Korean Job Discussion Forums

[andrew]

.....

[Novernae]

Do you have elevators?
Lights in the hallways?
A security guard, or someone who sorts the garbage?

[Voyeur]

Apt. maintenance fees are pretty common. Frankly, it should just be added to the rent as it effectively is in North America. But here they seem to like having separate bills for some reason.

If you have to provide your own apt. then suck up the fee too - it seems pretty normal to me. Sorry about the lack of communication on it, but c'est la vie.

OTOH if your employer has to provide housing they have to cover the apartment fee too I believe. Not gas or electric, but they should cover apartment fees.

[alabamaman]

[Qinella]

[andrew]

.....

[Voyeur]

I don't think it is that nefarious. I think it is mostly just another way of doing things. If all those things were covered by rent then the rent would be higher.

You aren't gonna change the world and a fight over 32,000 a month isn't worth it. Really, they are just saying that your rent is in fact higher than one thinks it is. That is how I have always looked at it.

There is probably some reason for separating the fees - maybe it is easier to change the management fee than rents legally etc... There may be some screwage of the renters etc... But such is life. In Korea true rent = management fee + rent, not just rent alone.

[oneofthesarahs]

I pay for my apartment maintenence, and it's 40,000 a month. Yes, it should probably just be included in rent, but hey, whatever.

However, my building is properly maintained, which makes me feel okay about paying it. It's a large apartment complex, but it's always quite neat, and burned out lights are replaced very quickly. If my apartment was a hellhole, I'd probably be upset about paying it, too.

[braunshade]

Just don't pay it!

[J.B. Clamence]

It is a bill like any other. If you have to pay your gas and electric bills, etc., you ought to pay the community bill as well. Why would your employer pay it?

[Missile Command Kid]

30,000 maintenance fee here too. Not a big deal, in my opinion.

[Demophobe]

Don't pay it.

Quit. Picket the building, nude. Write to your embassy. Call EFL law, create a .org website outlining the injustice, blacklist the apartment at city hall, leave Korea in disgust, telling everyone how backwards and unfair the place is and berate Koreans for the rest of your days.

Hub of Asia, baby.

[wylies99]

OP- my building is poorly maintained, too. Not really sure what we can do about it.

[just because]

Almost every residence in korea has some sort of management fee..

My last place was a one-room and it was even 20 000 a month(but she did clean it every day and if we had a problem she would be on it straight away)..

Apartments and officetels, basically all have a management fee...ranging anywhere from 30 000 to 150 000 depending on the size of your apartment and how new it is....

[princess]