Same Elevator Fee but... "Low-floor Residents Use Stairs" Complaint Controversy

Notice on Complaints from High-Rise Residents Gains Attention

Recently, a notice posted in an apartment in Gangnam, Seoul has sparked controversy after spreading online. The notice contained a message that was hard to sympathize with, asking residents living on lower floors to refrain from using the elevator.

Photo by Online Community Capture

The apartment management office stated on the 20th, "A complaint was recently raised that a resident from the upper floors told a resident from the lower floors, 'I hope residents living on the lower floors do not use the elevator and instead use the stairs.'"

The office emphasized, "The elevators installed in our complex are designed to be used on all floors," adding, "Maintenance costs are equally shared by residents on all floors. Please be aware of this and refrain from causing discomfort to your neighbors."

As the notice spread online, many netizens expressed disbelief. One netizen argued, "Strictly speaking, shouldn't residents on higher floors pay more for management fees?" and "Do they not know that lower floor residents pay the same elevator usage fees?"

The asking price for apartments in this complex, where the notice was posted, is known to range from 2.9 billion to 4.9 billion KRW. This apartment, considered to have a prime location even within Gangnam, began occupancy last year, and its asking price has more than doubled compared to the 2019 pre-sale price.

Meanwhile, conflicts among residents over elevator use are not new. In 2020, a dispute over the cost of replacing an old elevator in an apartment in Mokdong even went to court. The court ruled in favor of the residents on the 1st and 2nd floors, who rarely used the elevator, stating that it was unfair to make them bear the replacement cost equally with residents on other floors.

In 2012, in Seocho-gu, a case went to court because lower floors (17 floors from 2nd to 18th) and middle floors (21 floors from 39th to 46th) each used two dedicated elevators, while the upper floors (8 floors from 39th to 46th) used two elevators, leading to a dispute between upper and lower floor residents.

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