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Guides and explainers on Korean real estate, for education.

For educational purposes only. Not legal, tax, or investment advice.

Using Seoul Homes

Start here: how Seoul Homes works
A tour of finding a home, reading a listing, and contacting a provider on Seoul Homes, including what the site does and does not check.
How to read a Korean listing: the terms you will see
A plain-English glossary of the deal types, money, size, layout and move-in terms on Korean listings, with what to check for each and what the law says.
Contacting a realtor and viewing a home: what to ask, and the red flags
How to write a first message on Seoul Homes, how to check that a realtor is registered and insured, what to look at during a viewing, and the warning signs before you pay a holding deposit.

Protecting your deposit: the move-in registration steps, and what to do if it isn't returned
The two steps that protect a jeonse or wolse deposit, the priority-repayment safety net for small deposits, deposit insurance (HUG/SGI), and what to do if the landlord won't pay it back.
Renewing, ending, or breaking a lease early: the tenant's renewal right and the 5% rent cap
How a Korean lease renews automatically, the tenant's one-time right to demand a renewal, the 5% cap on a rent or deposit increase, the grounds a landlord can refuse on, and how to end a lease early.
Move-in checklist: from signing the lease to getting the keys
A step-by-step checklist for renting in Korea: what to check before you sign, what to put in the contract, what to do on move-in day, how apartment fees work, and the address report foreigners must file.

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