A landlord in Korea may claim unpaid rent, utilities, management fees, or tenant-caused damage when settling a rental deposit (보증금). That does not make every proposed deduction valid. The useful question is not “Can a deposit ever be reduced?” but “What contract term, billing period, damage, calculation, and evidence support this amount?”
Ask for an itemized written settlement before agreeing to it. Compare the claim with the lease, move-in photos, meter readings, monthly statements, receipts, and the condition of the home. A smart-home screen or a round “cleaning fee” without dates and details is not a complete calculation.
Checked: September 3, 2026. This is general information, not a decision on an individual lease dispute. If a large deposit remains unpaid, obtain legal advice before surrendering possession or changing your registered address.
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| Illustration only. Valid deductions and dispute options depend on the lease, evidence, property type, and circumstances. |
Start by identifying the charge
| Claim | What to request | What to compare |
|---|---|---|
| Unpaid rent | Months, due dates, and amount for each month | Lease, bank transfers, receipts |
| Electricity, gas, water, or heating | Provider bill, meter period, usage, unit rate, previous balance, and payment record | Move-in/out readings and earlier bills |
| Management fee (관리비) | Itemized statement separating unit use, shared services, reserves, and arrears | Lease allocation and monthly statements |
| Damage or repair | Exact damaged item, cause, before/after photos, estimate or invoice, and age of the item | Move-in condition, contract, tenant's acts, and actual repair |
| Cleaning | Contract clause, condition complained of, work performed, and receipt | Move-in standard, move-out photos, and agreed special terms |
| Long-term repair reserve (장기수선충당금) | Management-office payment certificate | Whether the tenant paid an owner obligation through management fees |
An amount can be partly correct and partly disputed. Ask the landlord to identify each item instead of arguing about one unexplained total.
A smart-home display is not the final bill
An apartment wall panel may show electricity, water, gas, heating, or estimated costs. It can help identify a change in use, but it may not show the provider's billing period, corrections, common-area allocation, previous payments, or whether the unit has a separate account.
Record the final meter readings and dates. Then ask for the utility bill or management-office statement that converts those readings into the claimed amount. Check whether the first or last bill overlaps another tenant's occupancy and whether the same charge appears both as an individual utility and inside the management fee.
If the account is in the landlord's name, the tenant can still request the statement and proof of payment. The name on the bill does not explain which occupancy period the charge belongs to.
Before signing: write the allocation into the lease
Use the government Standard Housing Lease Agreement and put important details in the special-terms section. In March 2026, the Ministry of Justice released official English, Chinese, and Vietnamese translations to help foreign tenants review the form. The signed Korean contract remains the document whose exact wording must be checked.
Record:
- the amount and due date of rent and deposit;
- which utilities have separate meters and whose name is on each account;
- fixed management fees and what they include;
- who pays internet, parking, waste, shared electricity, and building services;
- whether a move-in or move-out cleaning fee exists and how it is calculated;
- the condition of appliances, wallpaper, flooring, furniture, locks, and smart-home equipment;
- which party handles particular repairs;
- the deposit-return date, bank account, inspection, and key-handover procedure.
Also verify that the landlord or authorized representative matches the real-estate register. The Easy Law service advises checking the register before contracting and again before paying the balance. A translated contract does not replace ownership and debt checks.
Make one evidence set from move-in to move-out
On move-in
- Film a continuous walk-through and take dated close-ups of existing marks or damage.
- Photograph meters, keys, appliances, furniture, walls, floors, windows, bathroom, and kitchen.
- Send the defect list to the landlord or agent in writing and keep the reply.
- Save the signed lease, special terms, property checklist, and agent's explanation.
During the lease
- Keep rent transfers, utility bills, management-fee statements, and repair messages.
- Report leaks, mold, appliance failures, or building defects promptly in writing.
- Do not make permanent alterations without written approval.
On move-out
- Repeat the same photos and video angles, including final meter readings.
- Ask the management office for unpaid-charge and long-term-repair-reserve statements.
- Attend the inspection if possible and write down each disputed item.
- Confirm the key-return and deposit-transfer sequence before the moving truck leaves.
How to evaluate cleaning and repair claims
Korean civil law gives a tenant a duty to return the leased property and restore changes for which the tenant is responsible. The scope still depends on the contract, the property's condition when delivered, what changed during the lease, the cause, and the evidence. A tenant is not automatically responsible for every old fixture or pre-existing mark.
For each repair, ask:
- Was the condition already present at move-in?
- Is this normal aging or a specific change or damage caused during this tenancy?
- What does the lease say about this item?
- Was repair or replacement actually necessary?
- Does the claim use an estimate, an invoice, or a round number?
- Does the requested amount account for the item's age and previous condition?
A compulsory flat cleaning fee is easiest to assess when the amount or formula was written in the lease. If it was not, request the condition complained of and the actual cleaning work. Do not sign a Korean-language “full settlement” merely to obtain the undisputed balance unless you understand which claims it releases.
Long-term repair reserve: check the management statement
The long-term repair reserve funds planned replacement and major repair of common apartment facilities. Under Article 31 of the Enforcement Decree of the Multi-Family Housing Management Act, an owner must return the amount when a user paid it on the owner's behalf. The management body must issue a payment confirmation without delay when the user requests one.
This rule does not mean every line called “repair,” “maintenance,” or “management” belongs to the owner. Ask the management office specifically for the 장기수선충당금 납부확인서, covering the exact tenancy dates, and compare it with the monthly statements. The rule applies to the statutory long-term repair reserve, not every building fee.
How to answer a proposed deduction
- Ask for the complete written breakdown and supporting bills, photos, estimates, and receipts.
- Mark each line as agreed, partly agreed, or disputed.
- Send the move-in and move-out evidence for disputed condition claims.
- Ask for payment of the undisputed deposit amount by a specific date.
- Keep messages factual. Do not rely only on calls or a conversation at the door.
보증금 공제 항목별 금액, 계산 기간, 근거 서류를 보내 주세요. 동의하는 금액과 이의가 있는 금액을 확인한 뒤 정산하겠습니다.
Please send the amount, calculation period, and supporting documents for each deposit deduction. I will identify the agreed and disputed amounts before settlement.
다툼이 없는 보증금은 [날짜]까지 먼저 반환해 주세요.
Please return the undisputed portion of the deposit by [date].
A request for the undisputed amount is sensible, but the landlord's legal obligation to make a partial payment in a specific dispute can require individual advice. Do not describe the request itself as a guaranteed remedy.
If the deposit is not returned
Send a dated written demand that identifies the lease, termination date, premises, amount claimed, payment account, and deadline. Preserve proof of delivery. Then consider the Housing and Commercial Lease Dispute Mediation Committee, a payment order, or a deposit-return lawsuit. The correct route depends on the amount, evidence, urgency, and whether the landlord participates.
The Korea Real Estate Board and LH mediation portal accepts disputes including deposit or housing return, maintenance obligations, damages, and termination. Mediation can be faster and less formal than litigation, but it is not the same as an immediately enforceable court judgment in every situation.
The Korea Legal Aid Corporation provides legal information and consultations at 132. Bring the lease, proof of deposit and rent, termination notice, resident-registration or address records, registry, bills, photographs, messages, and the proposed settlement.
Do not move first when a large deposit is still unpaid
Possession of the home and resident registration are important to a housing tenant's protections. If the lease has ended and all or part of the deposit remains unpaid, a tenant may apply to the court for a leasehold registration order (임차권등기명령).
The purpose of the order is to preserve acquired opposability and priority-payment rights after the leasehold registration is completed, so the tenant can move. Filing the application is not the same as completion of the registration. Check the register and obtain case-specific advice before handing over the home or changing the address.
A leasehold registration order preserves rights; it does not itself force the landlord to transfer the money. A payment order, return lawsuit, enforcement, or another recovery step may still be needed.
Where K-apt helps—and where it does not
The K-apt Apartment Management Information System publishes management information for covered apartment complexes. It can help compare building-level fees or review disclosed management data. It does not replace your unit's bill, lease, meter record, or management-office confirmation, and not every officetel, villa, or small building is covered.
Use K-apt as a cross-check. For the actual settlement, request the statement for your unit and billing period.
Related guides
- High Electricity Bill in Korea: Read the Bill and Find the Cause
- Can Foreign Residents Open KakaoBank? Salary Account Alternatives
- Korea Residence Card: Registration, Documents, and Fees
Official sources
- Ministry of Justice — Translated Standard Housing Lease Agreements for Foreign Residents
- Ministry of Justice / Easy Law — Standard Housing Lease Agreement
- Easy Law — Ownership and Registry Checks Before a Housing Lease
- National Law Information Center — Civil Act, Lease and Restoration Rules
- National Law Information Center — Multi-Family Housing Management Act Enforcement Decree, Article 31
- Easy Law — Leasehold Registration Order
- Korea Real Estate Board / LH — Lease Dispute Mediation Committee
- Korea Legal Aid Corporation
- K-apt Apartment Management Information System
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