Protecting your deposit — move-in report and fixed date

A contract alone does not protect your deposit. You must do two things: the move-in report and the fixed date stamp.

Why it matters

If the property goes to auction, the order of repayment is fixed. Only with the move-in report, actual residence and a fixed date stamp can you be repaid ahead of other creditors. Even one day's delay pushes you down the order.

Three safeguards

1. Move-in report (전입신고) — at your community service centre or on Gov24, on moving day.
2. Fixed date stamp (확정일자) — a dated stamp on the contract, at the community centre, registry office or online.
3. Deposit return guarantee insurance — a guarantee institution insures the return of your deposit. There are eligibility rules and deadlines.

Steps

1. On moving day (or before), take the contract to the community service centre.
2. File the move-in report. As a foreign resident, also confirm the change-of-residence report.
3. Get the fixed date stamp on the contract.
4. Report the change of residence for your alien registration at immigration or the community centre. There is a deadline.
5. For jeonse, look into deposit return insurance.
6. Photograph the original contract with the stamp and keep it safe.

What you need

• The original lease contract
• Alien Registration Card
• A small fee

Where to go

• Your community service centre
• Gov24 www.gov.kr · registry www.iros.go.kr
• Ministry of Land 1599-0001 (jeonse safety)
• 1345 HiKorea (change of residence report)
• 132 Korea Legal Aid Corporation

Questions people ask

Can foreign residents file a move-in report? Yes. With alien registration, the change-of-residence report gives the same effect. Tell the community centre you want lease protection.

The landlord tells me not to file it. That is a serious warning sign — it may be an attempt to block your deposit protection. If they say that, reconsider the contract.

I got the fixed date late. It takes effect from the date given. Get it now regardless.

My deposit is not being returned. Get free advice from 132. There are remedies such as a lease registration order and a payment order.

Take care

Do both as early as possible. If the landlord takes out a loan in the meantime, you drop down the order. In principle, do it on moving day.

Related

lease-contract · housing-scam · jeonse-wolse · alien-registration-card

Source

Ministry of Land www.molit.go.kr / Supreme Court registry www.iros.go.kr / As of 2026-08