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HOUSING & DORMSPosted by apostille_survivor2026 🇷🇴 Romania · 1 month ago
Is there even a contract? nobody gave me one
paid my first month, got the key, and that was the whole process. no paper, no signature, nothing.
is that normal? what happens if there's a dispute later and i have literally nothing
is that normal? what happens if there's a dispute later and i have literally nothing
7 comments
OFFICIAL ANSWER
KyaALLO TEAM
Founder & Head Consultant · Seoul
That is normal. Most goshiwon operate without a written contract, and legally you are still a tenant with rights — but you should create your own paper trail, because right now you have none.
Why there is usually no contract: with no deposit and month-to-month terms, there is nothing for a contract to protect on either side. The operator's risk is one month of rent; yours is the same.
What to do today, and it takes five minutes:
1. Send a KakaoTalk message to the operator confirming: your name, the room number, the monthly amount, what it includes (utilities, wifi, kitchen), the date you moved in, and that there is no deposit. Ask them to confirm. Their reply — even just "네" — is your record.
2. Keep every payment record. Bank transfer records with the date and amount, or photographed receipts if you pay cash. Cash with no receipt is the situation to avoid.
3. Photograph the room on move-in day, including anything already damaged. Send those to the operator the same day with a short message. This is what prevents a cleaning or damage charge at the end.
4. Ask for the 거주사실 확인서 for immigration if you have not already.
What your rights actually are without a contract: Korean housing law does cover goshiwon residents. You cannot be removed without notice, and you are entitled to the period you have paid for. Disputes are rare precisely because the amounts are small and the arrangement is monthly.
Where the absence of a contract genuinely bites: proving what was agreed. If the operator later says the rate was higher, or that a cleaning fee was always part of it, and you have nothing in writing, you are relying on their memory. That is the whole reason for the KakaoTalk message.
If something does go wrong, the Korea Legal Aid Corporation and the district foreigner support centres handle exactly this kind of case for free, with interpreters.
Why there is usually no contract: with no deposit and month-to-month terms, there is nothing for a contract to protect on either side. The operator's risk is one month of rent; yours is the same.
What to do today, and it takes five minutes:
1. Send a KakaoTalk message to the operator confirming: your name, the room number, the monthly amount, what it includes (utilities, wifi, kitchen), the date you moved in, and that there is no deposit. Ask them to confirm. Their reply — even just "네" — is your record.
2. Keep every payment record. Bank transfer records with the date and amount, or photographed receipts if you pay cash. Cash with no receipt is the situation to avoid.
3. Photograph the room on move-in day, including anything already damaged. Send those to the operator the same day with a short message. This is what prevents a cleaning or damage charge at the end.
4. Ask for the 거주사실 확인서 for immigration if you have not already.
What your rights actually are without a contract: Korean housing law does cover goshiwon residents. You cannot be removed without notice, and you are entitled to the period you have paid for. Disputes are rare precisely because the amounts are small and the arrangement is monthly.
Where the absence of a contract genuinely bites: proving what was agreed. If the operator later says the rate was higher, or that a cleaning fee was always part of it, and you have nothing in writing, you are relying on their memory. That is the whole reason for the KakaoTalk message.
If something does go wrong, the Korea Legal Aid Corporation and the district foreigner support centres handle exactly this kind of case for free, with interpreters.
Was this helpful?Updated 1 month ago
7 comments
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You can still post anonymously after signing in.no contract is standard. i sent a kakao message listing the room number, price and what's included and asked him to confirm. he said 네 and that was my contract for 9 months
20
doing that today. thanks
8
screenshot it too in case the chat gets cleared
6
photograph the room on day one and send the photos to the operator. that's what stops a damage charge later. same as any rental anywhere
15
photos on your phone are a claim. photos he received are a record
6
korean law does cover goshiwon residents. you're not outside the system just because there's no paper. but proving what was agreed is on you
12
avoid paying cash with no receipt. bank transfer leaves a record automatically and costs nothing
9
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