#After moving into a newly constructed apartment, Mr. A could not install a washing machine or dryer due to the narrow width of the laundry room. Therefore, Mr. A requested the installation of necessary equipment for laundry on the master bedroom balcony. The project owner intended to repair the issue by removing the installed insulation and installing new insulation to widen the current width of the laundry room. However, Mr. A demanded an alternative solution instead of this method. When a dispute arose regarding the repair method, the project owner and Mr. A approached the Housing Dispute Mediation Committee (HDMC). The HDMC, upon reviewing the case, decided to proceed with the repair by widening the current width of the laundry room as proposed by the project owner, while also ordering the project owner to compensate Mr. A for the damages incurred due to the inability to use the washing machine and dryer.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 13th that it has published this year's 'Defects Examination and Dispute Mediation Casebook,' which contains representative cases of defect disputes occurring in apartments.
The casebook includes practical defect cases and solutions to help public housing residents and managers create a safe and pleasant living environment together. The cases total 64, including 42 defect examinations, 14 dispute mediations, and 8 re-examinations, resolved by the Housing Dispute Mediation Committee (HDMC) since 2022.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport classified recurring and frequent defect issues into 18 detailed categories and organized them to make the cases easily understandable through photographs.
Among the cases included in the casebook, a representative defect dispute involves bathroom tiles. The HDMC investigated a claim concerning insufficient backfilling of the bathroom wall tiles, which could risk tile lifting or detachment, using thermal imaging cameras. As a result, it was determined that the area of mortar backfilling behind the tiles was less than 80% of the tile area, making it highly likely for the tiles to lift, sag, or detach, and thus it was ruled as a defect.
Another case included in the casebook concerns low water pressure at the kitchen sink, causing significant inconvenience in using the sink. In this instance, the HDMC conducted a field investigation, which revealed that the water discharge rate measured only 3.6 liters per minute, falling below the minimum standard of 4 liters per minute. Consequently, it was deemed a defect as it hindered functionality for washing food ingredients and doing the dishes.
The HDMC also highlighted a case where the width of the landing at the stairwell was too narrow, making it difficult to evacuate safely in an emergency. In this case, it was confirmed that the effective width of some landings measured approximately 1,120 to 1,130 mm, failing to meet the relevant minimum standard of 1,200 mm, which could obstruct evacuation. It was also determined that it posed a risk to the function of the vertical movement corridor, thereby receiving a defect ruling.
The HDMC typically sets a repair period of 60 days for the project owner regarding cases ruled as defects. If the project owner fails to comply, local governments impose fines of up to 10 million won.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport indicated that in case of disputes related to apartment defects, resolution could be sought through applications to the HDMC instead of filing lawsuits in court. Since 2019, the HDMC has been receiving and handling an average of about 4,400 defect dispute cases annually.
A Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport official said, "We aim to provide information to construction companies to ensure thorough construction of defect-prone areas, thus facilitating the supply of quality dwellings, while also supporting residents in using this as reference material during pre-inspections of newly constructed apartments or in actively responding to defect disputes."
Starting today, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will distribute the defect examination and dispute mediation casebook to the Korea Housing Association, the Korea Housing Management Association, the Representatives of Tenants Association, and local governments, and also publish it on the ministry's website and in the defect management information system.