Wi-Fi:
Normally, Wi-Fi is not functional when you enter the first time in the apartment. But installing internet via Wi-Fi is a formality. Most of the time, tenants make a contract with an internet provider company. This contract is made in a few minutes and has very low costs. Wi-Fi is installed in all apartments. It must only be activated by signing the mentioned contract. In general, the cost is included in the estimated amount of expenses (CHARGES).
Charges:
What we call CHARGES in Cluj-Napoca are the payments that correspond to electricity, water, garbage, gas, heating and internet. These expenses are never included in the rent and they are flexible, as they depend on the consumption of each tenant.
Deposit:
The deposit or the security deposit is an amount of money that each tenant pays at the beginning of the contract and receives at the end of the contract. This amount of money remains the tenant's money, but is kept by the owner. The owner can use a part of this deposit to repair the damage caused by the tenant or to pay the remaining expenses after the tenant leaves. Some owners request as deposit the equivalent of a rent, others the equivalent of several rents. The rule says: the higher the quality of the apartment, the higher the deposit.
Equipments:
All apartments, without any exception, are equipped with strictly necessary electrical appliances: refrigerator, stove or cooking machine, washing machine or individual heating system. All apartments are rented furnished. But most of them are not rented with things like cooking pots, dishes, sheets, quilts or pillows, because these are very personal things, which require perfect hygiene. Uniassist recommends purchasing these things, as they are not expensive.
Notice:
When you want to leave the apartment before the deadline of the contract, you have the possibility to notify the owner 30 days before or 60 days before. If the owners have buildings with lots of apartments, they sometimes request damages like the equivalent of the unpaid rent until the end of the contract. The explanation: the more tenants you have, the more the lost generated by their moving increase.
Fees:
In Cluj, normally, the agency fees for a rental transaction do not exceed 50% of the first rent plus taxes. You pay this fee only once. Uniassist claims, as agency fees, 50% of the first rent, taxes included. If, for example, you rented an apartment with the help of Uniassist and the rent for this apartment is 400 euros, you will pay Uniassist, as real estate costs, 200 euros, taxes included.
Neighbourhood:
Most of the students live in Centre, in Zorilor, Mănăştur or Plopilor area. For students of UMF (The University of Medicine and Pharmacy), the best locations are Zorilor and Centre. For students of USAMV (The University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine), the best locations are Center, Plopilor and Mănăştur area. Although the houses in these areas are more expensive, there are great benefits. You don’t need to take a taxi in order to go to school, or to wake up an hour before leaving. In the breaks between classes, if you live nearby, you can go home to shower, change or relax, because sometimes you have classes from dusk till dawn.
Security:
Recently, the city of Cluj-Napoca was declared one of the safest cities in the world (22nd place). It is the safest city in Romania (1st place). There is no danger even when you walk at 1 o'clock in the morning. So, from this point of view, the people of Cluj-Napoca are among the most protected people on earth.