As the lease contract for the apartment signed two years ago is nearing its expiration, it has been found that tenants in the metropolitan area are facing an average burden of 42.15 million won in increased deposits. In particular, for the average apartment size in Seoul, the increase has surpassed 64 million won, adding to the housing cost burden for low-income residents.
On the 22nd, the real estate brokerage firm Ziptoss analyzed the actual rental transaction prices of 7,878 apartment complexes in the metropolitan area for the first half of 2023 and the first half of 2025. The average deposit for apartments in the metropolitan area was found to have increased by 42.15 million won, from 390.63 million won to 432.78 million won over two years.
The most notable point in this analysis was the rising trend in the rental prices of standard-sized apartments, which are the typical living arrangement for households of three to four people. The average deposit for these apartments in Seoul was 537.6 million won in the first half of 2023, but it surged by 64.35 million won to an average of 606.96 million won in the first half of 2025. The average increase in rental prices of the analyzed apartments was 11.7%.
This amount is what tenants who signed lease contracts two years ago would need to save entirely from their income over the past two years without spending a penny, just to continue living in the same house. Considering the burden of interest on rental loans, the pressure felt by tenants is expected to be much greater.
By apartment type, the average increase rate of rental prices was actually higher in smaller-sized apartments. In the metropolitan area, medium-sized (average apartment size) apartments had the highest increase at 11.2%, followed by small-sized (50–60㎡) apartments at 10.8%. In contrast, large-sized (over 85㎡) apartments saw a 9.8% increase, while extra small-sized (under 50㎡) apartments only increased by 5.6%. This is analyzed to be due to the concentrated demand for rentals in medium and small-sized apartments, which are favored by newlywed couples and households of three to four people, thereby intensifying price pressure.
The rise in rental prices is not limited to Seoul but has been observed throughout the metropolitan area, with some regions in Gyeonggi Province showing even higher increase rates than Seoul. In Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, the average rental price for standard-sized apartments skyrocketed by 154.5 million won (an average increase rate of 21.9%) over two years, marking the highest increase in the metropolitan area. Following this were Yangju (19.3%), Guri (17.3%), Hwaseong (16.6%), and Siheung (15.4%), leading the instability in the rental market of major regions in Gyeonggi.
In Seoul, Mapo District recorded the highest average increase rate at 15.4%. Seodaemun District (14.4%), Dongjak District (14.0%), and others followed. In terms of amount, Seocho District increased by 117.17 million won, and Gangnam District increased by 110.81 million won, confirming that the burden of deposit increases is especially significant in high-priced areas.
This analysis focused on 7,878 apartment complexes in the metropolitan area where there were at least two rental transactions in both the first half of 2023 and the first half of 2025, directly comparing the average deposit variations of the same apartment complexes and sizes to minimize statistical distortions.
Lee Jae-yoon, CEO of Ziptoss, noted that "as uncertainties in the purchase market grow while rental demand remains steady, the significant rise in rental prices compared to two years ago indicates that the housing cost burden on tenants is reaching its limit." He added, "Especially, low-income individuals without homes who had planned to switch to purchasing are facing a double blow from skyrocketing rental deposits and monthly rent burdens."