There was an old woman who lived in a shoe. She had so many children, she didn’t know what to do. Well, if that shoe is in Romania, some of them will have to move.
You might have seen the crazy house prices in Cluj and wondered, how can anyone afford that? Well, maybe it took more than one salary to pay that off. Maybe it took a few thousand. That is right, according to Jurnalul, many places in Romania have thousands of tenants, the record number is 18 thousand.
I will repeat that in Romanian, so you can check if I got the number right.
Optzeci mii de locuitori.
Okay. That’s a lot of people for one address. But under the new law, if you have more than ten people registered at one address, you will have to register them at a new address.
I am sure we can fit more than that. Over Christmas one year, we must have had twenty. Our old neighbours seem to have at least three times that many for Easter and New Years, and I am sure I saw more than that many in a Turkish soap opera that is pretty popular here.
Before 1989, Romanians were punished for having families that were too small. If we live in countries that had census 100 years ago, I am sure that we all have at least one lot of thirteen children in our family trees.
And until recently, in countries of Eastern Europe and Portugal, the grandparents, if they were still alive, might live at the same address too.
Maybe one child will bring a spouse home for a short time. So, you will find old census registrations in Britain, America, Portugal, for up to 20 people at one address.
Due to expanding rent prices and other kinds of inflation, family numbers have shrunk in the past 30 years.
But even these days, with many Romanians going off to university or to work abroad (or even to volunteer), you might still need more than ten people at one address, at least for a permanent address, until they get settled to own a home of their own.
However, I do think this is good news for expats in Romania, and here is why. Before, many banks and accountants and others wanted to know a permanent address, and would not accept a Romanian one. Now, as their relatives abroad refuse to give a Romanian permanent address, bankers and accountants will be more understanding of foreigners who make their permanent home in Romania.
Another piece of legislation that could make things easier for foreigners, at least temporarily, is the FATCA, FBAR reporting extension. This amnesty is only temporary, however, and expect banking problems to return with a vengeance some time in 2025-26.