act need a certified translation into Romanian, and often an apostille as well.
- A power of attorney signed in Israel needs a translation and usually an apostille. Coordinate the wording in advance with the notary in Romania.
- The extract and the handover documents are written in legal or technical Romanian. It is advisable to have someone at your side who reads them.
What should you ask the seller before arranging a viewing?
- What is the usable area (Su), and what is the gross developed built area (Scd)?
- What is included in the finish level, and can you get a written specification?
- Is the property intabulat, and what is the land register number?
- Does the price include VAT, and what else is paid on top of it? We wrote about the ancillary costs in a separate guide.
What should you do before signing?
Before a preliminary contract, you should hold a current extract that you ordered yourself, a signed finish specification, area figures under both definitions and a draft of the deed a few days before signing, so there is time to translate and ask. We go through the ad, the specification and the draft contract with Israeli buyers in Hebrew, together with licensed lawyers, notaries and certified translators in Romania, who carry out the actions under local law.
This article is general information, current as of October 2026, and is not legal advice for a specific case. Finish terms are not defined by law and vary between sellers, and the numerical example is hypothetical. Before committing, check the documents of the specific property with a local lawyer.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between suprafață utilă and suprafață construită?
The usable area is the floor of the rooms inside the home, without walls and balconies. The built area adds balconies, loggias and walls, and in a building also a share of the common areas. The definitions appear in Annex 1 to Housing Law 114/1996.
Does la cheie oblige the developer to hand over a furnished house?
Not necessarily. The term has no legal definition, and some sources include furniture in it and some do not. What is binding is a written specification attached to the contract.
What does intabulat mean in an ad?
That the property is registered in the land register, with a registered owner and a cadastral number. This is the status that allows the notary to carry out the transaction in the ordinary way and the bank to register a mortgage. Verify it in an extract you order yourself.
I do not understand Romanian. Can I sign the deed?
Yes. Under Article 82 of Law 36/1995, a certified translator or interpreter explains the content of the deed to you and signs it together with the notary. The notary may translate personally only if the language is their mother tongue or they are certified as a translator.
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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.