Turnkey preparation of an apartment for rent without the owner coming: renovation, furniture, fit-out
Turnkey preparation of an apartment for rent without the owner coming: renovation, furniture, fit-out
An apartment in Romania is prepared for letting entirely remotely: renovation, furniture, appliances and fit-out are carried out by a management company under your power of attorney, and you sign off on the work based on a photo report and an inventory. The honest caveat: preparation is not a cosmetic touch-up before a viewing, but bringing the property into a state in which it lets quickly and at its proper price. Below — what turnkey preparation includes, which technical documents are mandatory before letting, how the process works without you coming, and what to do if the apartment has already been let "as is."
What turnkey apartment preparation includes
Turnkey preparation is the full cycle from inspection to a "move in and live" state: renovation, furniture, household appliances, textiles, tableware, everyday small items and technical documentation. The work falls into 3 layers. The first is renovation and building systems: walls and floors, plumbing, electrics, windows and doors, heating. The second is furnishing: the kitchen, beds, storage, a washing machine, a fridge, internet. The third is documents and records: technical certificates, the property inventory, photos of the condition. The scope of each layer is agreed with the owner before work begins — the estimate is not "refined as we go" but approved in advance. The cost of preparation depends on the package and is fixed in the contract.
Which properties need preparation and when it cannot be skipped
Preparation is mandatory in 3 cases. The first is a new build in shell condition ("gray key"): with no finishing and no furnishing, the property is physically unfit to live in and does not go on the rental market. The second is a resale home after long-term occupants: a worn-out kitchen, old plumbing, furniture that cannot be handed over under an inventory. The third is an apartment that has stood closed for a year or longer: it needs to be brought back into use, its building systems checked and returned to working order. There is also the opposite situation, when no preparation is needed: the property has recently been renovated and fitted out — then a pre-letting check, an inventory and the technical documents are enough. What exactly your apartment needs is shown by an inspection with a photo report, not by a general rule.
Which documents and technical checks are mandatory before letting
There are 3 mandatory items: an energy performance certificate, valid technical checks of the gas equipment, and a property inventory with a condition report. The energy performance certificate, under Law 372/2005, is provided to the tenant before the lease is signed, and the energy class is stated in the listing; the document is valid for 10 years if the property has not been rebuilt, and a fine applies if it is missing. Under ANRE rules, a technical check of the gas installation is carried out every 2 years and a full technical inspection once every 10 years, as well as after an interruption of the gas supply lasting longer than 6 months; without a valid certificate, the supplier is entitled to cut off the supply. An inventory is prepared separately: a list of furniture and appliances, meter readings, photos of every room. The inventory is how the owner proves the condition of the apartment when the tenant moves out.
How preparation works without the owner coming
The process runs in 6 steps and takes from a few weeks to a couple of months — the timeline depends on the condition of the property and the scope of work.
Step 1. Inspection with photo and video records: what is there, what is worn, what needs replacing.
Step 2. An estimate and a work plan by layer, with options to fit the budget.
Step 3. Approval: you approve the scope of work and the maximum amount in writing.
Step 4. Execution: contractors, purchasing, delivery, installation; the management company signs off on the work on site under your power of attorney.
Step 5. The technical part: the energy performance certificate, the gas equipment check, meters, internet.
Step 6. Handover of the property: a photo report on each item, the property inventory, readiness for viewings.
The owner does not come even once.
What to do if the apartment has already been let "as is"
The property can be put in order during a current lease too — there is no need to terminate the lease for this. The picture is familiar: the apartment was let in the state in which the keys were received — with old furniture, mismatched appliances and no inventory. Then a chain begins: a tenant takes longer to find, the lease is signed on the tenant's terms, every breakdown becomes a dispute, and when the tenant moves out there is nothing to prove the condition with.
The fix takes 4 steps.
Step 1. A review of the property, with photo records of its current condition and a check of the building systems.
Step 2. Documents: the energy performance certificate, an up-to-date gas installation check, a property inventory with meter readings — the inventory is signed as an addendum to the current lease.
Step 3. Work by priority: first safety and building systems, then what directly affects how easily it lets — the kitchen, beds, the washing machine.
Step 4. Recording the new condition and an updated inventory.
Between tenants this work is done faster and more cheaply, so the window between tenants is planned in advance rather than sat out as downtime.
How Alliance works and what Armonia is responsible for
Armonia selects and takes over the property, Alliance holds the structure and the money. The formula for dividing the roles does not change: Armonia shows properties, Alliance keeps the money safe and builds the structure. In preparation, this means an estimate agreed with you, supervision of contractors and sign-off on the work under power of attorney, the technical documentation, the banking route for payments and the tax regime; accounting is done by dedicated audit firms. The management company makes the property turnkey: renovation, furniture, full fit-out, finding and moving in a tenant, day-to-day management.
We run 2 products: full support for a real estate deal, and obtaining EU residence or citizenship. The right to Romanian citizenship is confirmed by documents — and we carry that right all the way to a passport. The authority makes the decision: no one can guarantee the result, but the file can be put together so that it raises no questions. The timelines, the amount and the procedure are in the contract. The company's licenses are publicly available on the website.
Where to start: the takeaway and the next step
Start with a free compliance assessment — it is carried out before any decisions and commits you to nothing. In the written opinion you receive a recommended bank, a list of documents for your source of funds, an assessment of the origin, the ownership structure and the way the property will be handled. And a straight answer: whether this structure suits you. The assessment may end in a reasoned refusal — that is a result of the work too. A prepared apartment lets faster and on your terms; an unprepared one waits for a tenant willing to put up with its condition. Send the word АКТИВ — we will review your situation and your property.
Do I need to come to sign off on the renovation?
No: the sign-off is carried out by the management company under your power of attorney, and you receive a photo report on each item and the inventory. All decisions on the scope of work and the maximum amount are agreed with you in writing before work begins.
Is an energy performance certificate mandatory when letting an apartment?
Yes: under Law 372/2005 a copy is provided to the tenant before the lease is signed, and the energy class is stated in the listing. The document is valid for 10 years if the property has not been rebuilt.
How much does turnkey apartment preparation cost?
The cost depends on the package and is fixed in the contract: the scope of work on a shell-condition ("gray key") property and on an apartment after previous occupants is not comparable. You approve the estimate before work begins.
Sergey Valentinovich Kononov — head of the consulting company Alliance Consulting (Constanța, Năvodari). More than 30 years of management experience; the company has run a licensed practice in Romania for four years and supports clients from the first consultation to receiving their documents. The company's licenses and documents are publicly available on the website.