Flatshares in Cluj-Napoca: finding housing as a student

Few dorm places, some of the highest rents in Romania: how to set up a flatshare in Cluj-Napoca, at what price and in which neighbourhoods.

The Remoters editorial team

Published on

19 January 2024

Updated on

6 October 2026

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In Cluj-Napoca, flatsharing isn't a default choice: it's the solution for most students. The city has 70,617 students for about 15,500 dorm places, of which 14,800 are public and some 700 private, according to a survey by Cushman & Wakefield Echinox published in September 2026. That works out at 4.5 students per place on average: nearly four students out of five therefore have to find housing on the private market.

This market is the most expensive in Romania among the large cities tracked by the Storia portal, with an average rent of €599 in July 2026. Sharing a two-room or three-room apartment is the simplest way to bring that budget down to a student level. Here is how to go about it: real budget, organising with others, timing and neighbourhoods.

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Why flatsharing dominates in Cluj

Dorms that cover only one student in five

The dorm coverage rate, that is, the number of places relative to the number of students, is 21.9% in Cluj-Napoca according to Cushman & Wakefield Echinox. That is lower than in Iași (28.9%) or Timișoara (23.5%), and slightly higher than in Bucharest (19.7%). The places exist, and they remain the cheapest option, but they are allocated according to each university's rules and many students don't get one. Ask for a place as soon as you are admitted, and prepare a solution on the private market in parallel.

What a flatshare costs

According to Storia, a two-room apartment rented for €599 per month on average in July 2026 and a three-room apartment for €749. Imobiliare.ro gives very similar levels in September 2026: €580 for a two-room apartment and €750 for a three-room apartment. The maths is quick:

Two people in a two-room apartment: about €290 to €300 each, excluding utilities.
Three people in a three-room apartment: about €250 each, excluding utilities.
Alone in a studio: €400 on average according to Storia, with nobody to share the bills.

Add utilities (water, heating, common areas), generally between €50 and €150 per month for the whole home depending on the season. Split between flatmates, they weigh little, but the Transylvanian winter pushes up the heating bill: ask the landlord for the amount of the previous winter's utilities.

Rents in euros, a budget often in lei

Rents are almost always quoted in euros. If your income is in lei (Romanian grant, student job), watch the exchange rate: the euro hit a record 5.3447 lei at the National Bank of Romania's official rate on 2 October 2026. A rent set in euros then costs more in lei, even without any increase decided by the landlord.

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Setting up a flatshare that lasts the year

Setting up a flatshare or joining one

There are two ways to do it: look for an apartment together with classmates, or take over a room in an existing flatshare, often left by a student who is leaving at the end of the year. The second option is faster, but check who holds the lease and what you are signing yourself.

Points to settle in writing

The lease (contract de închiriere): it is written in Romanian. Check whether it is signed by all the flatmates or by just one, and what happens if one of them leaves during the year.
The security deposit: generally one to two months' rent, plus the first month. Note who paid what, so it can be shared fairly on the way out.
The split: rent, utilities, internet, and the largest room or the one with a balcony, which often pays a little more.
The inventory: dated photos of each room at move-in, shared with the landlord.

A real estate consultant interviewed by Economedia in July 2026 notes that most homes rented in Romania belong to private individuals who own one or two apartments, and that inflation-indexed leases are rare there. Still, read the rent review clause before signing.

Search in August, not October

The same consultant advises students to start searching as early as August: at the end of summer, supply is wider, whereas at the end of September and the start of October all the students are searching at the same time and "the first to turn up at the viewing gets the place". Storia also measured a sharp rise in rental enquiries in July 2026. Allow at least four to eight weeks for the search, and never pay anything before you have viewed the home or had it viewed.

Where to look for a flatshare in Cluj-Napoca

The right neighbourhood depends first on your faculty: the institutions are spread across the whole city. Do the commute at the time of your classes before you decide.

Centru: everything on foot, at a high price. According to Imobiliare.ro, an apartment in the heart of the city rents for €750 per month on average, which remains affordable for three people.
Mănăștur and Dâmbul Rotund: the cheapest neighbourhoods in Cluj in September 2026 according to Imobiliare.ro, at around €500 per month for an apartment. Mănăștur, a large neighbourhood of apartment blocks in the west, has plenty of homes to rent.
Mărăști: large parks, good transport links, moderate rents, a solid option for a shared three-room apartment.
Gheorgheni: well served, close to the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (FSEGA), good value for money.
Zorilor: residential and green, near the Botanical Garden, for those looking for quiet.
Bună Ziua and Europa: recent buildings, often more spacious, but further out; check the bus service.

Searching for your shared flat remotely

From France, it is hard to view places, compare listings in Romanian and react fast enough at the end of August. A Remoters home finder based in Cluj-Napoca can look for an apartment suited to your group and your faculty, view it for you, prepare the application and go over the lease before signing. The first conversation and the quote are free.