Must Comply with Location and Facility Standards within 33㎡ Total Floor Area
Decks, Septic Tanks, and Parking Lots Excluded from Floor Area Calculation
Existing Farm Sheds Allowed to Convert within Three Years
From the 24th of this month, the installation of 'Rural Stay-Type Shelters' will be permitted. Unlike existing farm sheds, these shelters allow for lodging and cooking, and decks, septic tanks, and parking lots can also be installed separately. The shelters must be adjacent to roads accessible for firefighting activities, and standalone smoke detectors are required to be installed.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on the 23rd that it will officially implement the Rural Stay-Type Shelter system, which was prepared by gathering public opinion and various sector views to actively respond to rural depopulation through the expansion of rural living populations.
An official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs stated, "The Rural Stay-Type Shelter reflects public opinion that temporary lodging facilities are needed in rural areas to simultaneously experience agriculture and country life, in response to the increasing demand for returning to farming and rural living following social changes such as urban overcrowding. After a preparation period including public consultation, this system is being implemented," adding, "It is expected to establish itself as a new concept of rural stay-type facility that replaces farm sheds, which are currently not allowed for lodging under existing laws."
The government announced the introduction plan at the State Affairs Ministerial Meeting in August last year after collecting public opinion and consulting related ministries on residence and safety standards in 2023. Following feedback from local governments such as cities and counties and amendments to subordinate regulations of the Farmland Act, the system will be implemented from the 24th of this month.
Rural Stay-Type Shelters can be installed by individuals on farmland without farmland conversion permits, only requiring procedures such as temporary building construction notification and registration in the farmland ledger, with a total floor area of up to 33㎡ excluding ancillary facilities like decks, parking lots, and septic tanks.
However, to prepare for disasters, installation is prohibited in disaster prevention zones for flood and landslide prevention, collapse risk areas, and natural disaster risk improvement zones. Especially, to ensure rapid response in emergencies, shelters can only be installed on farmland adjacent to roads accessible for firefighting activities (including de facto pathways used by residents). Additionally, fire extinguishers must be provided, and standalone smoke detectors are mandatory for fire safety.
The initial period for Rural Stay-Type Shelters is three years, and extensions are to be determined by city, county, or district building ordinances. A basis has also been established to allow extension more than three times.
Those wishing to install a Rural Stay-Type Shelter must prepare a temporary building construction notification form according to building laws, attach related documents (such as location maps), submit them to the city or county approval department, receive a temporary building construction notification certificate, install the shelter, and then register changes in the farmland ledger according to farmland laws.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is also promoting a plan to legalize farm sheds that have been used as temporary lodging by allowing owners to convert them into Rural Stay-Type Shelters through a reporting procedure within three years from the system implementation date if they meet the location and standards for Rural Stay-Type Shelter installation.
Separately, the Ministry plans to maintain farm sheds for their original purposes such as storing agricultural materials and temporary rest, but to improve convenience for farmers and returnees to farming and rural living who have used farm sheds, decks, septic tanks, and parking lots (one side only) can be installed separately from the farm shed’s total floor area (within 20㎡).
Yoon Won-seup, Director of Agricultural Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "Expanding the rural living population through weekend and experiential farming activation is an important task to respond to rural depopulation," and added, "We ask for interest and support so that Rural Stay-Type Shelters can quickly settle in and faithfully serve as a catalyst for responding to rural depopulation."
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