[Exclusive] "Water Leaks and Mold on Cracks" Aging Apartments... Leakage Disputes Increase Fourfold

Increase in Water Leakage Disputes Due to Aging Apartments in the Seoul Metropolitan Area
Surge in Defect Dispute Applications for Cracks, Mold, and More
Experts Urge Urgent Improvement of Residential Environment

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] As apartments in the Seoul metropolitan area age, disputes over defects in multi-family housing caused by wall cracks, mold, and condensation have surged nearly 19 times over the past decade. Applications for dispute mediation related to 'leakage damage,' where water seeps through walls or ceilings, have also increased about fourfold in one year.

According to data submitted by the 'Central Multi-family Housing Management Dispute Mediation Committee' to the office of Kim Eun-hye, a member of the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee from the People Power Party, applications for mediation of leakage damage disputes rose to 37 cases last year, 3.7 times higher than the 10 cases in 2019. Yearly figures show 10 cases in 2018, 10 in 2019, 37 in 2020, and 16 cases up to September this year.

The number of defect inspection dispute mediation applications received by the Defect Inspection Dispute Mediation Committee is also rapidly increasing every year. According to Kim Eun-hye’s office, defect inspection dispute mediation applications, which were only 69 and 327 cases in 2010 and 2011 respectively, surged to 6,119 cases as of August 2021, nearly 19 times higher in ten years. Defect inspection disputes cover all facility defects in multi-family housing, including cracks, mold, condensation, and poor finishing.

(Source: Office of Kim Eun-hye, People Power Party, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Defect Review Dispute Mediation Committee)

Such defect disputes increased from 836 cases in 2012, 1,954 in 2013, 1,676 in 2014, and 4,246 in 2015, then slightly declined to 3,880 cases in 2016, but steadily rose again through 4,089 cases in 2017, 3,818 in 2018, 4,290 in 2019, and 4,245 in 2020. As of the end of August, the Defect Inspection Dispute Mediation Committee has only 50 committee members and 37 secretariat staff.

Experts diagnose that measures are needed to improve living environments, including easing reconstruction safety inspections. Professor Seo Jin-hyung of Gyeongin Women’s University (President of the Korean Real Estate Society) said, “It is time to consider practical solutions to improve the structure of aging multi-family housing by relaxing reconstruction safety inspection standards.” Professor Shim Kyo-eon of Konkuk University’s Department of Real Estate said, “Reconstruction and redevelopment should not be approached solely from a profit perspective but also from the viewpoint of improving residential environments,” adding, “A system should be established to enable long-term maintenance and management of multi-family housing without reconstruction demand.”