Finding a Monthly-Rent One-Room Apartment (월세 원룸)

First, understand the money

• Deposit (보증금): A large amount of money you give when you sign the contract. You get it back when you leave. A bigger deposit means a lower monthly rent.
• Monthly rent (월세): The rent you pay every month. The payment day is written in the contract.
• Maintenance fee (관리비): Shared costs, like cleaning, hallway electricity, security, and internet. It is separate from the monthly rent.
• Utility bills (공과금): The bills for the electricity, gas, and water you use. Some places include them in the maintenance fee. Other places charge them separately.

Ask before the contract: "How much is the maintenance fee, and what does it include? Do I pay electricity and gas separately?" Some houses have cheap rent but a very expensive maintenance fee. Compare houses by adding the monthly rent and the maintenance fee together.

Prices are very different depending on the area and the building. On the 국토교통부 (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport) real transaction price system (rt.molit.go.kr), you can see the real deposit and rent amounts of contracts in that neighborhood. If the asking price is very different from the market price, ask why.

How to find a house

1. Real estate apps — In apps like Zigbang (직방), Dabang (다방), and Naver Real Estate (네이버부동산), you can filter by area, deposit, and monthly rent. You can see photos and conditions in advance.
2. Real estate posts on Danggeun (당근, a second-hand trading app) — Many posts are from individuals. Some are cheap, but you need to check more carefully.
3. Local licensed real estate agent offices (공인중개사무소) — They have houses that are not in the apps. Walk into an office near your industrial complex.
4. Coworkers and people from your country — People who have lived there give the most accurate information.

Be careful when you use apps.

• If the conditions are very good and the price is cheap, it may be a fake listing. When you go there, they say "That house is already taken" and show you a different house.
• Always see the house in person before you sign. Do not send money after seeing only photos.
• Look at the registration certificate hanging in the office. Search the office name on the city or province real estate portal to check that it is an official agent.
• The agent fee (중개보수, also called 복비) has a legal maximum. For monthly rent, the deal amount is (monthly rent × 100) + deposit. If this is less than 50,000,000원, calculate again with (monthly rent × 70) + deposit. Then multiply by the rate set by city or province rules. Ask the agent to show you the rate table.

What to check when you see the house

• Does the water run well? Is there hot water?
• Mold, marks from water leaks, windows and locks
• Heating type (city gas boiler or electric). Your heating cost in winter can be very different.
• Noise from neighbors, insects, travel time to work
• Take photos of any damage that is already there. This is so that nobody says you broke it when you leave.

What to bring to sign the contract

• 외국인등록증 (Alien Registration Card) (if you do not have it yet, your passport)
• Passport
• Down payment (계약금, usually part of the deposit). Send it by bank transfer.
• Some owners ask for a 재직증명서 (certificate of employment) or your 근로계약서 (employment contract). Ask your company for it in advance.
• You do not need a personal stamp (도장). A signature is fine.

Contract steps

1. See the house and decide.
2. Check the 등기부등본. Anyone can see it on the 대법원 인터넷등기소 (Supreme Court Internet Registry Office) website (www.iros.go.kr) by entering the address. Viewing costs 700원. Getting a copy costs 1,000원. In Section A (갑구), check the owner's name and whether there is a seizure or provisional seizure (압류·가압류). In Section B (을구), check the amount of 근저당권 (money borrowed using the house as security).
3. Check that the owner in the contract and the owner in the property register are the same person. Look at their ID card yourself. If someone comes on behalf of the owner, ask for a power of attorney (위임장) and the owner's seal certificate (인감증명서).
4. Write the contract. If you do not understand a word, ask right there. You can ask for an interpreter at 1345.
5. Send money to a bank account in the owner's own name. Do not send it to the agent's account or anyone else's account.
6. Get the original contract and the receipt, and also take photos of them.
7. After moving, make the reports.

Items to check in the contract

• Landlord (owner) name and address — is it the same as the owner in the property register?
• Tenant (your) name and alien registration number
• Address and building and unit number (동·호수) — must be exactly the same as in the property register. If it is different, your deposit may not be protected.
• Deposit, monthly rent, payment day, maintenance fee amount and what it includes
• Contract period (start date and end date)
• Repair responsibility — who fixes the boiler or water pipes if they break?
• Special terms (특약사항) — ask them to write any promises they made to you here. A spoken promise has no proof.

Things to do within 15 days after moving

1. Change of address report (체류지 변경 신고) — Report it within 15 days from the day you move, at your local 출입국·외국인관서 (immigration office) or at the city, county, or district office (시·군·구청). There is no fee. You can also do it online on 하이코리아 (HiKorea, the government website for foreigners). If you do not report, you may get a fine of up to 1,000,000원.
2. For foreigners, this report replaces the move-in report that Koreans make (Immigration Act, Article 88-2, Paragraph 2). When you have received the house and finished this report, you get 대항력 (the right to claim your lease against others) from 0:00 the next day. This means you can claim your deposit even if the house is sold at auction.
3. 확정일자 (fixed date stamp) — This is a date stamp put on your contract. You can get it at the town or township office (읍·면사무소), the 주민센터 (community service center), a city, county, or district branch office, a district court or registry office, or a notary. The fee is 600원. With a fixed date stamp, you can get your deposit back before other creditors (people the owner owes money to).
4. Housing lease contract report (전월세 신고) — If the deposit is more than 60,000,000원 or the monthly rent is more than 300,000원, report it within 30 days from the contract date. You can do this at the 주민센터 or on the Real Estate Transaction Management System (rtms.molit.go.kr). If you submit the contract with the report, the fixed date stamp is given automatically. If you do not report, you may get a fine of up to 1,000,000원.

When you leave the dormitory

• Before you leave, tell your employer in advance and put it in writing. Write the date from which you will no longer use the dormitory.
• If housing and food costs were being taken from your salary, check from when the deduction will stop. Deducting housing and food costs requires the worker's written consent. If money is still taken after you leave, take your 급여명세서 (pay slip) and call 1350.
• Calculate the total, including the maintenance fee and utility bills, before you decide.

Contract period and ending the contract early

• Contracts are usually for 1 or 2 years. If no period is set, or if it is shorter than 2 years, it is treated as 2 years. The tenant can also choose to claim the shorter period.
• You cannot just leave whenever you want during the contract period. You must agree with the owner. Often the agreement is that you pay rent until a new tenant is found, or that you pay the agent fee. Keep a record of the agreement by text message or in writing.
• If you want to end the contract, the rule is to tell the owner at least 2 months before it ends. If you do not tell them, the contract may continue as it is.

How to avoid deposit fraud

• Get the 등기부등본 yourself. Check it again on the day of the contract.
• Avoid houses with a large mortgage (근저당). If the debt is large compared to the house price, you may not get your deposit back if the house is sold at auction.
• Watch out for a fake owner. The face on the ID card and the name in the property register must match.
• Watch out for double contracts. This is a trick where someone who is not the owner rents the same house to many people.
• Refuse requests to send a large amount of money before the contract. "If you do not pay today, it goes to someone else" is a common pressure trick.
• Do not pay in cash. Send money by bank transfer so there is a record.
• Before the contract, you can ask to see the owner's national and local tax payment certificate (국세·지방세 완납증명서).

Frequently asked questions

Q. I do not have my Alien Registration Card yet. Can I sign a contract? A. Sometimes people sign with a passport. But before you get the card, you cannot make the change of address report, so your deposit protection starts later. If it is not urgent, it is safer to sign after you get the card.

Q. If my deposit is small, do I still need a fixed date stamp? A. Even if the amount is small, it is better to get one. It costs only 600원.

Q. The owner says I can just live there without a contract. A. If you live there without a contract, you cannot prove your deposit or the contract period. Always write a contract.

Q. Can I sign the contract in my friend's name? A. No. If the person who lives there and the person who signed are different, it is hard to get deposit protection.

Q. I cannot read the contract. A. Before you sign, check it with a translation app or an interpreter. You can get interpretation help at 1345.

Where to get help

• 외국인종합안내센터 (Immigration Contact Center) 1345 (many languages, interpretation)
• 하이코리아 www.hikorea.go.kr (change of address report)
• 국토교통부 real transaction price system rt.molit.go.kr
• 대법원 인터넷등기소 www.iros.go.kr
• 대한법률구조공단 (Korea Legal Aid Corporation) 132 (free advice on contract disputes)
• 고용노동부 (Ministry of Employment and Labor) customer counseling 1350 (problems with housing and food cost deductions)