You found your place to live in the HiExpat.com housing section.   Next?  Follow this great heads up from our good friends at the Global Village Center on what to do as an English Teacher (or otherwise) before you sign a lease agreement to move into that new dream pad in Korea!

Make sure your Real Estate Agent is a registered agent.   You can check this by contacting your local district (gu) office with the name and business registration number of the agent. 


Check your Lease terms & conditions:  your agent has checked out, you will want to check the terms of the lease agreement.  One of the most important things you should check is that the conditions for termination of the lease are not too strict. You want to make sure that if something comes up and you have to terminate the lease early, you can get your key money (deposit, or cheonsae) back without much difficulty.  Confirm the ownership of your new abode.  Before signing you can also ask the agent to show you the status of the house owner’s mortgage on the property. This is to ensure that you will be able to get your deposit back in case the property ends up going to public auction.  (Usually only necessary if you have put down a large deposit over 10 million won).

Condition check!  Be sure to do a final check on the apartment as well before signing the agreement. You should check all the doors and windows to make sure the place is secure. Also check thewater pressure, lights and switches, boiler function (both for water and floor heating), and any of the appliances that the apartment comes equipped with. The landlord should make repairs on these kind of things before you move in. It’s also a good idea to ask the landlord about replacement of flooring and/or wallpaper. Usually, before a new tenant moves in, the landlord will change these if they are old to prevent the build up of mildew. Be safe.  Be sure to also ask about fire safety equipment. Make sure you have a fire extinguisher and smoke alarm. If you do not have these, and your landlord will not provide them, they can be purchased cheaply online at www.nofire.co.kr.

 


Photo:  note the fire extinguisher by the fridge.

Signing.  If everything checks out, then you should be ready to sign on the line which is dotted!  (Always first review an agreement with someone you trust how has experience in the Game, such as a close friend or attorney).

Next Steps.  After you have signed your lease agreement there are a couple of final steps you need to take. First, you have to go to the district (gu) office to report your change of address. You are required to do this within two weeks after you have moved. Then finally you should take your signed lease agreement to the local registry office to get what is called a 확정일자 (Hwak-jeong-il-ja). This is an  official record of the key money you have put down, and establishesyour priority for getting your money back should the property go to public auction.

Enjoy your rent and sleep safe!

As always never hesitate to contact those cool cats at the SGC or the Global Village Center!

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