Client Alert | The “Nordis Law” – New Protection Measures for Off-Plan Residential Buyers

Date: November 27, 2025

November 2025

The Romanian Parliament has passed the final form of the so-called “Nordis Law”, introducing additional safeguards for buyers of residential units in projects under development (“off-plan”). Unless a constitutionality challenge is filed by the competent bodies, the law will be sent to the President for promulgation on 22 November 2025.
Although some of the initial proposals widely discussed in the media were not included (e.g., caps on down payments or mandatory insurance policies), the adopted law brings significant changes for developers, investors, and buyers.

1. Preliminary sale-purchase agreements become mandatory notarized deeds
All preliminary sale–purchase contracts (PSPAs) executed after the law enters into force must be concluded in authentic form (in front of a notary), turning a common market practice into a legal requirement.

2. New conditions for executing PSPAs: building permit registration and pre-split of individual units
A PSPA may be concluded only if both conditions are met:
registration of the building permit in the land book;and
pre-split of individual units – opening land book files for the future condominium and for each individual unit (apartments, parking spaces, storage rooms).

The aim is to ensure that each unit subject to a PSPA has its own preliminary land book file, preventing multiple PSPAs for the same unit and increasing transparency in early development stages.

Transitional period (3 months): until the cadastral and electronic systems are fully updated, the building permit will be registered in the land book of the land plot as many times as the number of units authorized, with each entry corresponding to a specific future unit.

3. New rules for reservation agreements
Maximum validity: 60 days;
Maximum reservation fee: 5% of the purchase price;
Mandatory refund: within 30 days if no PSPA or final sale contract is signed before the end of the reservation period.

4. Strict rules on handling down payments paid under PSPAs
Amounts paid as down payments under PSPAs:
must be deposited into a separate dedicated account of the developer, used exclusively for that specific project;
may be used only with the approval of the site supervisor / responsible person;
are subject to usage thresholds:
up to 25% of the price for the building’s structural works;
an additional 20% after completion of the structure, for installation works.

5. Entry into force
The law enters into force 3 days after publication in the Official Gazette;
Provisions regarding pre-split into individual units and the creation of individual land book files apply 3 months after the same date.

Impact & Recommendations

For developers:
Update contractual templates for reservation agreements and PSPAs;
Adjust marketing and sales timelines to align with new mandatory conditions;
Prepare documentation required for the pre-split process;
Implement internal controls for the newly required dedicated accounts and approval flows.

For buyers and investors:
Increased protection and transparency during early development stages;
Reduced risks of multiple sales for the same unit or misuse of down payments.

For further information regarding the implementation of the “Nordis Law”, the Legal Ground team is available to assist you.