How do I protect my deposit before signing a lease?

Check the home's legal records before you pay, then lock in your protection right after you move in. A foreign tenant is protected under the Housing Lease Protection Act after alien registration and an address report. What to do 1. Get the real estate register (등기부등본) at iros.go.kr or a registry office, and check the owner and any mortgages or other rights. Compare the deposit with the market price. 2. Sign with the owner named on the register. If someone signs for the owner, ask for the power of attorney and the owner's seal certificate. 3. Before paying the balance, check the register again and confirm the previous tenant has moved out. 4. Move in and report your new address within 15 days. Protection against a new owner starts the day after you've done both. 5. Get a fixed date (확정일자) on the contract at the community service center, a registry office or iros.go.kr. It gives your deposit priority in an auction. 6. Check whether your lease must be reported (rtms.molit.go.kr). If so, report within 30 days; reporting with the contract also gives you the fixed date. Good to know • Deposit return guarantees (HUG, HF or SGI) can pay you if the landlord doesn't; eligibility varies. • Small deposits get extra priority in an auction. For current amounts and conditions, see Easy Law or call 132. Official sources • Easy Law, Lease (Jeonse) Agreements: https://www.easylaw.go.kr/CSM/SubCcfCmd.laf?csmSeq=2495 • Lease reporting (MOLIT): https://rtms.molit.go.kr/ This is general information, not legal advice. Checked by the Verihood team on October 3, 2026. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the official source before you act.