Your lease is ending soon. If you want to stay โ check your rights, timing, and the increase cap first.
Swipe sideways
Between 6 and 2 months before your lease expires, tell the landlord you are exercising your ๊ณ์ฝ๊ฐฑ์ ์ฒญ๊ตฌ๊ถ (right to request renewal) โ you can usually stay 2 more years (Housing Lease Protection Act Art. 6-3). Any rent/deposit increase is then capped at 5% of the current amount (Art. 7). Always notify in a way that leaves proof โ SMS, KakaoTalk, etc.
Even if you signed for less than 2 years (e.g., 6 or 12 months), the law treats the term as 2 years. So if the landlord says 'your term is over, move out', you can insist on staying up to 2 years โ or leave at the shorter term you agreed, if you prefer (Housing Lease Protection Act Art. 4). However, the Act does not apply to a lease clearly for 'temporary use', such as travel or a business trip (Art. 11). Check whether yours qualifies with the Korea Legal Aid Corporation (132) or the Immigration Contact Center (1345, multilingual).
If the landlord does not give notice of 'refusal to renew' or 'changed terms' between 6 and 2 months before expiry, the lease auto-extends on the same terms (๋ฌต์์ ๊ฐฑ์ , Art. 6). Once auto-extended, you (the tenant) may give notice to end the lease anytime, and it takes effect 3 months after the landlord receives your notice (Art. 6-2).
The landlord may refuse your renewal request if there is a legal ground โ e.g., the landlord (or their direct family) will actually move in and live there (Art. 6-3(1)). But if they refuse citing 'own residence' and then re-rent to a third party without just cause, you (the original tenant) may claim damages (Art. 6-3(5)). If the refusal looks doubtful, keep a record of the stated reason.
For education/reference only, not legal advice. For a specific dispute, consult the Korea Legal Aid Corporation or the Housing Lease Dispute Committee.