"Is There a 100% Way to Avoid Jeonse Fraud?"... Advice from a Lawyer

Common Knowledge on Lease Agreements: Now a 'Study-Needed Era'
Essential Information Before, During, and After Contract Signing
Yangcheon Youth Job Cafe Special Lecture on 'Avoiding Jeonse and Wolse Fraud'

Seoul Yangcheon-gu will hold legal lectures on "Avoiding Jeonse and Monthly Rent Scams" and "Protecting My Assets and Family" on the 2nd and 9th of this month. About 40 young people attended the lecture on the 2nd. Photo by Minjin Kim enter@

When asked what the most feared thing is among young adults in their 20s and 30s who are just starting their careers, these days, the answer "jeonse fraud" comes up quite often. This was evident even from the young people gathered at the Yangcheon Youth Job Cafe (Mokdong Kkaebi Market Sharing Center) in Deungchon-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, on a sunny Saturday afternoon on the 2nd.

That day, the Yangcheon Youth Job Cafe was holding a legal class as part of the Youth Academy titled "Avoiding Jeonse and Monthly Rent Fraud." About 40 young people gathered in the fourth-floor lecture room. Summarizing the questions poured out to lawyer Kim Min-cheol, who was the instructor, the main concern was, "Is there a way to absolutely avoid jeonse fraud?"

Lawyer Kim said, "Unfortunately, if the other party is determined to commit fraud, there is no way to completely avoid it," but added, "However, if you are well aware of the precautions and prepare accordingly, the possibility of preventing or minimizing damage increases." He said, "I cannot guarantee 100% avoidance, but depending on each person's choices, the probability of avoiding jeonse fraud can be raised to over 90%."

For the "preparation" that lawyer Kim mentioned, there are things you must know ▲when signing the lease contract, ▲during the lease contract period, and ▲when the lease contract ends. At the contract signing stage, you need to know how to properly verify the legitimate landlord, understand the collateral value, the landlord's credit, and the key contents of the lease contract. After signing the lease contract, you must file a move-in report and obtain a certified date to establish opposability and secure priority repayment rights.

Lawyer Kim said, "During the lease contract period, you need to properly understand the rights and obligations of tenants and landlords, such as tacit renewal of the contract and the right to request contract renewal." It is also necessary to study devices and procedures to safely get your deposit back when the lease contract ends, such as tenant registration orders, landlord's liability for damages, and how to write certified documents.

When entering into a real estate lease contract, if you have previously relied solely on real estate agents, now it is an era where each person must study related knowledge to some extent to properly understand explanations and correctly filter out mistakes.

Shin Euijoo (34, female), who came to the lecture hall before preparing a newlywed home, said, "I attended the lecture because I was afraid that I could become a victim before signing the jeonse contract," and added, "It was very helpful to properly understand the meanings of difficult legal terms." Kang Yerin (25, female), a young adult just starting her career, said, "I recently became independent from my parents and signed a contract for my first rented room, but after signing, I realized there were many things I didn't know, so I came to the lecture hall thinking I should study for the future."

With jeonse fraudsters like the so-called "Villa Kings" rampant, nowadays, when trying to sign a contract, landlords are suspicious and real estate agents are not fully trustworthy. However, if suspicion goes too far, life becomes only more difficult, so it is essential to grasp necessary everyday legal knowledge.

Yangcheon-gu will continue its survival law special lecture on the 9th under the theme "Protecting My Property and Family." It will provide legal knowledge closely related to daily life, such as civil, criminal, and family law. Lee Gijae, mayor of Yangcheon-gu, said, "This special lecture is an opportunity for young people to learn problem-solving skills for various legal issues they may face in society, such as jeonse fraud and employment contracts," and added, "We will continue to operate solid support programs to help young people enter society stably."

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