If You Violate the 'Vacant House Demolition' Order, Enforcement Penalties Will Be Imposed Starting October

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Noh Hyung-wook / Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

If vacant houses are left unattended without complying with the demolition orders from local governments, a compliance penalty will be imposed twice a year.

On the 11th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that it will publicly notify the amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the "Special Act on the Maintenance of Vacant Houses and Small-scale Housing (Vacant House Act)" containing these details.

The Enforcement Decree sets specific levels of compliance penalties following the amendment of the Vacant House Act, which previously established the basis for imposing such penalties. The related law and Enforcement Decree are expected to be enforced around mid-October.

According to the amendment, if the 'safety measures' order for a vacant house is not complied with, 40% of the compliance penalty stipulated by law (half of the standard market value of the building) will be imposed. If the 'demolition order' is not followed, 80% of the legal compliance penalty will be imposed. However, local governments may reduce the rate by up to 50% through city or provincial ordinances depending on local circumstances.

The Vacant House Act was established to encourage voluntary demolition or safety measures for vacant houses that have been neglected and pose high risks of collapse or safety accidents. Local governments can issue orders for safety measures or demolition after conducting surveys considering the deterioration and poor condition of vacant houses, as well as risks to the surrounding landscape and hygiene.

The compliance penalty can be repeatedly imposed up to twice a year on vacant house owners who fail to comply with the local government's order within 60 days until compliance is achieved.

Currently, there are 43,305 vacant houses in urban areas nationwide, of which 9,621 are subject to safety measures and 7,461 are subject to demolition.

A Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport official explained, "This law aims to enhance the effectiveness of vacant house maintenance by encouraging owners to voluntarily demolish or take safety measures rather than local governments forcibly demolishing vacant houses."

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