Korean Job Discussion Forums

[vitald]

I moved into an apartment in May and gave 1.3 million won as key money. I'm leaving the country mid December, 3 months early or our agreed upon 10 month rental contract. My landlord told me that if I wanted to move out early, it would be no problem as long as I find someone else to rent my room. The room is in a four bedroom apartment and there is only one other roommate.

My landlord tells me that if I'm unable to find someone else to rent my room, I'll lose my 1.3 million won deposit. I've had an ad up on craigslist for over a month now but have only had a few people email me about it, no one has come to look at the place. http://seoul.craigslist.co.kr/roo/2071927615.html

If I can't find someone to rent my room, it seems like loosing 1.3 mil won to my landlord is a bit ridiculous and unfair. Any advice?

[red_devil]

[victorology]

Did you sign a contract? Usually, the contract stipulates that if you break your contract early, you will have to pay rent until the landlord is able to find a new tenant. You also have to pay the real estate agents commission for the landlord when he signs the new tenant.

It really depends on the landlord. Some are more lenient than others. I think the best thing to do would be to find someone else to rent your room.

[I-am-me]

Thats a bunch of crap. Koreans move out of their apartments all the time and get their deposit money back. Just because you are a foreigner they will screw you over. Take a korean with you that will argue for your deposit back. Otherwise say goodbye to your deposit.

[tigershark]

there is a better place than craigslist to try and sell your room... i think it's called like peter pan or something on naver... it's true you MUST get someone to take over for you or you lose your key money.

[b-class rambler]

The way the system works here is that the tenant is liable for the rent until the end of the contract and gets their deposit back at that time. A lot of expats here just assume - quite wrongly - that it'll be similar to their own countries where you give a months notice, move out, get your deposit and stop paying rent.

The only way out of the obligation to pay rent until the end and to get the deposit back early is to find either (a) a replacement tenant or (b) (MUCH less likely) an extraordinarily generous landlord.

So, OP, if you didn't find another tenant you wouldn't per se lose your 1.3 million - you'd just get it back 3 months later. Of course, you'd have to pay the rent for the time from your moving out until the end of the contract, and it depends how much that is. If it were less than 1.3m you'd be owed something back. If it were more, you'd actually be getting lucky to have only lost that 1.3m.

The rules are the same for everyone and I've known plenty of Koreans in a similar situation who had to leave early and were stuck trying to get a new tenant. Other people do indeed move out all the time and get their deposits back without finding a new tenant, but that's because it'll be the end of their contract period when the landlord has to return the deposit.

Bottom line for you OP is you need to find a new tenant. I sympathise in that lots of people misunderstand the system, but at the same time it seems the landlord DID say at the start that you'd have to find a new tenant if you left early.

[vitald]

Thanks bclass rambler, I did misunderstand the system. I'll have to find a new tenant then.