Seoul City Offers Free 'Commercial Lease Act' Training... Actively Protecting Vulnerable Tenants in the Lease Market

From October 24 to the end of November, weekly in-person education for citizens every Monday... Recruiting participating citizens from the 28th
Prioritizing protection of tenants, the vulnerable in the rental market, with education to prevent tenant rights violations

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 28th that it will conduct a free education program on the Commercial Lease Protection Act for citizens over two months from October to November to prevent common disputes related to commercial lease contracts, such as unilateral contract termination, excessive rent increases, and refusal to pay key money.

This commercial lease education prioritizes the protection of tenants, who are inevitably the 'weaker party' in the lease market, aiming to prevent tenant rights violations caused by misinterpretations of the Commercial Lease Protection Act and trading practices that differ from current laws. In particular, the program focuses on teaching essential legal content and key matters to prevent lease-related accidents so that tenants can protect their own rights and avoid lease damages. It is designed to help not only general small business owners but also prospective entrepreneurs reduce the risk of failure in the early stages of their business and sustain stable operations in the long term.

The education will be held six times every Monday from October 24 to November 28. Each session has a capacity of 20 participants, totaling 120 people. A professional instructor specializing in commercial leases will focus on core topics that tenants must know during leasing, such as the application of the Commercial Lease Protection Act, contract termination, rent, key money, restoration to original condition, and brokerage fees.

Especially, the program will help citizens understand by introducing accurate interpretations of recently amended laws and examples of improper trading practices. Citizens of Seoul who wish to participate can download the application form from the Seoul Fair Trade Comprehensive Counseling Center website, fill it out, and submit it via email, visit to the Commercial Lease Counseling Center, or fax.

Meanwhile, besides education to prevent tenant damages, the Seoul Metropolitan Government operates the ‘Commercial Lease Counseling Center’ to resolve various questions and problems related to leases, and the ‘Seoul Commercial Lease Dispute Mediation Committee’ to settle disputes between landlords and tenants, providing diverse support to stabilize the commercial lease market and protect tenant rights.

Kang Nam-tae, head of the Small Business Division of Seoul City, said, “As expectations for revitalizing commercial districts grow following the lifting of COVID-19 gathering restrictions, disputes between landlords and tenants are also increasing.” He added, “We will provide accurate information about the Commercial Lease Protection Act to citizens to prevent disputes and offer various support to ensure that tenant merchants, who are the weaker party in the lease market, do not suffer damages due to misinterpretations of the law.”

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