'New House but Water Leaks'... Apartment Defects All Fixed Before Move-In

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[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] The pre-move-in inspection procedures for apartments about to be occupied are being strengthened, with a quality inspection team composed of experts conducting direct inspections, thereby enhancing defect management before moving into multi-family housing. Any defects found must be addressed before occupancy.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 22nd that it will hold a 40-day legislative notice period from the 23rd until August 3rd for partial amendments to the "Housing Act Enforcement Decree and Enforcement Rules" containing these measures. This is in response to the upcoming enforcement of the amended "Housing Act," which introduces provisions related to pre-move-in visits by prospective residents and the establishment of a multi-family housing quality inspection team, scheduled to take effect on January 24 next year.

The new amendment focuses on enhancing the effectiveness of pre-move-in visits by prospective residents. Going forward, the project owner must conduct pre-move-in visits for prospective residents for at least two days, starting no later than 45 days before the designated move-in period begins. During the pre-move-in visit, necessary information such as the visit schedule and inspection checklist must be provided to residents at least one month before the visit begins.

If defects are raised during the pre-move-in visit, the project owner must establish a plan to address the issues and submit it to the inspection authority (local government) within seven days after the visit ends. Subsequently, general defects in private areas must be addressed before the handover date to the prospective residents, and defects in common areas must be resolved before the inspection authority grants the usage approval. Serious defects must also be addressed before the usage inspection.

The criteria for classifying defects will also be specified. Defects will be categorized as either serious defects or "general defects." Serious defects are defined as those expected to cause significant safety or functional issues that would seriously hinder residents' living in the multi-family housing. Detailed investigation methods and judgment criteria for defects will be revised and announced around December in the "Standards for Investigation, Repair Cost Estimation, and Defect Judgment of Multi-family Housing."

The amendment also mandates notification of the status and completion of defect repairs. From now on, the project owner must inform residents in writing of the status of repair work on the handover date. Additionally, if all repairs are completed, the results must be submitted to the inspection authority.

The amendment includes provisions related to the role and administrative procedures of the multi-family housing quality inspection team. The Housing Act amendment requires the establishment and operation of a quality inspection team by the city or provincial governor for multi-family housing complexes with 300 or more households. For complexes with fewer than 300 households, inspections can be conducted according to city or provincial ordinances. Inspection team members will include architects, engineers, housing managers, university professors, and public officials.

The quality inspection team thus formed will inspect not only common areas but also at least five households selected by the inspection authority, and submit the inspection results to the city or provincial governor and the inspection authority within five days of the inspection completion date. Additionally, the amendment stipulates that the period for the project owner to file objections to the inspection results and the inspection authority’s order, as well as the inspection authority’s review and notification period for such objections, must all be within five days, ensuring a prompt and accurate usage inspection system.

The proposed amendments to the enforcement decree and enforcement rules can be viewed from the 23rd via the official gazette and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport website. Opinions on the amendments can be submitted by mail, fax, or through the Ministry’s website.

Lee Yuri, Director of the Housing Construction Supply Division at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "We expect that the pre-move-in visit and quality inspection team system will alleviate inconveniences caused by defect repairs for the public and help prevent conflicts with project owners."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.