Yongsan-gu Designates 23 Village Real Estate Agents to Prevent Lease Disputes

Free Consultation on Lease Disputes and Housing Lease Protection Act to Resolve Issues and Conflicts Between Lessors and Lessees in Real Estate Rentals

Ahn Hyun-hee, the representative of Shinyongsan Real Estate Agency Office, designated as the village public real estate agent in Yongsan-gu (right), is consulting with local residents about lease matters on the 9th.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Since the revision of the Housing Lease Protection Act in July last year, disputes related to housing leases have increased due to a decrease in rental supply and requests for contract renewal rights.

Both landlords and tenants inevitably need the help of experts.

Yongsan-gu (District Mayor Seong Jang-hyun) has designated and is operating 23 "Village Real Estate Agents" starting this month.

This is to resolve the difficulties and disputes of landlords and tenants related to real estate leases.

The designated agencies include Haengunjae Redevelopment, Yumyeonghan, Seoul, Seowon, Seodeokjong, Yongsan Dream, Rex Real Estate, e-Shingye Somang, LBA Hyunji, Royal Consulting, Hangang, Real Estate Land, New Town, Alibaba, Dongwon, Sookdae, Parkville Real Estate, Sinyongsan, Yongsan Iman-su, Nice, Dongwon, Euddeum, and Happy Land Real Estate Office.

They will display the Village Real Estate Agent designation plaques and certificates inside and outside their offices and welcome residents. They will provide free guidance on issues residents are curious about, such as ▲lease-related disputes (building defect repairs, deposit returns) ▲Housing Lease Protection Act (contract renewal claims, rent ceiling system) ▲real estate contracts and transaction trends.

Service hours are weekdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is recommended to make a reservation by phone before visiting. The location and phone numbers of each agency can be found on the district website under General Civil Complaints - Civil Complaints by Category - Real Estate Complaints - Village Real Estate Agents.

A district official said, "This project is carried out entirely through the talent donation of licensed real estate agents," and added, "Outstanding agencies will be selected later and awarded the district mayor’s commendation."

The district designated 1 to 2 Village Real Estate Agents per neighborhood last month based on recommendations from the Yongsan-gu branch of the Korea Association of Licensed Real Estate Agents. The designation criteria include agents with abundant experience and knowledge related to leases and no administrative sanctions in the past two years.

Agencies that have received administrative or criminal sanctions for violating the Licensed Real Estate Agent Act, those that have closed or been inactive for more than three months, or those that have relocated to other districts will have their designation canceled.

Seong Jang-hyun, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, said, "Following the free real estate brokerage service for low-income groups, we are designating and operating Village Real Estate Agents," and added, "We will continue to increase participating agencies and enhance residents’ convenience."

The district also operates a free real estate brokerage service for low-income groups in cooperation with the Yongsan-gu branch of the Korea Association of Licensed Real Estate Agents. There are 259 participating agencies, and about 100 cases have been supported since 2016.

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