A pothole on the pavement, a dangerous-looking tree, an abandoned car, uncollected rubbish, a damaged playground or construction work blocking access to a public area are problems many Bucharest residents encounter often. However, people do not always know exactly where to report them: to the district city hall, Bucharest City Hall, the Local Police, ADP, ALPAB or the sanitation operator.

In Bucharest, complaints are handled depending on the type of problem and the institution responsible for the area or service in question. District city halls deal with many local issues, from cleanliness, public domain and district green spaces to pavements, markets, schools, residential parking or problems related to apartment owners’ associations. Bucharest City Hall has responsibilities at city level, including certain boulevards, subordinate institutions, public transport, major urban projects and public services of general interest.

The legal basis for petitions is Government Ordinance no. 27/2002 on the regulation of petition-solving activity. The ordinance states that public authorities and institutions receiving a petition are required to send the petitioner a response within 30 days from the date of registration, regardless of whether the answer is favourable or unfavourable. If the matter requires more extensive checks, the deadline may be extended by a maximum of 15 days, with the petitioner being informed.

What a complaint to city hall actually means

A complaint is a request through which a citizen informs an authority about a specific problem and asks for it to be checked or remedied. It may be a punctual complaint, a request for intervention, an information notice about an irregularity or a petition asking for an official response.

The complaint must contain enough details for the institution to identify the problem. A wording such as “the neighbourhood is dirty” is too general. A more useful wording would be: “On X Street, in front of building Y, Sector 3, waste has been deposited next to the rubbish collection platform for several days. I request that the situation be checked and that the measures taken be communicated to me.”

For the complaint to be treated as a petition, it is important to include the sender’s details. Usually, the petition should include the name, surname, correspondence address, email address or phone number, description of the problem, exact location and, if available, relevant photos or documents. Anonymous complaints or those without enough details may be difficult to solve.

What problems you can report to the district city hall

The district city hall is usually the first institution people think of for neighbourhood problems. These may include complaints about secondary streets, pavements, alleys between apartment blocks, playgrounds, locally managed green spaces, damaged urban furniture, cleanliness, sanitation, residential parking, markets, schools or issues involving apartment owners’ associations, depending on the specific responsibilities of each district.

You can file a complaint if you notice a pothole in an alley, a broken kerb, a damaged manhole cover, a dry or leaning tree, a dangerous playground, a broken bench, a damaged pole, a dirty area or construction work that is not properly signalled. You can also report problems related to abandoned cars, abusive occupation of parking spaces, unauthorised street trade or illegal occupation of the public domain.

In some cases, the complaint reaches the district city hall and the institution redirects it to the competent service: ADP, the district Local Police, the Environment Department, the Public Utilities Department, the Urban Planning Department or another structure. However, for efficiency, it is better to send the request directly to the institution that appears responsible, when you can identify it.

When you should contact Bucharest City Hall

Not all problems in Bucharest fall under the responsibility of the district city hall. Some are handled by Bucharest City Hall or by institutions subordinated to it. For example, problems related to major boulevards, traffic lights, public transport, certain large parks, passages, infrastructure projects, utility networks or public services of citywide interest may need to be reported to the General City Hall.

Bucharest City Hall has a dedicated section for submitting a petition, while the PMB contact page includes the institution’s contact details, registry office and dispatch service. For residents, the important distinction is this: the district city hall handles many local problems, but PMB is responsible for certain services and areas with citywide impact.

A simple example: a broken bench in a district park may fall under the district city hall, while a problem in a park managed by ALPAB may be handled by the administration subordinated to PMB. Similarly, an issue on a local street may be managed by the district, while a traffic or traffic-light problem on a major artery may follow a different administrative route.

How to submit a complaint correctly

The safest option is to submit the complaint in writing, through an online form, by email, through the registry office or by post. Many city halls have digital platforms, online forms or dedicated email addresses. For example, Sector 1 City Hall indicates several ways to submit petitions: registry office, post, fax, email and online form. Sector 2 City Hall mentions online services and an address for requests, petitions and complaints, while Sector 6 City Hall has a dedicated page for submitting an online complaint.

In the complaint, it is best to include the exact location, with street, number, nearby landmark, district and, if possible, coordinates or a map screenshot. For visible problems, photos are very helpful. A photo of the pothole, tree, waste or abandoned car can reduce the time needed for verification and make the complaint clearer.

The text should be polite, short and concrete. There is no need for complicated wording. What matters is that the institution understands what you are reporting, where the problem is located and what you are requesting. For example: “Please check the situation and order the legal measures required for remediation” or “If the issue does not fall within your institution’s competence, please inform me of the competent authority.”

What is the legal deadline for a response

The general response deadline is 30 days from the date the petition is registered. This is provided by Government Ordinance no. 27/2002, the legal act regulating the activity of solving petitions. The response must be sent to the petitioner whether the answer is favourable or unfavourable.

If the issue requires a more thorough investigation, the deadline may be extended by a maximum of 15 days. In this case, the authority must inform the petitioner. The extension should not be used automatically, but only when the verification requires more time, for example for field checks, requests to other institutions or analysis of documents.

It is important to keep the registration number. If you submitted the complaint through an online form, save the confirmation. If you sent it by email, keep the sent message and the automatic reply, if there is one. If you submitted it at the registry office, ask for a registration number. Without this number, it is harder to track the status of the complaint.

What to do if you sent the complaint to the wrong institution

In Bucharest, it often happens that a resident does not know exactly who manages a street, park, intersection or plot of land. If you send the complaint to the wrong institution, the authority should redirect it to the competent institution when it can identify who is responsible.

Still, it is useful to ask explicitly for this in the text. You can add a simple sentence: “If the matters reported do not fall within your institution’s competence, please redirect the petition to the competent authority and inform me accordingly.” Such wording helps clarify the request.

If you receive an answer saying that the problem does not fall within the institution’s competence, check whether the responsible institution has been indicated. If it has not, you can ask for clarification or submit a new complaint to the institution that appears competent. In practice, for local public domain issues, the district city hall is often the first starting point.

When to notify the Local Police

The Local Police can be notified for issues related to public order, occupation of the public domain, illegal parking in certain situations, unauthorised street trade, suspicious construction works, irregularities related to construction discipline, unauthorised advertising or other matters falling within its responsibilities. In Bucharest, there is the Bucharest Local Police and separate Local Police departments for each district.

For issues at Bucharest municipality level, the Bucharest Local Police lists the number 021.9752 and the email address office@plmb.ro for petitions and complaints. The institution’s page also states that emergencies should be reported through the single emergency number 112.

It is important to distinguish between an administrative complaint and an emergency. An abandoned car, suspicious construction work or occupation of the public domain can be reported administratively. A situation that puts someone’s life or safety in danger must be treated as an emergency and reported to 112.

What cannot be solved through a simple complaint to city hall

Not every dissatisfaction can be solved quickly through a complaint. Private conflicts between neighbours, contractual disputes between private individuals, property disputes, complex land issues or matters that fall under court jurisdiction cannot be solved simply by sending an email to city hall.

For example, if there is a conflict between two neighbours regarding noise, access to private property or work carried out inside an apartment, the city hall can only check the aspects that fall within its responsibilities. For the rest, it may be necessary to contact the Local Police, the National Police, the State Inspectorate for Construction, the apartment owners’ association, a mediator or the court, depending on the case.

Similarly, if you report a problem on private land, the city hall may have limited powers. It can check whether there are legal violations, but it cannot manage the property instead of the private owner. That is why it is useful to formulate the complaint realistically: request a legality check, not automatically the immediate resolution of a situation that may depend on another authority or on the owner.

Simple complaint template for city hall

An effective complaint does not have to be long. It can contain a few clear paragraphs indicating the problem, the location and what you are asking for. For example:

“I, the undersigned [name and surname], residing at [address], hereby bring to your attention the following situation: on [street name], in front of [number/building/landmark], there is [description of the problem: pothole, dry tree, waste, damaged urban furniture, abandoned vehicle etc.].

The situation has persisted since [date/period, if known] and may affect pedestrian safety, traffic, cleanliness or the normal use of public space.

I request that you check the situation, order the legal measures required and communicate the response to me within the deadline provided by Government Ordinance no. 27/2002. If the problem does not fall within your institution’s competence, please redirect the complaint to the competent authority and inform me accordingly.

I attach relevant photos/documents. Contact details: [phone/email].”

What to do if you do not receive a response

If you do not receive a response within the legal deadline, the first step is to check whether the complaint was registered correctly. You can follow up by email, mentioning the registration number and the submission date. A simple wording may be: “Please inform me of the status of the petition registered under no. X on date Y.”

If the institution still does not respond after the follow-up, you can send a new petition, request an audience or notify higher authorities, depending on the problem. For some administrative situations, the Prefecture may be an option, especially if the legality of administrative acts is involved. For matters related to integrity, abuse, negligence or serious irregularities, other legal routes may exist.

It is recommended to keep all evidence: the initial complaint, the registration number, photos, responses received and any follow-ups. If the problem reaches a more serious stage, these documents can show that you followed the administrative steps and reasonably requested the intervention of the competent institution.

How to make your complaint more effective

The best complaints are clear, documented and easy to verify. Include the date, exact location, photos, visible landmarks and a concrete description. Avoid very long messages, accusations without evidence and general wording. An institution can act more easily when the problem is precisely located and the request is clear.

If the problem is recurring, briefly mention the history. For example: “The situation was observed on dates X, Y and Z” or “The waste has not been collected for approximately one week.” For abandoned cars, note the make, colour, registration number, if available, and the exact location. For potholes or damaged pavements, photos taken both from a distance and up close are useful.

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Finally, send the complaint to the right institution or, if you are not sure, ask for it to be redirected. In a city administered on several levels, such as Bucharest, some problems fall under the district, others under PMB, others under subordinate institutions or utility operators. A good complaint does not guarantee immediate resolution, but it increases the chances that the issue will be checked and that you will receive an official response.