Monthly rent share rises to 44.8% for Seoul's midsize apartments
In short
Monthly rent accounted for 44.8% of Seoul rental deals for apartments larger than 60 and up to 85 square meters in January–September 2026, up from 34.9% a year earlier. Both monthly-rent and jeonse transactions fell, but jeonse deals declined much faster.
Read the full story 1 min read
Monthly rent accounted for 44.8% of Seoul apartment rental transactions for units larger than 60 and up to 85 square meters in January–September 2026, according to reports analyzing the land ministry's transaction disclosure data. The share rose from 34.9% a year earlier, a 9.9-percentage-point increase and the largest rise among the size categories examined. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 6 ]
The increase in share came as both types of transactions declined. Jeonse deals for midsize units fell from 24,896 to 15,599, a drop of 37.3%. Monthly-rent deals fell from 13,345 to 12,659, or 5.1%. Yonhap and other outlets reported that the much steeper decline in jeonse transactions pushed up monthly rent's share. [ 1 , 4 , 6 ]
For apartments of 40 square meters or less, monthly rent's share rose from 82.5% to 87.2%, an increase of 4.7 percentage points. For units larger than 40 and up to 60 square meters, it rose from 42.4% to 51.8%. For apartments larger than 85 square meters, the share increased from 37.6% to 44.6%. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
The midsize trend also differed from earlier years. For each year's January–September period, its monthly rent share fell from 42.3% in 2022 to 33.0% in 2023 and 31.3% in 2024, before rising to 34.9% in 2025. The smallest apartments recorded a steady increase over the same years. [ 1 , 2 ]
Yonhap reported that the land minister had attributed the broader shift to structural changes including more single-person households and the effects of jeonse fraud. The agency said the sharp increase for midsize units limited that explanation and identified tighter jeonse lending rules, more contract renewals and owner occupation as possible influences. It cautioned that delayed reports and canceled contracts could change the underlying data. [ 1 ]
Why it matters
The rise in monthly rent's share was larger for midsize apartments than for the smallest units. Reports question whether growth in single-person households alone explains the change and point to possible effects from lending restrictions and reduced jeonse supply.
Key facts
- Monthly rent's share of midsize apartment rental deals rose 9.9 percentage points to 44.8%. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 ]
- Midsize jeonse transactions fell 37.3% to 15,599 in January–September. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 6 ]
- Monthly-rent transactions in that size range fell 5.1% to 12,659. [ 1 , 4 , 6 ]
- For apartments of 40 square meters or less, monthly rent's share rose 4.7 percentage points to 87.2%. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- How much each factor contributed to the shift. Reports discuss single-person households, loan restrictions, renewals and owner occupation, without quantifying each factor's contribution.
- Final transaction counts. Yonhap says the contract-date data can change because of delayed reporting or canceled contracts.