"Why Use the Apartment Hallway Freely?" Conflict Over Unauthorized Items in Apartment Hallways

Apartment Hallway Privatization Conflict
Resident at Hallway End Uses Emergency Staircase for 'Personal Belongings' Storage
Resident Next to Elevator Also Leaves Various Private Items
Controversy Over 'Indiscriminate Abandonment' Despite Fines and Complaints

Reference photo. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seunggon Han] "The hallway is not anyone's private property, and blocking passage is really annoying."

Conflicts are arising among neighbors as some residents in corridor-style apartments place their belongings such as bicycles or sofas in the hallway and live that way.

These disputes mainly occur when residents living at the end of the corridor or right next to the elevator take large items out into the hallway. The same applies to stair-type apartments.

Items placed in the hallway usually include bicycles, large flowerpots, some trash sorting bins, and even cat litter boxes. Because of this, other residents are filing complaints with the management office citing obstruction of passage and damage to aesthetics.

A man in his late 30s, Mr. A, who has been living in an apartment in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul for three years, said, "There is a bicycle storage area in the apartment," and expressed frustration, "I don't understand why people take their bicycles out into the shared hallway."

Another resident, Mr. B, said, "I don't understand why trash bins that should be inside the house are in the hallway," and raised his voice, "In summer, there is a strong foul odor, and even in winter, the smell of garbage lingers. These residents are truly selfish."

One resident clicked his tongue at an absurd item he saw. Mr. C, a resident in his mid-20s, said, "One day, I happened to see a bathtub in the hallway," and criticized, "Why is a bathtub in the hallway? Do they think the apartment hallway, which everyone uses, is their personal space?" He added, "Even now, I find it really outrageous."

Notice of 'No Storage of Accumulated Items' in an Apartment Complex. Photo by Online Community Capture

All such storage of items violates current laws. According to fire safety laws, placing items in △stairs, △hallways, and emergency exits or installing obstacles that hinder evacuation and firefighting activities can result in a fine of up to 2 million KRW, and if correction orders are not followed, imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to 15 million KRW may be imposed.

Given this situation, unauthorized storage items in apartments are sometimes brought to public attention through online cafes. In an online cafe for residents of an apartment in Seoul, a post was made suggesting to find and confront the owners of unauthorized stored items as they are a problem.

Cafe members are discussing, saying things like "Let's file complaints with the apartment management office and respond immediately," "They are selfish neighbors," and "Before filing complaints, let's meet them directly and ask for understanding."

However, resolving the issue through complaints is not easy. Some residents continue to treat the apartment hallway as their private property and use it as such despite ongoing complaints and protests from neighbors. This is so-called 'reckless neglect.'

A representative from an apartment management office said, "Since we see each other every day, complaints have limited effect," and lamented, "The best way is to follow the law, but it often leads to conflicts. It's not an easy problem."