Seoul City "We Will Visit Directly to Resolve Commercial Lease Disputes"... Held at Seongbuk-gu Office on the 18th

'Dedicated Proactive Administration' Visiting to Ease Inconvenience of Landlords and Tenants Struggling to Vacate Business Premises
Coordination of Schedules with Landlords and Tenants Followed by Visits from Lawyers, Appraisers, and Architects to Commercial Locations for Mediation

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 12th that it will hold the ‘Visiting Commercial Building Lease Dispute Mediation Committee’ at Seongbuk-gu Office on the 18th. This is the second ‘outreach service’ following the Gangnam-gu Office on May 19.

Since 2016, Seoul has been holding the ‘Seoul Commercial Lease Dispute Mediation Committee,’ composed of 30 experts from various fields such as lawyers, appraisers, architects, and licensed real estate agents, to mediate conflicts between landlords and tenants and provide relief for damages. For each case, three committee members conduct legal reviews and on-site investigations before the mediation committee convenes. The mediation agreement signed by both landlord and tenant has the effect of a settlement under civil law and is enforceable as a court judgment.

Starting this year, Seoul plans to reduce inconveniences for small business owners by holding the committee at the relevant district office upon the applicant’s request. The ‘Visiting Commercial Lease Dispute Mediation Committee (Seongbuk-gu Office)’ consists of three professional mediators, including lawyers and appraisers, who review and mediate dispute cases.

In addition to the dispute mediation committee, on the same day from 2 PM to 6 PM, the Seongbuk-gu Office General Civil Service Center will operate the ‘Commercial Lease Consultation Center,’ where various questions related to commercial leases such as key money recovery, contract renewal, and rent can be addressed. Landlords and tenants who visit the site can receive consultations from two professional counselors without prior reservation or application.

Meanwhile, since the establishment of the ‘Seoul Commercial Building Lease Dispute Mediation Committee’ in 2016, it has resolved 437 disputes to date. Many cases involved rent adjustments, contract terminations, key money recovery, and repair costs, and the mediation rate for cases initiated in the past three years has averaged over 86%.

Lee Byung-wook, Director of Fair Economy at Seoul City, said, “We have added the visiting dispute mediation committee to alleviate the inconveniences and burdens on small business owners’ livelihoods,” and added, “We will promptly resolve disputes and provide relief to landlords and tenants facing difficulties due to lease conflicts.”

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