Chairperson Choi Hojung of Seoul Metropolitan Council Proposes Ordinance to Remedy "Deposit Damage" in Public-Supported Rental Housing

Ordinance Amendment Urgently Proposed
to Legally Establish "Loan Support"
for Tenants Facing Deposit Non-Return

The Seoul Metropolitan Council has recently moved to revise regulations in order to address the blind spots in protection against "deposit non-return" damages that have been occurring in public-supported private rental housing.

On August 26, Choi Hojung, Chairperson of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, urgently proposed a partial amendment to the "Ordinance on Supporting the Supply of Safe Housing in Seoul." The core of the amendment is the establishment of a legal basis that would allow the Seoul Metropolitan Government to provide emergency loans in cases where tenants in public-supported private rental housing are unable to recover their deposits.

Choi Hojung, Chairperson of the Seoul Metropolitan Council. Photo by Jo Yongjun

If the amendment is implemented, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will be able to offer loans to tenants who are struggling to cover moving expenses. In addition, the amendment includes a variety of tenant protection measures, such as legal, financial, and housing consultations, provision of temporary accommodations, and support for relocation expenses.

Chairperson Choi also submitted a proposal urging the legalization of guarantee insurance enrollment for land-lease social housing. This proposal calls on the government and the National Assembly to create special provisions for guarantee insurance for social housing based on public land, mandate disclosure of information to tenants before rental contracts, and strengthen the supervisory responsibilities of local governments and public institutions.

Chairperson Choi stated, "We have established practical support measures to ensure that tenants who trusted the public sector are not harmed," and emphasized, "We will work swiftly with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to ensure that not a single victim is left unattended."

The amendment and the proposal are scheduled to be reviewed by the Housing and Space Committee of the City Council on September 2, and are expected to be finalized at the plenary session on September 12.

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