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Paste a listing, land register extract or contract excerpt in Romanian. The decoder highlights the legal and real estate terms, explains each one in English and notes what to check because of it. Everything happens in your browser.
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The decoder recognizes 67 terms, even without diacritics (ă, ș, ț) and in common inflected forms.
The result will appear here.
Registration and ownership
Registered in the land registry
The property or right is finally registered in the land registry (Cartea Funciară) in the owner's name. In a locality where the cadastral survey has been completed, ownership passes only on registration, not on signing the contract.
What to checkAsk for the extract number and the cadastral number, and order an up-to-date extract yourself. Make sure the registered owner is the person selling to you.
Registration and ownership
Not registered, or registration in progress
The property or building is not yet registered in the land registry. A notary will generally certify a transfer of rights only for a registered property (Law 7/1996, Article 36), so such a property cannot be bought with a standard deed of sale until it is registered.
What to checkFind out exactly what is missing and who is handling it. Do not pay before registration is complete, or without a mechanism that protects the money until registration.
Registration and ownership
Land registry
Romania's public land register. Each property has a sheet in three parts: A describes the property, B shows the owners, and C lists third-party rights and charges. The register is the proof of ownership, not the contract and not the developer's brochure.
What to checkRead all three parts. Part C is where mortgages, seizures and third-party rights are hidden.
Registration and ownership
Land registry extract
A printout of the registered position at the moment of issue. Anyone may order an extract for information (pentru informare). The notary orders an extract for authentication (pentru autentificare) before signing, and it blocks other registrations for 10 working days.
What to checkNo money transfer before an up-to-date information extract you ordered yourself, not an old copy from the seller.
Registration and ownership
Cadastral number
The identifier of a plot or property, linking the survey plan to the land registry. Buildings on the plot are marked C1, C2 and so on.
What to checkMake sure the number in the contract and the extract belongs exactly to the plot and house you saw, and that the registered area matches the actual area.
Registration and ownership
Cadastre, registered survey
The official survey of the property, prepared by a licensed surveyor and registered with ANCPI. “cadastrat” in a listing means the property has a registered survey file, but it does not always mean ownership is finally registered.
What to checkCheck in the extract that there is both a cadastral number and an ownership registration (intabulare), not just a survey.
Registration and ownership
Cadastre and registration authority
The National Agency for Cadastre and Land Registration (ANCPI), its office in each county (OCPI), and the local bureau that carries out registration and issues extracts (BCPI).
What to checkGet information on ownership and charges from them, directly or through a lawyer, not from a copy supplied by the seller.
Registration and ownership
Charges and restrictions
Anything that burdens the property: mortgages, seizures, easements, rights of use, leases and lawsuits. Most are registered in Part C of the extract. A charge that has not been removed passes with the property to the buyer.
What to check“fără sarcini” in a listing is the seller's statement. Check an up-to-date extract, and set out in the contract when and how any existing charge will be removed.
Registration and ownership
Mortgage, charge on the property
A charge created by a notarial deed and brought into existence by registration. It stays on the property even when it changes hands, and its creditor is paid before other creditors. Repaying the loan alone does not remove it from the register.
What to checkIf there is a mortgage of the seller or developer, set out in the contract that it will be removed at the latest at completion, and check in the extract that the removal has been registered.
Registration and ownership
Annotation in the register
A registration that gives everyone notice of a fact or personal right connected to the property, such as a preliminary contract, a contractual right of first refusal, a lease, a seizure or a lawsuit. The annotation does not transfer ownership, but anyone who buys after it is bound by it.
What to checkRead every annotation in Part C and ask for the document it is based on. An annotation of a lawsuit or of a contract with another buyer is a reason to stop.
Registration and ownership
Seizure, enforcement, auction
The property is under seizure or in enforcement proceedings. At an auction by a bailiff or the tax authority, mortgages fall away when ownership is registered, but there is no warranty against hidden defects, and sometimes there is a tenant in the property.
What to checkCheck the extract and the enforcement file before lodging a guarantee. After winning, there is a one-month window in which the procedure can still be challenged.
Registration and ownership
Superficie right (ownership of a building on someone else's land)
Ownership of a building that stands on someone else's land, together with a right to use the land. Granted for up to 99 years, renewable, and registered in the land registry. This is a common structure for a non-EU buyer who cannot hold land.
What to checkRead what the contract says about the length of the right, renewal and what happens when it ends, and check that the right is registered in the extract.
Registration and ownership
Usufruct
A right to use someone else's property and receive its income, while the owner keeps only “bare ownership” (nuda proprietate). For a private individual it lasts at most for life, and for a company up to 30 years. A registered right also binds a future buyer.
What to checkLook for it in Part C of the extract. If such a right is registered, you may not be able to live in the property or let it until it ends.
Registration and ownership
Easement, right of way
A right of one plot over a neighbouring plot, for example passage on foot or by vehicle. Created by contract or by law and registered in the land registry. A plot with no access to a public road depends on it.
What to checkWhen access to the house runs over a private road, ask for a registered right of way or a share in the road, not a verbal promise.
Registration and ownership
Right of first refusal
Priority to buy at the same price and on the same terms agreed with another buyer. It arises by law or by contract. A statutory right of first refusal applies mainly to agricultural land outside the built-up area.
What to checkCheck that the plot is within the built-up area (intravilan) and that the extract has no annotation of a contractual right of first refusal. If it does, the procedure lengthens the timetable.
Registration and ownership
Co-ownership in shares
Several owners hold the property together, each holding a share. Selling or mortgaging the whole property requires the consent of all owners, and any co-owner may apply for partition.
What to checkCheck in Part B of the extract who all the owners are and in what shares, and make sure they all sign or that there is a power of attorney from each of them.
Registration and ownership
Inheritance, notarial certificate of inheritance
A property that passed by inheritance. In Romania the notary conducts the succession procedure and issues a certificate of inheritance, on the basis of which the heirs are registered in the land registry.
What to checkMake sure the heirs are already registered as owners in the extract, and that all the heirs sign the sale. Selling before the succession procedure is complete is a risk.
Registration and ownership
Lawsuit, restitution claim
A legal dispute over the property, especially restitution claims for land and buildings nationalised in the communist era. “fără litigii” in a listing is the seller's statement, not a check.
What to checkLook for an annotation of a lawsuit in Part C of the extract, and ask a lawyer to check court files and restitution proceedings concerning the property and the plot.
Contract, notary and process
Directly from the owner or developer
The listing was posted by the owner or the developer, not by an agent. This describes the advertiser; it does not confirm that they are the registered owner.
What to checkCheck that the advertiser is the registered owner in the extract, or has written authority to sell. For a developer, check the company in the trade register.
Contract, notary and process
Reservation agreement
A preliminary agreement in which a developer reserves a future unit for you. Under the rules introduced by Law 169/2026, it is limited to 60 days and the reservation fee to 5% of the price, which is credited against it.
What to checkCheck that the amount does not exceed 5%, that there is a clear date for moving to a notarial contract, and when the money is returned if the deal does not go ahead.
Contract, notary and process
Preliminary contract
A mutual undertaking to sign the sale contract later, on terms already agreed. It does not transfer ownership, but it can be enforced in court. For a future unit from a developer, it must be signed before a notary and registered in the land registry.
What to checkMake sure it is signed before a notary and annotated in the extract, and that it includes a handover date, compensation for delay, a specification and a payment schedule tied to construction stages.
Contract, notary and process
Sale contract, deed of sale
The final contract that transfers ownership. For real property it must be signed before a Romanian notary, and after signing the notary files the application for registration in the land registry.
What to checkAsk for a draft a few days before signing, so there is time to translate it and ask questions. Make sure the description, price and area are identical to the extract and the preliminary contract.
Contract, notary and process
Notarial deed
A document drawn up or authenticated by a Romanian notary after checking the parties' identity and consent. A contract transferring a property right in real estate must take this form, or it is void.
What to checkAn agreement under private signature only cannot be registered. Do not rely on one when paying a significant amount.
Contract, notary and process
Public notary
A lawyer appointed under Law 36/1995. In a transaction the notary authenticates the contract, checks identity and capacity, collects taxes and files for registration. The notary does not represent the buyer.
What to checkFind out in advance who chooses the notary and who pays, and ask for the draft in good time. Checks on your behalf are done by your own lawyer.
Contract, notary and process
Power of attorney
For someone to sign a real estate transaction on your behalf, they need a special power of attorney in authentic form, expressly authorising the purchase or sale. This makes it possible to complete a deal without flying out.
What to checkA power of attorney from Israel for a real estate transaction in Romania is signed only before the Romanian consul, at the consular section of the Romanian Embassy in Israel, not before an Israeli notary with an apostille. Limit it to the specific property and price, and agree the wording in advance with the notary in Romania.
Contract, notary and process
Apostille
Certification under the 1961 Hague Convention that authenticates the signature and seal on a public document, but not its content. Israel and Romania are both parties to the Convention.
What to checkCertificates and public documents from Israel need an apostille before a notary or bank in Romania will accept them. Start early; it takes time. A power of attorney for the transaction does not go through this route: from Israel it is signed before the Romanian consul.
Contract, notary and process
Certified or legalised translation
A translation by a translator authorised by the Romanian Ministry of Justice. When a notary certifies the translator's signature, the translation becomes legalised. A buyer who does not speak Romanian signs before the notary in the presence of a certified interpreter.
What to checkDo not rely on a machine translation of the listing or the contract. Ask for the draft to be translated before signing day.
Contract, notary and process
Advance payment
A payment on account of the price. Unlike an arvună, if the deal does not go ahead, an ordinary advance is generally refunded. In a mortgage, “avans” also means the down payment.
What to checkCheck which account it is paid into, what guarantees its return, and whether it is in fact an arvună. When buying off-plan, check that it goes into a dedicated account (cont dedicat).
Contract, notary and process
Earnest money
An amount paid on signing to confirm the commitment. A buyer who breaches the contract loses it, and a seller who breaches may have to pay double (Articles 1544-1545 of the Civil Code).
What to checkMake sure it states expressly whether the amount is an arvună or an avans, and what happens in each cancellation scenario.
Contract, notary and process
Dedicated project account
A separate bank account of the developer, for a single project, into which an advance is paid when buying off-plan. Money leaves it only for project expenses and with the approval of the site supervisor. This is real protection, but not full insurance.
What to checkAsk for the account details in the contract itself, and make sure it is in the name of the project company and used for that project only.
Contract, notary and process
Agency commission
“comision 0%” means the buyer pays no agency commission. There is no statutory rate, and a typical commission is a few percent of the price plus VAT.
What to checkFind out in writing who pays the commission and for what, before the first viewing. When the seller pays, the agent works for the seller.
Contract, notary and process
Personal number / tax identification number
The CNP is the Romanian personal number. Anyone without a CNP receives a tax identification number (NIF) from the ANAF tax authority. Without one of them you cannot buy property or open a bank account.
What to checkApply for a NIF early, yourself or through a representative, so it does not hold up signing day.
Planning, construction and handover
Planning certificate
An information document from the local authority describing what applies to the plot under the plans: uses, height, density, infrastructure and restrictions. It does not authorise building.
What to checkFor building land, ask for an up-to-date certificate and check that your planned use is allowed. Do not treat it as a permit.
Planning, construction and handover
Building permit
The administrative authorisation to build. Under the new planning code (Law 169/2026) it is valid for 3 years from issue. Building without a permit, or not in line with it, passes to the buyer on signing day.
What to checkAsk for the permit number and date before any payment, and compare the plans in it with what you are being sold.
Planning, construction and handover
General urban plan of the locality
The locality's general plan, which sets zones, uses and building restrictions. More detailed plans (PUZ, PUD) rest on it.
What to checkCheck what the plan sets for the plot and its surroundings, and whether a plan change is under way.
Planning, construction and handover
Detailed zonal plan
A plan that details or changes the rules for a particular area. “PUZ aprobat” in a listing means a plan for the area has been approved, and this affects what will be built around you.
What to checkAsk for the approval decision and the map, and check what may be built on the neighbouring plots.
Planning, construction and handover
Detailed site plan
The most detailed level: the location, access and volumes of specific buildings on the plot.
What to checkIf the sale relies on a PUD, check that it has been approved and that the permit matches it.
Planning, construction and handover
Site coverage and floor area ratio
POT is the percentage of the plot that may be covered by building. CUT is the ratio between the total built area on all floors and the plot area. Both are set in the plans.
What to checkIn development, these are the numbers that determine how many square metres can be sold. Check them in the planning certificate, not only in the listing.
Planning, construction and handover
Land within the built-up area
Land within the locality's built-up area. As a rule this is a condition for building, but it does not guarantee that you may build exactly what you want.
What to checkAsk for a planning certificate to find out what is actually allowed, and check access and infrastructure.
Planning, construction and handover
Land outside the built-up area
Land outside the built-up area, usually agricultural. It cannot be built on without a plan change, and agricultural land also carries rights of first refusal and restrictions on foreigners.
What to checkDo not buy such land to build on without a planning check. Also check who may buy it given your passport.
Planning, construction and handover
Acceptance report
The document confirming that the construction complies with the permit and quality requirements. The building may be used only after acceptance, and the report also lists defects the contractor still has to fix.
What to checkFor a new house, ask for the report before the final sale, and check that an energy performance certificate is attached to it.
Planning, construction and handover
The building's technical book
The building's technical file: plans, permits, inspections and reports. You receive it, or a copy of it, on handover.
What to checkAsk to see it, or the part relating to your unit, and keep a copy for warranty claims.
Planning, construction and handover
Energy performance certificate
A document from a certified energy auditor with the property's energy rating. Required for sale and letting and valid for 10 years. The seller must provide a copy before the contract.
What to checkAsk for it before signing. Without it the buyer can seek to cancel, and an acceptance report without it is void.
Planning, construction and handover
Under construction, new project
The property is not yet finished, or is in a new project. When buying off-plan, the protection rules that moved from Law 207/2025 (the “Nordis law”) into the new planning code apply: a registered notarial contract, a dedicated account and staged payments.
What to checkCheck the building permit, any developer's mortgage on the land, the dedicated account, and a handover date with compensation for delay in the contract.
Planning, construction and handover
Seismic risk, the “red dot”
Buildings that have been assessed are classed in seismic risk categories RsI to RsIV. An RsI building is marked with a round red sign. A building not on the list is not necessarily safe: it may never have been assessed.
What to checkCheck whether the building is on the official list and in which category, when and to what standard it was built, and whether there is an engineering report. Get the answers in writing.
Property description in the listing
Shell
A market term with no legal definition. Usually: structure, external walls and roof, with no services and no finishes. Most of the work and budget is still ahead of you.
What to checkAsk for a written specification of what is built and what is missing, and a budget for completion. The word alone is not a commitment.
Property description in the listing
Semi-finished
Usually: insulation, plaster, plumbing and wiring run, without final finishes. The definition varies from developer to developer.
What to checkAsk for a list of every item included in the price, and attach it to the contract as an annex.
Property description in the listing
Finished interior, unfurnished
Usually: full interior finishes and working services, with no furniture or appliances.
What to checkCheck exactly which services work and what is left to you: kitchen, wardrobes, lighting, air conditioning.
Property description in the listing
“Turnkey”, ready to move in
Usually a home ready to live in. Some include furniture and some do not. The term has no legal definition.
What to check“la cheie” without a specification is not an enforceable commitment. Insist on a specification annex listing materials and brands.
Property description in the listing
Finishes
The finishing materials: flooring, cladding, doors, sanitary ware. “premium” or “de lux” are marketing descriptions.
What to checkAsk for a written list of materials and brands, and attach it to the contract.
Property description in the listing
Usable area
The floor area of the rooms, kitchen, bathrooms and passages inside the home, excluding walls and balconies (Law 114/1996, Annex 1).
What to checkAsk which area the price per sq m refers to, and compare properties using the same definition.
Property description in the listing
Built area
The usable area plus balconies, internal and external walls, and in an apartment building also a share of the common areas. It is larger than the usable area, so the price per sq m based on it looks lower.
What to checkAsk for both figures, usable and built, and calculate the price per sq m on each.
Property description in the listing
Total developed built area
The total of all floors measured to the outer line of the walls. For a private house this is usually the largest number in the listing.
What to checkDo not compare a price per sq m based on developed area with a property shown by usable area.
Property description in the listing
Room layout
“decomandat” means each room opens separately onto a hallway. “semidecomandat” means some rooms are reached through one another.
What to checkAsk for a floor plan (schiță) and compare it with the plan in the permit and in the cadastral file.
Property description in the listing
Floors of the house
P is the ground floor (parter), the number is the floors above it, M is an attic floor (mansardă), D is a partial basement (demisol) and S is a basement (subsol).
What to checkAttics and basements built or converted without a permit are a common problem. Check that every floor appears in the permit and in the extract.
Property description in the listing
Utilities
“la poartă” means the utilities reach the fence, not necessarily connected to the house. “în zonă” means they are in the area, and not necessarily next to the plot.
What to checkFind out who pays for the connection, how much it costs and how long it takes, and ask the utility companies for confirmations.
Property description in the listing
Official commissioning of a system
Official commissioning of a system, for example a gas installation. “PIF 2026” usually indicates completion and commissioning in that year.
What to checkAsk for the commissioning certificate, especially for gas.
Property description in the listing
Individual heating
A private boiler for an apartment or house, usually gas-fired, instead of municipal district heating.
What to checkAsk for the commissioning certificate and periodic gas inspections. The owner is responsible for the safety checks.
Property description in the listing
“Papers in order”
A seller's statement in the listing. It does not replace a check and does not say what was checked.
What to checkAsk for the documents themselves: an up-to-date extract, the permit and acceptance report, the energy performance certificate, a local tax certificate and a certificate from the owners' association.
Property description in the listing
Owners' association, maintenance charges
A shared building is managed by an owners' association (Law 196/2018), which collects maintenance charges and contributions to a repair fund. The notary certifies the sale of an apartment only against the association's certificate on the debt position, valid for 30 days.
What to checkAsk for the certificate, the level of maintenance charges and the latest minutes. An existing debt passes to the buyer only if the buyer expressly agreed to it.
Money, taxes and financing
VAT included or extra
“TVA inclus” means the price includes VAT. “+ TVA” means VAT is added. A new home from a developer carries 21% VAT, as of October 2026.
What to checkAsk in writing whether the price includes VAT. The difference is 21% of the price.
Money, taxes and financing
The notarial grid
An annual survey of minimum values published by each chamber of notaries. When the contract price is below it, the grid value is the base for tax, the notary fee and the registration fee.
What to checkIt is a floor for calculation, not a valuation. Do not agree to “record a low price” in the contract: it harms the buyer.
Money, taxes and financing
Notary fee
The amount the notary charges for authenticating the transaction, under a tiered minimum scale set by the Ministry of Justice, plus VAT.
What to checkAsk in advance for a breakdown of the notary fee, the registration fee and translation costs, and find out who pays each item.
Money, taxes and financing
Local property tax
An annual tax paid to the local authority on the building and the land, based on a taxable value set by formula, not the market price. Paid in two instalments, by 31 March and by 30 September.
What to checkInclude it in your holding budget, and declare the property to the local authority within 30 days of purchase.
Money, taxes and financing
Local tax certificate
A certificate from the local authority on the tax debt position of the property. On a sale, the notary asks the seller for it.
What to checkMake sure it is current on signing day and that no debts pass to you.
Money, taxes and financing
Bank mortgage
A loan to buy a property, secured by a charge on it. “acceptă credit” in a listing means the seller is open to a bank-financed deal, not that the bank has already approved it.
What to checkCheck in advance how much the bank is willing to lend to a non-resident with income in shekels, and what repayment ratio is allowed.
Money, taxes and financing
Interest rate indices
IRCC is the central bank's reference index for variable-rate loans in lei. For a euro loan the index is usually EURIBOR. Your rate is the index plus the bank's fixed margin.
What to checkCheck the margin, how often it resets and the loan currency against your income currency.
The information is general and is not legal or tax advice, and is no substitute for reviewing a specific deal. The explanations are abridged and accurate as of October 2026. Market terms such as la cheie are not defined by law, and a term that was not highlighted is not necessarily meaningless. Before committing, have the property documents checked by a lawyer.
Disclosure: Adv. Ilan Leibovitch is also a real-estate developer and a partner in Compass Group, the developer of Compass on the Lake in Romania. The office does not represent buyers or investors in transactions with Compass Group or its projects, and refers them to independent counsel.
Adv. Leibovitch is a native Romanian speaker. In an introductory call we will go over the document, explain what it says and what needs to be checked before payment.
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