If you were a victim of jeonse fraud,
plan deposit recovery and accountability together

Unlike other scams, there is something to protect first

Jeonse fraud victims start from a different place than other fraud victims, because they already hold the leased home as a kind of security. How much you get back varies greatly depending on whether you keep your opposability (the right to assert your lease against third parties) and your priority repayment right.

If your lease has ended and you must move out without having received your deposit, you must obtain a lease registration order and complete the registration before moving (Article 3-3 of the Housing Lease Protection Act). If you skip this and move your resident registration out, you may lose your opposability and priority repayment right.

How jeonse fraud victim status is determined

If you are recognized as a victim under the Special Act on Support for Victims of Jeonse Fraud and Housing Stability, benefits follow such as a postponement of the auction, a preferential purchase right, and financial support. The main requirements under Article 3 of the Act are as follows.

• You took possession of the home, filed a move-in report, and obtained a fixed date stamp (including cases where you registered a leasehold or a jeonse right)
• The lease deposit is KRW 500 million or less (the committee may raise this by up to KRW 200 million depending on regional conditions)
• There are two or more tenants who have not received or are at risk of not receiving their deposits, for example because an auction or public sale has begun or the landlord is in bankruptcy or rehabilitation
• There are circumstances suggesting the landlord had no intention of returning the deposit, such as the start of an investigation into the landlord, deception, or acquisition of large numbers of homes without the ability to repay

Cases where the full amount is paid by guarantee insurance or can be fully recovered through top-priority repayment are excluded. This law is amended often, and an amended law is scheduled to take effect in November 2026 as well. Be sure to recheck the requirements at the time you apply.

Who can be held liable

Separately from return of the deposit, you can claim damages from the landlord on the ground of fraud. If the landlord signed the contract from the start with neither the ability nor the intention to return the deposit, a criminal fraud complaint is also possible.

If the licensed real estate broker did not properly disclose senior rights or the size of other tenants' deposits, you can also seek damages from the broker and the association that runs the mutual aid program. In some cases this portion accounts for a significant share of the amount actually recovered.

The order of steps

1. Check the rights involvedWe review the property register, fixed date, move-in date, senior claims, and the status of other tenants.
2. Protect your opposabilityObtain a lease registration order before moving, and if needed proceed with a deposit return lawsuit and provisional attachment.
3. Apply for victim statusIf you meet the requirements, file an application to be recognized as a jeonse fraud victim.
4. Hold those responsible accountableWe handle everything through to a criminal complaint against the landlord, damages claims against the landlord and broker, and responding to distribution in the auction.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Guides

Written on the basis of Korean statutes in force (National Law Information Center, Ministry of Government Legislation) and court precedents as of October 20, 2026. Results may differ with amendments to the law or the facts of each case. This page is general information, not legal advice.

Written and reviewed by Attorney Dongwoo Shin — Ph.D. in Law; certified criminal law specialist and certified divorce law specialist registered with the Korean Bar Association. He handles each case personally from consultation to judgment. About the attorney →
Last updated October 20, 2026