[Edaily Reporter KIM HYUNG-HWAN ] Despite a continuing stream of cases where residential accommodation facilities (residences) are falsely advertised online as officetels or apartment complexes, oversight has been found to be inadequate, with crackdowns occurring only once every four years.

According to the “Status of Detection and Action Regarding False Advertisements for Residential Accommodation Facilities” submitted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to the office of Rep. Jeon Yong-gi of the Democratic Party of Korea—a member of the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee—on the 7th, monitoring for false advertisements related to residential accommodation facilities was conducted only twice: in January–February 2022 and March–May 2026.

The investigation conducted from January 17 to February 27, 2022, uncovered a total of 464 cases, while the investigation conducted from March 23 to May 8, 2026, uncovered a total of 315 cases. Of the 779 cases, 447 were subject to corrective action, 124 remain pending, 15 were deemed ineligible for action, and 193 are currently undergoing corrective action. Corrective actions include fines, criminal referrals, and suspension of operations, while pending cases involve duplicate reports or no violations found.

According to the Enforcement Decree of the Building Act, residential accommodation facilities are not classified as residential buildings and may only be used for residential purposes if their designated use has been changed to a single-family home, multi-family dwelling, or officetel. Since residential accommodation facilities are classified as lodging facilities under the Building Act, they must be registered as lodging businesses under the Public Sanitation Management Act before operation. Nevertheless, there are frequent instances on various online platforms where such facilities are falsely advertised as officetels or multi-family dwellings without explicitly stating that they are residential accommodation facilities.

In fact, when examining listings for residential accommodation facilities on online platforms, many were advertised as “officetels” for monthly rent without any indication that they were “residential accommodation facilities,” or the designation was merely noted in small print in the property details section. As a result, tenants who sign a lease without knowing this fact may find that their change of address cannot be registered or may unwittingly commit a violation of the law.

Former Representative Jeon pointed out that on online platforms A and B, residential accommodation facilities are classified under categories such as “studio apartments,” “two-room apartments,” “apartments,” “houses/villas,” and “officetels,” without a separate category specifically for residential accommodation facilities. Furthermore, as of the end of June last year, the number of residential accommodation units reached 185,000, making them easily accessible to consumers. Rep. Jeon pointed out that since listings on real estate platforms are constantly being added, modified, or deleted, intensive monitoring conducted only once every four years is insufficient.

Representative Jeon Yong-gi stated, “‘Residential accommodation facilities that cannot be used for residential purposes are openly listed as “officetels” on real estate platforms, creating a high risk that consumers will mistake them for standard residential properties,’” he emphasized. “The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport must consult with platform operators to establish clear labeling standards that distinctly categorize residential accommodation facilities as a separate category and strengthen the ongoing monitoring system to swiftly filter out false or exaggerated listings that appear frequently.”