Business · Companies · 2 hrs ago
Late notice to landlords accounts for 54% of HUG guarantee refusals
South Korea’s HUG can refuse to pay a deposit guarantee if a tenant does not properly tell the landlord they plan to end the lease.
Jeonse is a rental system in which tenants pay a large deposit, which the landlord is expected to return when the lease ends.
Tenants generally must give notice at least two months before the lease ends to qualify for the guarantee.
Failure to give notice made up 54% of HUG’s refusal reasons in the latest figures, down from 59% in 2024 but still more than half.
The guarantee is meant to protect tenants when landlords do not return deposits, including in cases of fraud or financial difficulty.
Missing the notice step can leave tenants without the protection they expected, even if they bought the guarantee.
HUG has added tools such as real-time checks on claim progress, but the notice requirement remains important.
Late notice to landlords accounted for 54% of HUG’s jeonse deposit guarantee refusals in 2025.
Tenants generally must notify landlords that they intend to end a lease at least two months before it expires.
HUG may refuse to pay a guarantee if a tenant misses that notice, even if the tenant has insurance.
The share of refusals linked to missed notice fell from 59% in 2024 but remained above half.
From 2020 through August 2024, HUG recorded 411 refusal cases involving 76.5 billion won in deposits.
- Who
- The Korea Housing & Urban Guarantee Corporation (HUG) and tenants with jeonse deposit guarantees.
- What
- Late notice to landlords was the reason for 54% of HUG guarantee refusals in 2025.
- When
- The figures are for 2025, according to a government evaluation report published in 2026.
- Where
- South Korea.
- Why
- Tenants who do not notify landlords of their intention to end a lease on time may not meet the requirements for HUG to pay the guarantee.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
HUG recorded 12 jeonse guarantee refusal cases.
HUG recorded 128 refusal cases.
Missed notice accounted for 59% of HUG guarantee refusal reasons.
Refusal cases from 2020 through this month totaled 411, involving 76.5 billion won in deposits.
Missed notice accounted for 54% of HUG guarantee refusal reasons.
- Missed-notice share in 2025
- 54%
- Missed-notice share in 2024
- 59%
- Notice deadline
- At least two months before the lease expires
- Refusal cases, 2020-August 2024
- 411
- Deposits involved, 2020-August 2024
- 76.5 billion won