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Are Housing Deposits Illegal?
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Intrepid Voyage



Joined: 29 Oct 2007
PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 2:48 am    Post subject: Are Housing Deposits Illegal? Reply with quote
Just wondering if anyone has a definitive answer on this one...
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JiH



Joined: 01 Sep 2007
PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 2:58 am    Post subject: YES Reply with quote
In a nutshell: Yes but you do it anyway.

At the Gyeonggi-do Education Conference for native speakers this was brought up and they admitted that yes it was illegal but at the same time you sign the contract stipulating that there is a housing deposit, so you are aware of it and agree to it if you sign it.

Welcome to the oddness that is Korea.
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yingwenlaoshi



Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Location: ... location, location!
PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 4:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Illegal? No. Stupid to let them? Yes.
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garykasparov



Joined: 27 May 2007
PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 9:18 am    Post subject: Re: YES Reply with quote
JiH wrote:
In a nutshell: Yes but you do it anyway.

At the Gyeonggi-do Education Conference for native speakers this was brought up and they admitted that yes it was illegal but at the same time you sign the contract stipulating that there is a housing deposit, so you are aware of it and agree to it if you sign it.

Welcome to the oddness that is Korea.


Who said it was illegal at the Gyeonggi-do Education Conference?

Last edited by garykasparov on Mon Dec 03, 2007 3:28 pm; edited 1 time in total
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nomad-ish



Joined: 08 Oct 2007
Location: On the bottom of the food chain
PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 3:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
no it's not illegal. there are some hagwons that do this mainly because it ensures against people pulling runners, or sometimes they're just cheap or looking to screw u over at the end of your contract with fictional apt damage, etc.
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rhinocharge64



Joined: 20 Sep 2006
PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 3:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hmm it's illegal !!! end of.
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Homer
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 4:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
It is illegal if they take the deposit out of your pay without your consent. If however you agree to it through a contractual clause it is a legal deduction.

The deposit is a double edged sword really. It can be a genuine security blanket for a school who wants to protect its investment (the appartment) or it can be used by shady schools as a way to cheat teachers...

I can fully understand why schools would require a deposit after what I have seen in my time here. I can also understand why teachers are sometimes hestitant to agree to a deposit.

It is up to you to figure out the situation at your school and to act reasonably.
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ardis



Joined: 20 Apr 2006
Location: Seoul
PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 4:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I never even entertained the idea that housing deposits could be illegal. I paid one here through SMOE and I paid them all the time back home in Washington, D.C. (for about the same cost--$300-$500)
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twg



Joined: 02 Nov 2006
Location: Getting some fresh air...
PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 6:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
If you sign on the dotted line, you're agreeing to what is in the contract. You have no way to change your mind outside of leaving the job
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yingwenlaoshi



Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Location: ... location, location!
PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 7:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Homer wrote:
It is illegal if they take the deposit out of your pay without your consent. If however you agree to it through a contractual clause it is a legal deduction.

The deposit is a double edged sword really. It can be a genuine security blanket for a school who wants to protect its investment (the appartment) or it can be used by shady schools as a way to cheat teachers...

I can fully understand why schools would require a deposit after what I have seen in my time here. I can also understand why teachers are sometimes hestitant to agree to a deposit.

It is up to you to figure out the situation at your school and to act reasonably.



What have you seen? People doing runners? Don't use that again. That's no reason for a housing deposit.
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dethe



Joined: 01 May 2005
Location: Anyang
PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 7:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
It is illegal. The only thing employers can take out of you pay is taxes, insurance and pensions. All other deductions are illegal.

As for th