Korea Moving Checklist: D-30 to Move-In Report and Deposit Refund

A move in Korea is not just carrying boxes. It is the day when your address, your contracts and your money all change at once. People book a packing mover and then cannot pay the balance on the new home because the old deposit has not come back, or file their move-in report late and get legal protection late. This guide is a timeline checklist from one month before the move to two weeks after. It describes the general process as of October 2026, and rules and documents can change, so confirm on official sites such as Government24 (gov.kr) before you apply.

The moving schedule at a glance

D-30: sort out dates and your lease first

The first thing to check is the end date of your current lease. Under the Housing Lease Protection Act, if neither landlord nor tenant gives any notice by two months before expiry, the lease can renew automatically on the same terms. If you are a tenant, tell the landlord at least two months before expiry that you will leave, by text message or a certified letter (내용증명). Even after an automatic renewal, a tenant can give termination notice at any time, and it takes effect three months after the landlord receives it.

Next, match your move-out date with your move-in date. If a jeonse (a Korean lump-sum deposit lease) or monthly-rent start date does not line up, you pay for storage or temporary housing, so check the new contract schedule against our jeonse fraud prevention checklist. If you plan to remodel the new home, it is best done while empty before you move in; the order and timeline are in remodeling order and timeline.

D-30 to D-21: compare packing-mover quotes

Get quotes from at least two or three movers on identical terms, or you cannot compare them.

• In-person or video quote: phone-only quotes often rise on the day because "there is more stuff". A quote based on actually seeing your belongings is more accurate.
• What the quote should list: crew size and truck tonnage, packing scope (partial or full packing), ladder truck or elevator use, floor and parking distance, options such as dismantling and reinstalling air conditioners or built-in wardrobes, waste removal, and whether move-in cleaning is included.
• Damage compensation: check whether the mover carries insurance for moving cargo accidents, and whether the compensation limit and claim method are in the contract or quote.
• Deposit and cancellation: confirm the deposit amount and the refund terms if you cancel, make sure the payment account matches the company name, and ask whether cancellation fees depend on timing.
• Extra-charge conditions: agree in advance on stair carrying, extra items, waiting time and parking problems that can add charges on the day.

Why "lucky days" cost more

"Son-eomneun-nal" (손 없는 날, "days without evil spirits") are days whose lunar-calendar date ends in 9 or 0 (the 9th, 10th, 19th, 20th, 29th and 30th), traditionally considered good for moving. The price effect is not mystical; it is supply and demand. Many households want to move on the same day while each mover has limited trucks and crews, so a premium is added and bookings fill up fast. End of month, weekends, holidays and school-break seasons push prices higher still, while mid-week days and the start or middle of the month are relatively open.

The size of the gap varies a lot by company and season, so we do not quote a single figure. Instead, ask the same mover for quotes on both dates and compare. Unless you must use a lucky day, the gap between an ordinary weekday and a lucky day is the easiest part of the moving cost to cut.

D-14 to D-7: declutter, report, book

1. Declutter: moving cost depends on volume. Selling or discarding unused items early lowers your quote.
2. Bulky waste: report furniture and appliances to the district office or community center and attach the sticker before putting them out.
3. Internet and TV transfer: for contracts with time left, ask whether transfer installation is possible and whether there is a penalty.
4. Management office: tell them your date and time, and book the elevator. Ask about the move-out settlement procedure and the documents needed.
5. Address-change list: banks, cards, insurance, mobile carrier, delivery apps, national pension and health insurance, car and driver's license.

Settling maintenance fees and utilities

• Maintenance fees: if you tell the management office your move date in advance, you can settle up to the current month. The timing differs by complex, so ask early.
• Long-term repair reserve (장기수선충당금): this is the owner's cost, so if a tenant paid it within the maintenance bill, the tenant can reclaim it from the landlord when leaving. Confirm the method with the landlord.
• Electricity, gas, water: on moving day photograph the meter readings and ask each supplier to settle. For electricity call KEPCO customer service (123), for city gas the local gas company, and for water the local waterworks office. At the new home, apply to start service.
• Gas safety at the new home: city gas may require a start-of-use application and an inspection.

Moving-day checklist

1. Photograph every corner of the current home to prepare for any restoration dispute.
2. Photograph the electricity, gas and water meters.
3. Carry valuables, documents and contracts yourself.
4. Check that the contract or quote matches who and what arrives (crew, truck, options).
5. At the new home, check the condition before unloading and show the crew the furniture layout.
6. After everything is in, check for damage or loss. If there is a problem, take photos and notify the mover the same day. The terms set a notice deadline, so put it in writing or by text without delay.
7. Hand over the keys and receive the deposit at the same moment.

Move-in report and fixed date: do it on moving day

On the day you move into the new home, getting the move-in report (전입신고) and fixed date (확정일자) at once is safest. You must file the move-in report within 14 days of moving, and a tenant's legal protection (대항력, the right to assert your lease against a new owner) starts at 00:00 the next day after you take possession and file. The fixed date, an official date stamp on your lease, sets your rank for claiming the deposit first in a foreclosure auction. If the landlord takes out a new mortgage between your payment day and your filing day, your rank can slip, so do not delay.

You can file at the community center or online at Government24, and get the fixed date at the community center or at the Internet Registry Office. Bring your original lease and ID. The steps are in our move-in report and fixed date guide. Foreign residents file a change of residence report instead, which is covered in the guide for foreigners on move-in reports and deposit protection.

Order for getting your deposit back (tenants)

The key rule is to get your deposit back before you move your registered address to the new home. The order:

1. Notice of termination: tell the landlord in writing (text or certified letter) at least two months before expiry.
2. Agree on the refund date: landlords often repay from the next tenant's deposit, so match the move date to the refund date.
3. Move-out settlement: settle maintenance fees and utilities, and confirm repair and restoration scope with photos. Remember that ordinary wear from normal use is generally not treated as the tenant's responsibility.
4. Keys after the money arrives: on moving day, confirm the deposit has landed, then hand over keys and door codes. Payment and key handover should happen together.
5. Then move your registration: file the move-in report at the new home after the deposit is back.

If the deposit is not returned

• Demand repayment by certified letter.
• Apply to the court for a lease registration order (임차권등기명령). Once the registration is complete, your existing legal protection and priority claim stay in place even after you move out, so do not move your registration without it.
• Continue with the Housing Lease Dispute Mediation Committee, a payment order or a lawsuit.
• If you have deposit return insurance, claim against the guarantor. See the jeonse deposit guarantee guide.

Do not forget to update your address afterwards. Korea Post's address transfer service forwards mail from your old address to the new one. For movers, post the same conditions on moving company matching and compare several quotes.