Seoul City to Operate New Apartment Quality Inspection Team Starting July

by Kim Hye Min

Published 19 May.2021 14:53(KST)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 19th that starting from July, it will operate a quality inspection team for private multi-family housing complexes with 150 or more households newly constructed throughout Seoul.

The multi-family housing quality inspection team will be composed of architects and technical experts with field experience and expertise in housing construction-related fields such as architecture, structure, landscaping, machinery, fire safety, electricity, telecommunications, civil engineering, and traffic. A pool of about 200 personnel will be established across 25 autonomous districts.

They will inspect defects and construction status of buildings free of charge before the scheduled residents move in. The inspection covers not only the interior spaces of the units (exclusive areas) but also common areas (parking lots, complex landscaping, communal facilities, etc.) that are difficult for prospective residents to inspect themselves.

This formation of the multi-family housing quality inspection team follows the enforcement of the amended Housing Act on January 24, which mandates expert quality inspections for newly constructed multi-family housing. Although prospective residents can visit the housing up to 45 days before the designated move-in period to check the construction status, there were limitations to thorough inspections.

Quality inspections are expected to be conducted up to twice. The first occurs within one month after the structural work when at least one-tenth of the prospective residents request it, and the second within 10 days after the prospective residents’ prior visit. The quality inspection team deployed on-site will be composed of no more than 15 members per complex. Inspection results will be reported to the autonomous district within five days of the inspection date, and private project owners must bear the costs of repairs and reinforcements for any defects found.

The project owners may raise objections to the inspection results, and Seoul City will form a 'Quality Inspection Dispute Mediation Committee' to verify the inspection outcomes.

Ryu Hoon, Deputy Mayor for Administration of Seoul, stated, "The goal of operating the quality inspection team is to prevent defects, reduce related disputes, improve construction quality, and enhance the residential satisfaction of prospective residents." He added, "We will ensure that construction companies proactively improve the construction quality of multi-family housing in preparation for quality inspections."