Studio Dublu vs. 1-Bedroom Apartment — What the Documents Say

A common point of confusion on the Bucharest market

One of the most common points of confusion on the Bucharest residential market: the difference between a studio dublu and a 1-bedroom apartment. At first glance, both seem to offer a comparable living space. In reality, the difference is cadastral, legal, and financial — and it directly affects the property's value and your decision to buy or rent.

What is a studio (garsonieră)?

A studio — known in Romanian as a garsonieră — is a single-room residential unit where the living and sleeping areas share the same space. Typical size ranges from 25 to 40 sqm. Cadastrally, it is registered as one room.

What is a studio dublu (double studio)?

A studio dublu is, from a cadastral standpoint, still a studio — it has one registered room in the official documents. What sets it apart is a larger footprint (typically 45–65 sqm) and a layout designed to allow functional separation between the living and sleeping zones, achieved through an open-plan design, a partition wall, or a mezzanine level.

The word "double" is a marketing description — not a legal classification. There is no registered separating door. There is no distinct bedroom entry on the cadastral extract.

A studio dublu is marketed with the appeal of a 1-bedroom apartment — but legally, it remains a studio.

What is a 1-bedroom apartment (apartament cu 2 camere)?

A 1-bedroom apartment — referred to in Romanian as an apartament cu 2 camere, meaning 2 rooms — has two legally distinct rooms registered in the cadastral documents: a fully enclosed bedroom with its own door, plus a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and hallway. Typical size ranges from 50 to 75 sqm. This is the classification that matters at the notary's office, at the bank, and with the tax authority.

Side-by-side comparison

Why does this distinction matter?

The practical impact is immediate:

• Sale price or rent — a 1-bedroom apartment justifies a higher price per sqm, independent of total surface area
• Bank financing — lenders classify properties based on the number of rooms in the cadastral extract, not the visual layout
• Client perception — a buyer or tenant who discovers the unit is a studio dublu after expecting a separate bedroom will feel misled
• Resale value — cadastral classification directly influences comparable market references

The BLISS position

At BLISS Imobiliare, we classify every property according to its cadastral documentation — not its appearance or the owner's description. A well-designed studio dublu with generous proportions and a smart layout has real market value. It does not need to be presented as something it is not.

Transparency does not reduce a property's appeal. It builds it.