Housing Safety Managers Provide Expert Counseling to Prevent Jeonse Fraud, Accompany Clients During House Viewing and Contract Signing
Free Service for Single-Person Households, Including Young Adults, Facing Difficulties in Real Estate Contracts
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 30th that the 'Seoul Single-Person Household Jeonse and Monthly Rent Safe Contract Assistance Service,' which helps single-person households who have difficulty with real estate contracts?such as young adults preparing for independent living in Seoul and elderly people vulnerable to real estate information?secure jeonse and monthly rent housing with peace of mind, will begin a pilot service on the 4th of next month.
A Housing Safety Manager (licensed real estate agent) familiar with local conditions will provide consultations to prevent unfair situations such as double contracts and "empty jeonse" during the jeonse and monthly rent contract process, and will accompany clients when viewing houses to check and inspect points that might be overlooked when viewing alone. The service is available to any single-person household regardless of age, and usage is free of charge.
According to the Seoul Single-Person Household Survey, 69.4% of single-person households in Seoul live in jeonse or monthly rent housing. Although this is a slight decrease compared to the 2017 survey (76.7%), jeonse and monthly rent remain the most common housing occupancy type. Among young adults in their 20s and 30s, 93.1% live in jeonse or monthly rent housing.
The pilot project for the Single-Person Household Jeonse and Monthly Rent Safe Contract Assistance Service will operate for about five months from July 4th to November 28th in five autonomous districts selected through a public contest in March (Jung-gu, Seongbuk-gu, Seodaemun-gu, Gwanak-gu, and Songpa-gu). Any single-person household seeking jeonse or monthly rent housing in these districts can use the service. After selecting the participating districts, the city appointed and provided job training for 'Housing Safety Managers' recommended by local real estate agent associations in April and May. In June, promotional leaflets were produced, completing preparations for the service launch in July.
The 'Housing Safety Managers,' selected based on recommendations from local real estate agent associations, provide four main assistance services: ?jeonse and monthly rent contract consultation ?housing search support ?accompanied housing viewing for safety ?policy guidance.
Applications will be available from the 1st of next month on the Seoul Single-Person Household Portal. One-on-one face-to-face or telephone consultations with Housing Safety Managers, as well as accompanied house viewings, will be conducted twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays by prior application and reservation. In addition to regular operating hours, requests for accompanied house viewings on weekdays or weekends can be supported through schedule coordination with the Housing Safety Manager.
During the five-month pilot period, the city will analyze and improve operational aspects and plans to expand the service to all autonomous districts in the future so that it can be used regardless of region. Lee Hae-seon, head of the Seoul Single-Person Household Special Measures Promotion Team, said, “We hope this service will alleviate the anxiety of single-person households in securing housing, and we will continue to discover and support life-centered policies that help the daily lives of single-person households.”
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