Realtors Required to Explain Shared Maintenance Fees Before Studio, Officetel Leases

Moving forward, real estate agents will be required to verify and explain the amount of shared maintenance fees to tenants when brokering housing lease contracts for studio apartments (one-room units) or officetels.

A partial amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Certified Realtors Act containing these measures was passed during the Cabinet meeting today (the 11th) and will take full effect starting on the 28th.

Consequently, realtors must now check and explain not only the total maintenance fee but also the specific breakdown of shared maintenance fees to prospective tenants.

Previously, small-scale housing units such as studio apartments often lacked a dedicated management entity, leading to criticisms that tenants faced difficulties in obtaining clear information regarding maintenance fees.

In particular, as costs incurred for common areas were managed opaquely, there were cases where landlords raised maintenance fees excessively instead of rents.

The method for determining brokerage fees for residential officetels will also be clarified.

It is now explicitly specified that brokerage fees for residential officetels with a dedicated floor area of 85 square meters or less, equipped with a kitchen, restroom, and bathing facilities, shall be determined through negotiation between the client and the real estate agent within the upper limit rate.

Until now, regulations for residential officetels only stipulated the maximum upper limit rate for brokerage fees without the phrasing that they should be determined through "negotiation," which had caused confusion in interpretation.

(File Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.