Dormitory

Under the ‘Business Code – 10th KSIC Link Table’, serving as the basis for business registration, Dormitory and Gosiwon Business is classified as Other Lodging Business within General and Residential Lodging Business. However, in the case of gosiwon, facilities with a total floor area of 500 square meters or more are classified as lodging properties under the Building Act. In contrast, dormitories are categorized as multi-family housing in terms of building use, and therefore, do not qualify as lodging properties. Similarly, facilities intended for long-term residence by multiple occupants—such as students or office workers—that are small in scale and do not meet dormitory facility standards are classified as multi-unit houses.

For general dormitories operated directly by corporations or educational institutions, no separate business registration under lodging-related laws is required. By contrast, leased dormitories operated by independent lodging operators under a management contract and leased as needed, the operating entity must register its business as Dormitory and Gosiwon Business.

The ‘Dormitory Architectural Standards’, a subordinate public notice under the ‘Enforcement Rules of the Building Act’, stipulate the following requirements for dormitory facilities.

1. General Dormitories must comply with all of the following:
   1. Individual living spaces (e.g., bedrooms) shall not be located in basement floors.
   2. Toilets, wash and bathing facilities, daylighting and ventilation systems, and heating and cooling equipment or devices shall be appropriately provided.
   3. In floors of two stories or higher, where operable windows of at least 0.5 square meters are installed at portions not exceeding 1.2 meters above the floor, safety railings or equivalent fall-prevention facilities with a height of at least 1.2 meters shall be installed at those locations.
   4. Minimum corridor widths shall be at least 1.2 meters for single-loaded corridors and 1.8 meters for double-loaded corridors.
   5. Boundary wall structures and other standards prescribed in Article 19 of the “Rules on Standards for Evacuation and Fire-Resistant Structures of Buildings”, as well as standards for floor impact sound insulation for noise prevention, shall be satisfied.
2. Leased Dormitories must comply with all of the following:
   1. All requirements applicable to general dormitories.
   2. Individual living spaces shall be based on single occupancy, and shall not exceed a maximum of three occupants per room.
   3. Shared spaces excluding individual living areas—such as living rooms, kitchens, and shared bathrooms used jointly by multiple residents within the leased dormitory (excluding corridors, stairs, elevators, and parking areas used solely for circulation)—shall meet or exceed the minimum area requirements specified below based on occupancy. The combined area of individual and shared spaces shall be at least 14 square meters per person. (Areas shall be calculated based on the interior line of the building’s exterior walls.)
      
      Occupancy

      Shared Spaces

      Less than 150 people

      4㎡/capita

      150~300 people

      600㎡ + People over 150 X 3.5㎡/capita

      300 - 500 people

      1,125㎡ + People over 300 X 3㎡/capita

      More than 500 people

      1,725㎡ + People over 500 X 2.5㎡/capita
   4. Each room shall be equipped with at least one window and one door, and all windows and entrances shall be fitted with appropriate locking devices.
   5. The size of windows in each room shall be at least one-tenth of the floor area, allowing for natural daylighting and ventilation.
   6. The minimum individual living area shall be at least 7 square meters per occupant. Separately, any bathroom installed within the individual living space shall have an area of at least 2.5 square meters. (Areas shall be calculated based on the interior line of the exterior walls.)
   7. At least one side of the individual living space shall have a length of 2.2 meters or more (measured from the interior line of the exterior walls).
   8. In addition to living rooms and kitchens, shared spaces shall include multipurpose rooms, hobby rooms, or similar facilities to support communal living among residents.
   9. In shared bathrooms (excluding bathrooms installed within individual living spaces), washbasins and toilets shall be installed separately, taking into account the number of residents.
   10. The entire leased dormitory within the building shall be operated and managed under a unified management entity.
   11. Considering the parking capacity and traffic conditions of the building, restrictions on vehicle ownership or parking during the lease period shall be imposed as part of tenant eligibility requirements in order to prevent parking congestion in surrounding areas.