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A few days or several months — the right approach is completely different depending on how long you're staying. Here's how it breaks down into short, mid, and long term.
As of September 2026
Photo: Unsplash
The most common mistake when looking for housing in Korea is searching the same way regardless of how long you'll actually be staying.
In reality, each length of stay is basically its own separate market. 1–2 weeks means a hotel or Airbnb, 2 weeks to a few months means a mid-term platform like 33m2 (삼삼엠투, Sam-sam M2), and anything longer means a formal monthly lease. Splitting it into these three stages makes the whole thing much less confusing.
| Length of stay | Method | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 weeks | Hotel / Airbnb | Nothing to explain — just the most expensive |
| 2 weeks–several months | 33m2 | Fixed 330,000 KRW deposit, accepts foreign cards |
| Several months–1+ year | Formal monthly lease | Deposit usually 5–20 million KRW, requires a fixed date (확정일자) |
If you're only staying 1–2 weeks, a hotel or Airbnb is the answer. You're probably already familiar with how to book and use them, so we won't go into detail here.
Once you go past this window, though, the cost starts adding up fast — which is where the mid-term option below comes in.
This platform fits perfectly into the gap between an expensive hotel and a full lease commitment. It's actually used far more by Koreans than by foreigners — business travelers, people staying somewhere temporarily during renovations, people between moves, overseas Koreans visiting home — but it's barely known among foreign residents.
There are two main types of listings.
Since this is a mid-term stay, in-unit options matter. 33m2 listings generally come with a washing machine, fridge, air conditioner, individual heating, a gas stove or induction cooktop, a bed, and a TV, so you can move in with just your luggage. That said, prices vary a lot by building type and room size, so treat "cheaper than a hotel" as a rough expectation and compare options and price on each individual listing.
How it works
33m2 doesn't issue a formal lease contract or a proof-of-residence document (only a payment receipt is printable). Whether this address works for ARC registration or a move-in report can vary case by case, so if you need that, check with customer support beforehand.
Jeonse vs. wolse — Jeonse is a uniquely Korean system where you pay a massive lump-sum deposit (tens of millions to hundreds of millions of KRW) and live rent-free. Because the deposit is so large, there's a lot to check before signing, so we won't cover it here — it's mostly something long-term foreign residents look into. This guide focuses on wolse (deposit + monthly rent). The deposit is usually somewhere in the 5–20 million KRW range (it varies a lot by area, size, and contract length).
Real-estate apps are for "checking," not booking — apps like Zigbang, Dabang, and Naver Real Estate are useful for seeing what's on the market and roughly what it costs in a neighborhood, but the actual contract almost always happens in person at a local licensed real-estate office.
How to find a real-estate office — search "real estate" in the Naver Map app and nearby agencies will show up. Most are small, shopfront-sized offices, and a sign reading "공인중개사" (licensed realtor) or "부동산" (budongsan, real estate) is the one you want.
If typing Korean is hard, searching "real estate" in English still returns results, but search volume is lower than for the Korean term, so searching "부동산" is more accurate.
Contract process
Use an app to get a rough sense of listings and prices, then visit a local real-estate office to discuss what you're looking for and get shown units
View the actual unit yourself. Never transfer money for any reason before you've seen it
If you decide to go ahead, send around 500,000 KRW as a holding deposit so the unit isn't given to someone else
The office will print out a copy of the property register — check that it was issued that same day — then you sign the contract and send 10% of the deposit
Send the remaining balance and move in. You'll usually also prepay that month's rent at the same time (rent is almost always paid in advance)
When you visit the local 주민센터 (community center) or use Government24 after moving in, ask them to process your move-in report, fixed date, and rental report all together. One visit is enough
What is a property register (등기부등본)? — It's the public document showing who owns the unit and how much of a mortgage or lien is registered against it, among other rights. Anyone can look one up or print one at the Korea Internet Registry Office (iros.go.kr), and having the agency print one that same day is the standard practice. Checking the owner's name and any existing loans against this document is the single most basic way to avoid fraud.
When you sign, the agent should hand you a copy of the 공제증서 (broker's indemnity certificate) — make sure you actually get it. That said, it comes with a payout cap shared among multiple victims, so its real-world usefulness can be limited.
Documents you'll need: Alien Registration Card (ARC), passport
3 things you must do after moving in (the terms can be confusing, so here's what they mean)
Filing online can be a hassle for foreigners, so the safest approach is to visit the community center (주민센터) in person and ask them to process the move-in report, fixed date, and rental report all together. All three can be handled in a single visit.
Fraud-prevention checklist
This article is for informational purposes only — actual contract terms and procedures can vary by region, property, and timing. Confirm directly with your agent and local community center before signing.