Moving Out of an Apartment in Korea: Normal Wear and Tear vs. Landlord Repair Charges

You are leaving Korea in two days.

Your boxes are packed, your flight is booked, and you meet your landlord for the final inspection of your one-room apartment.

Then the deductions begin.

“The wallpaper needs replacing.”

“There are marks on the floor.”

“The apartment needs professional cleaning.”

Instead of receiving your full deposit, you are told that hundreds of thousands—or even more than a million—won will be deducted for “restoration.”

If the apartment no longer looks exactly as it did on move-in day, do you have to pay?

Not necessarily.

Korean law does require a tenant to restore and return the rented property when the lease ends. But that does not mean every sign of ordinary residential use automatically becomes the tenant’s repair bill.

The important questions are what caused the deterioration, what the apartment was like when you moved in, what your contract says, and whether the claimed damage goes beyond normal use.

Moving out of a Korean apartment can raise disputes over wallpaper, flooring, cleaning and restoration costs.

“Restore It” Does Not Automatically Mean “Make It New”

The legal starting point is the Korean Civil Act.

Article 654 applies Article 615 to leases, including the tenant’s duty to restore the property when returning it. Article 623 separately requires the landlord to deliver the property and maintain it in a condition necessary for its agreed use during the lease.

But the words “restore the property” do not answer every wallpaper, flooring or cleaning dispute.

The Supreme Court has said that the content and scope of restoration must be determined case by case, considering factors such as the lease agreement, the condition of the property when it was rented, and changes or repairs made by the tenant.

That distinction matters.

An apartment that has been lived in for two years will not normally look untouched.

The real question is not simply:

“Is there a mark?”

It is:

“Is this deterioration from ordinary use, or is it damage for which the tenant is responsible?”

Normal Wear and Tear Is a Real Distinction in Korea

This is not just advice exchanged among foreign tenants.

Official Housing Lease Dispute Mediation Committee materials distinguish deterioration resulting from ordinary use from damage attributable to the tenant.

One published case is particularly useful for foreign renters.

A foreign tenant had a KRW 5 million deposit. The landlord withheld KRW 2 million and later demanded additional restoration costs. The dispute included whether the alleged damage was ordinary wear and whether the amount claimed for restoration was reasonable.

After reviewing the evidence and the claimed costs, the dispute went through mediation and the parties reached a settlement.

The case does not create a fixed rule for every apartment.

What it shows is that a landlord cannot settle the question simply by saying:

“It looks old, so you pay.”

Wallpaper, Flooring and Nail Holes: Ask Why They Changed

Suppose wallpaper near a sunny window has gradually faded.

That is different from wallpaper that has been torn or heavily stained through misuse.

A light floor mark resulting from ordinary residential use is different from a deep gouge caused by dragging heavy furniture.

A small wall mark is different from major holes left after installing heavy equipment.

Korean law does not provide a universal price chart saying that every nail hole costs a certain amount or every faded wall is automatically the landlord’s responsibility.

Instead, ask:

What was the condition at move-in?

How long was the property occupied?

Was the change a foreseeable result of ordinary residential use?

Was there negligence, misuse or an alteration by the tenant?

Does the lease contain a specific special term covering the item?

Those facts matter more than simply calling something “restoration.”

What About a Move-Out Cleaning Fee?

Cleaning charges are another area where simple rules can be misleading.

A landlord writing “cleaning fee” on a list does not by itself determine who must pay.

Start with the lease.

If the parties clearly agreed to a move-out cleaning obligation or fee, that agreement can be relevant. If the tenant leaves abnormal contamination, abandoned belongings or other conditions requiring additional work, those facts can also matter.

But ordinary cleaning between occupants should not automatically be confused with damage caused by the tenant.

So do not begin with:

“Cleaning fees are always illegal.”

And do not assume:

“Tenants always pay professional cleaning.”

Check the contract and the actual condition of the apartment.

If You Are Still Outside Korea, Read the Special Terms Carefully

This matters even before you move to Korea.

Korean housing contracts often contain a section for special terms, commonly called teukyak sahang (특약사항).

If you are arranging housing from abroad or signing your first lease shortly after arrival, do not treat this section as meaningless boilerplate.

Look for language dealing with wallpaper, flooring, cleaning, pets, smoking, fixtures and restoration at move-out.

Ask what those clauses mean before signing.

If responsibility for ordinary wear is unclear, this is also the time to clarify it—not two years later when your flight home is the next morning.

Your Best Evidence May Be on Your Phone

When you receive the keys, photograph the apartment before your furniture covers the walls and floor.

Record existing scratches, stains, discoloration, damaged fixtures and other visible defects. A short walkthrough video can also help establish the original condition.

Keep your lease and special terms.

If a leak, condensation problem, broken fixture or other defect develops during the tenancy, notify the landlord and keep the communication.

Months or years later, the dispute may come down to one simple question:

Was this already here?

A dated photograph or written message can be far more useful than two people arguing from memory.

The Landlord Wants to Deduct Money. What Should You Ask For?

Do not focus only on the total amount.

Ask what each deduction is for.

Which wall?

Which part of the flooring?

What damage is being attributed to you?

What repair is proposed?

How was the amount calculated?

Then compare the claim with your move-in evidence, contract, special terms, messages and the actual condition of the property.

This does not mean every disputed deduction is unlawful.

It means “restoration” should not be treated as a magic word that ends the discussion.

If You Cannot Agree, Korea Has an Official Mediation Route

Korea has Housing Lease Dispute Mediation Committees for disputes involving housing deposits, return of rented property, repairs and other lease issues.

The official process allows the parties to submit their positions and supporting materials so that the dispute can be examined through mediation.

That can be particularly relevant when both sides agree that the lease has ended but disagree about how much of the deposit should be withheld for restoration.

Official published cases show that the system has handled this type of dispute, including cases involving foreign tenants.

Mediation does not mean the tenant automatically wins.

The important point is that the landlord’s possession of the deposit does not, by itself, decide who is responsible for the disputed cost.

Three Korean Terms Worth Knowing

원상회복 (wonsang hoebok)
Restoration of the rented property when it is returned.

통상의 손모 (tongsang-ui sonmo)
Ordinary wear or deterioration resulting from normal use.

특약사항 (teukyak sahang)
Special terms written into the lease agreement.

You do not need to become an expert in Korean property law.

Knowing these terms simply helps you understand what is actually being disputed.

Before You Meet a Housing or Legal Professional

If a significant amount of your deposit is being withheld, organize the facts first.

Prepare your lease and special terms, move-in and move-out photos, messages with the landlord or real estate agent, the landlord’s list of deductions, any repair estimate or receipt you have received, and a short timeline of when the disputed damage appeared.

Separate the claims as well.

Wallpaper is one issue. Flooring may be another. Cleaning may be another.

A single demand for “KRW 1.5 million for restoration” tells you very little.

The Key Point

Moving out of a Korean apartment does not require you to pretend that you never lived there.

At the same time, “normal wear and tear” does not automatically excuse every kind of damage.

The real question is what the contract says, what condition the property was in when you received it, what changed during the tenancy, why it changed, and what evidence each side has.

That is also why this is worth understanding before you rent your first apartment in Korea, not only when you are preparing to leave.

Take photos when you move in. Read the special terms before signing. Keep important conversations.

And if a restoration bill appears at move-out, start with one question:

What exactly changed while I lived here—and who is responsible for that change?

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