How do I rent a studio/apartment in South Korea

What you should know when renting an studio apartment in South Korea.

Deposit

YOU MUST NEED A  SECURITY DEPOSIT,

When you rent a studio apartment, the security deposit you have to prepare is approximately 5 million KRW to 10 million KRW for a studio apartment. It’s the average amount.

Instead, you do not need your guarantor when renting a studio apartment in South Korea.

 Compared to Japan, where foreigners cannot easily rent a studio apartment,
in South Korea it is not difficult for foreigners to rent an  studio apartment if they can prepare a security deposit.

You can pay it by cash or sending bank transfer.
You cannot move in without paying a deposit.

So make sure you have the money ready in advance so that you can pay your security deposit.

Contract period

When you sign a contract for a studio apartment, you and the landlord determine the CONTRACT  PERIOD.

The contract period is generally for one or two years.

If you want a short-term contract under a year, try to negotiate with the landlord.
But some landlords may not accept short-term contracts of a few months.
It all depends on the landlord.

Rent

For example, rent in areas close to the central of Seoul can be higher than 1~2 million KRW.

However in the suburbs, or a bit far from downtown Seoul, semi-basement room, or a very narrow room, you can be able to find a studio apartment with less than 500,000 KRW rent.

Lately, the cost of food, everyday items, and eating out has exploded in South Korea.
This is also true for rent.

If you want to save money and live in a place that doesn’t cost you a lot of money,
You might want to look for a room as a shared house rather than a studio apartment.

There are a lot of shared houses in the university town in South Korea.

furnished?

Generally, there are a lot of studio apartments that provide the following furnishings.

Some apartments do not have the following furnishings.

You need to purchase dishes, household appliances, TV, blankets, etc.

You may be interested in bringing small electrical equipment from your country.

However, the voltage in your country may not be the same as the voltage in Korea, so it is better to buy them in Korea. <The Korean voltage is 220 volts.>

I know people who brought dryers from their country and tried to use them in Korea and broke them because the voltage in Korea was too strong!

 Internet environment

The Internet is now an integral part of our lives.
So you may be wondering if the studio apartments have internet access.

Most studios in South Korea contract with the Internet service in advance.

you just pay Internet fees as well as management fees. Also, Korea has plenty of free Wi-Fi in public areas.

However, an apartment called Officetel could ask you to contract with the Internet service on your own.

If so, ask your real estate broker or the management company of the Officetel building if you can contract with  the Internet service.

Utility costs

If you live in a studio apartment, you have to pay for the utilities you use, like gas, electricity and water bills.

You will receive a utility invoice each month. 
You can pay it  in cash at a convenience store or transfer it using a bank ATM.

South Korea’s utility bills may not be very high compared to your country’s utility bills.

However, in summer, the electricity bill is HIGH through the use of air conditioning,
GAS bills are very HIGH in the winter because of the floor heating system called ondol (온돌)

 What is the difference between an officeltel apartment<오피스텔>and an studio apartment

In South Korea, they have a studio apartment called OFFICETEL<오피스텔>

It is similar to a studio apartment.
A studio apartments have only one owner of the building, but OFFICETEL<오피스텔>have different owners per room.

OFFICETEL building is often located in a GOOD LOCATION, near a subway station, on a main road, etc.

so It is popular, even when the rent is high, that the location is good and the facilities are SPACIOUS and CLEAN.

Many of the  OFFICETEL rooms have lofts, as shown in the photo above. You could even live in an OFFICETEL with your friend

If you live in the OFFICETEL, you have to pay not only utility bills, but also common electrical charges, elevator fees, and so on.

They are sometimes higher than you think.

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