1. Type of residence
1) Apartment
-
It is a multi-family housing complex with 5 or more floors, each with independent units, and has amenities, shops, and a public parking lot within the complex, with a manager living there. A management fee is paid every month, including utility bills such as electricity, water, and gas.
2) Officetel (residential)
-
Officetel, a compound word of office and hotel, refers to an office with simple living facilities. It is classified as a business facility under the Building Act, but it is a preferred form of housing for office workers or single-person households because it has built-in furniture and appliances for convenience. Most officetels have a public parking lot, and like apartments, they charge a monthly management fee.
3) Single family home
-
This refers to a house built on land owned by an individual. Unless there are special circumstances, it is usually owned by one or two people (jointly owned).
4) Townhouses and multi-family housing
-
A townhouse, which is a Western-style mansion, is a joint housing unit of four or fewer floors with two or more houses, while a multi-family house is a house built so that multiple households can live in one building.
5) One room
-
One-room apartments are similar to officetels in terms of housing type, but are smaller. Depending on the structure, they are divided into separate kitchen and integrated kitchen types. Compared to officetels, they are cheaper to rent, so they are concentrated around universities.
6) Boarding
-
You can live there by paying only monthly rent without a deposit, and the monthly rent includes housing costs, utility bills, breakfast and dinner. It is a form of living in a house where several people live, and the kitchen, living room, bathroom, etc. are used as common spaces. The landlord lives there, and they are mainly concentrated around universities.
7) Gosiwon
-
The deposit and monthly rent are the cheapest housing types, and the living space is cramped for one person. The kitchen, bathroom, and shower room are shared, and cooking is possible. Basic ingredients such as rice, eggs, and kimchi are provided.
Dwelling
※ This content was written with reference to the publication ‘Seoul Living Guide for Foreigners, Korean Edition’ published by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
3. Moving
1) Things to note when moving
Before moving in, you should first thoroughly inspect the condition of the new house you are moving into. If there are any defects, you should take evidence photos before unpacking and report them to the real estate agent or landlord.
If you paint or make repairs yourself, you must get permission from your landlord in advance.
If you move again, you should return your deposit and give the keys to the landlord to avoid any disputes that may arise later.
When leaving the country, you must pay utility bills such as management fees, electricity, gas, and water bills to avoid any disadvantages when entering and leaving the country.
2) Things to pack when moving!
Confirm payment of utility bills and management fees: Settle all utility bills such as electricity bills, gas bills, and management fees, and keep receipts just in case.
ARS inquiries: City gas 1588-5788 / Water and sewage 120 / Electricity bill 123
3) Moving method
Call Van Moving
If you don't have a lot of belongings to move, it is economical to use a call van service.
General Director
This is a type of moving where the moving party packs and organizes the moving items themselves, and only enters into a vehicle use contract with the moving company. The price varies depending on whether moving personnel are needed, and can be selected and used according to the scale of the move.
Moving company
This is a form of moving where the moving company packs and transports your belongings and then finishes organizing them in your new home. The person moving only needs to manage valuables separately and decide on the location of furniture and appliances when moving in. The price varies depending on the size and quantity of your belongings, and you can also use other services such as cleaning for an additional fee.
Tip. What is implicit renewal?
※ There are some things to keep in mind before the contract expiration date. If you do not intend to reside after the contract expires, you must notify the landlord of your intention to move out one month before the contract expires. Otherwise, the contract will be automatically renewed even if a separate contract is not written, which is called 'implied renewal'. In the case of the landlord, if you do not intend to renew the contract with the current tenant, you must notify them to vacate the house two months before the contract expires and give them enough time to move out.
Tip. Other moving services
If your moving date does not match and you need to store your belongings for a while, you can use the storage service provided by an overseas moving company. The storage fee is determined based on the number of days of storage.
If you want to receive a cleaning service before moving into a new home, search for ‘move-in cleaning’ or ‘move-out cleaning’ on a portal site.
2. Lease Agreement
1) Jeonse (deposit system)
Jeonse is a system where you deposit a certain amount of money to the landlord as a deposit and use it after signing a 1-2 year lease contract. When signing the contract, you pay 10% of the jeonse amount as a deposit, and pay the balance when you move in.
Tenants must maintain the condition of the house as it was when they moved in during the rental period, and must obtain the consent of the landlord if they wish to do any interior renovations.
After the contract ends, the landlord must return the full amount of the deposit to the tenant.
2) Monthly rent
Monthly rent is a system in which, after signing a lease for 1 to 2 years, a certain amount of deposit is paid and a monthly usage fee (monthly rent) is paid. The deposit is usually 10 to 20 times the monthly rent.
Normally, 10% of the security deposit is paid as a deposit, and the balance is paid in full upon moving in. However, if the contract holder cancels the contract in the middle, the deposit cannot be returned, and if the landlord breaks the contract, double the deposit must be paid to the contract holder.
In principle, the deposit is returned in full after the contract ends, but if special circumstances arise, such as overdue rent or utility bills, the amount may be deducted from the deposit and returned.
Brokerage fees vary depending on the type of residence, area, and transaction amount. A list of real estate agencies that offer foreign language support (mainly English, Chinese, and Japanese) can be found at the Seoul Real Estate Information Center (land.seoul.go.kr) operated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
5. Garbage disposal
1) Waste separation and collection
-
Waste separation collection is a system that separates and collects waste by type, such as PET, paper, vinyl, and cans. General waste and food waste that are not subject to separation collection are placed in a volume-based bag for sale and disposed of. This system reduces the amount of waste by having the person disposing it pay the cost of disposal and encourages the separation of waste as much as possible.
2) Penalties imposed in case of violation
-
Each of the 25 autonomous districts in Seoul has a designated garbage collection day and time. Failure to comply with these rules or illegal dumping may result in a fine of up to 1 million won. If general waste and food waste are not separated, the fine will increase based on the number of violations. (There may be differences by autonomous district.)
3) General and food waste
-
Each of the 25 autonomous districts in Seoul has a designated day and time for garbage disposal. Failure to comply with these rules or illegal dumping may result in a fine of up to 1 million won. If general waste and food waste are not separated, the fine will increase based on the number of violations. (There may be differences by autonomous district.)
-
Tip. Items not included in food waste
Fruits: skins of walnuts, chestnuts, peanuts, acorns, coconuts, pineapples, etc. / seeds of apricots, peaches, persimmons, etc.
Meat: Animal bones, feathers
Seafood: shells of clams, conches, abalone, cockles, sea squirts, oysters, lobsters, etc. / puffer fish intestines (roe)
Others: Irritating substances such as tea bags, herbal powders, onion skins, and red pepper paste
4) Recyclable waste
-
Classification of recyclable waste by item
-
Discharge method
Recyclables such as waste paper, scrap metal, plastic, glass bottles, and vinyl are sorted and organized by type and then disposed of all at once in front of the house.
Vinyl can be mistaken for trash, so dispose of it neatly by putting it in a transparent plastic bag or tying it up.
Since each autonomous district has a different collection day, be sure to familiarize yourself with the recyclables disposal day and dispose of them during the appropriate disposal time (after sunset to midnight).
Starting December 25, 2020, Seoul apartment complexes must separate transparent PET bottles (water, beverages) from general plastics (colored PET bottles, disposable cups, etc.).
Discharge location
For private homes, dispose of waste in front of the front door or at a designated disposal area. For apartments, dispose of waste in a designated collection area within the complex.
Recycling Centers and Flea Markets
5) Bulk waste
-
Bulky waste refers to waste that does not fit into the volume-based waste disposal bags, such as furniture and home appliances.
-
Reporting and methods for disposing of large waste
Internet Report
The Discarded Home Appliance Collection Reservation Center provides a free home visit service where a collection person visits your home to collect heavy discarded home appliances free of charge.
Waste Appliance Collection Reservation Center: ☎1599-0903 (www.15990903.or.kr)
Collection vehicle operating hours: Weekdays and public holidays 08:00~18:00 (separate consultation after operating hours)
Closed: Every Saturday and Sunday, Lunar New Year and Chuseok holidays, Labor Day, January 1, and public holidays
-
Visit the local community center and report
How to discharge
Dispose of after attaching the ‘Large Waste Report Certificate’ issued by the district mayor
Bulk waste disposal fee
Each autonomous district has different rates, and if the report details and the discharged items are different, it will be considered illegal dumping and will not be collected. Illegal dumping of large waste will result in a fine of up to 200,000 won.
6) Small waste
33 types of small home appliances, including discarded cell phones, irons, and vacuum cleaners, can be disposed of without additional fees.
Small, discarded home appliances can be disposed of on the recycling collection day in your area.
You can put your discarded cell phone in a dedicated collection box (Green Box) located at a sales office, local community center, or Woori Bank branch.
4. Electricity, gas, water
1) Electricity
The standard voltage for household electricity is 220V/60Hz. When using electrical appliances imported from overseas, you must check the voltage and frequency before using them. The monthly electricity bill is charged on the next month's bill, and in the case of apartments or officetels, it is added to the management fee bill and charged.
For inquiries related to electricity bills, payment, subscription, and failure reporting, please contact the Korea Electric Power Corporation 24-hour Electricity Consultation Customer Center (☏123) or the website (www.kepco.co.kr) [Korean, English, Chinese, French, Spanish].
2) Gas
In Seoul, city gas is widely used, but in areas where city gas facilities are not being built, LP gas is used. Seoul city gas is supplied by 'Seoul City Gas'. In the case of houses that use LP gas, if you contact the gas supply company near your residence, they will deliver the gas.
If you want to use city gas after moving, you must contact the gas company in your area of residence to apply for use. Then, a representative will visit you on your desired date to install the gas.
Gas installation and removal are dangerous and must be done by professionals from the city gas company.
Information on city gas companies by residential area can be found at the City Gas Association (www.citygas.or.kr).
3) Capital
Water bills are billed once every two months. They include water supply, sewage, and water usage charges. Various related information can be found at the Waterworks Headquarters (☏120, arisu.seoul.go.kr) [Korean, English].
Tip. Winter! How to prevent water meters from freezing
In winter, when the temperature drops below zero, water meters can freeze, causing inconvenience. In advance, fill the inside of the water meter protection box with old clothes or towels, and cover it with plastic to prevent cold air from entering, and keep it warm. Also, when you are not using tap water, turn on the faucet a little to prevent water pipes from freezing.