90% Satisfaction Rate Among Users of Seongdong-gu Commercial Lease Consultation Center

90% of Users Receive Practical Help Through Commercial Lease Consultations
Since 2023, Commercial Lease Consultation Office Expanded Every Thursday for User Convenience

Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) announced that 90% of users, equivalent to 9 out of 10, were satisfied with the operation of the ‘Commercial Lease Consultation Center’ last year.

The Seongdong-gu Commercial Lease Consultation Center, introduced in August 2022 as the first of its kind among autonomous districts nationwide, provides specialized consultations to prevent disputes related to commercial leases and to protect local commercial districts.

In 2023, a total of 44 consultation sessions were held, addressing 107 cases. The cases were mainly related to eviction with 23 cases, rent increase or decrease with 21 cases, contract renewal with 19 cases, and key money with 18 cases, in that order.

A survey on user satisfaction showed that 91.7% of respondents felt the consultation helped resolve their issues. Overall satisfaction with the service was also high at 88.6%, and 93.8% of users said they would recommend the service to others nearby, indicating great satisfaction with the consultation center.

Recently, a user who had felt anxious due to a landlord’s contract termination notice expressed gratitude after using the consultation center. The appreciation came from learning about the tenant’s right to request contract renewal within a 10-year period from the initial contract date, explained by the consultation staff. Many landlords and tenants who face difficulties due to lack of knowledge about legally guaranteed rights and mandatory obligations related to commercial leases receive significant help through the consultation center.

Commercial lease consultations are held every Thursday from 3 PM to 5 PM on the 7th floor of the Seongdong Safety Commercial Building (20, Seongsuil-ro 12-gil). Initially, the service was available on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month, but it was expanded to every Thursday last year for user convenience.

At the Commercial Lease Consultation Center, users can receive expert advice and legal guidance on issues such as ▲rent increase adjustments ▲key money recovery ▲contract renewal and termination ▲contract drafting support related to commercial leases.

The consultation service is available not only to residents but also to landlords and tenants within Seongdong-gu. Applications can be made through the Seongdong-gu Office website or the Seongdong-gu Office Sustainable Development City Division.

Seongdong-gu also supports the ‘Visiting Commercial Building Lease Dispute Mediation Committee’ in cooperation with Seoul City. This committee, composed of lawyers, appraisers, architects, and other experts from the Seoul Commercial Lease Dispute Mediation Committee, visits the commercial site near the applicant to mediate disputes, especially for small business owners who find it difficult to leave their business premises for long periods. The mediation agreement accepted by both parties has the same enforceability as a court judgment, reducing the cost and time required to resolve disputes through litigation. Disputes over rent, key money, lease terms, and repair and maintenance obligations can be mediated, and applications can be made on-site after commercial lease consultation.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, stated, “I feel very rewarded to be able to provide practical help to residents through the operation of the Commercial Lease Consultation Center,” and added, “We will continue to strive to firmly establish a foundation for harmonious resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants and to form a consensus for mutual cooperation to create a gentrification-free, mutually prosperous Seongdong.”

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