Finding somewhere to live
Jeonse, wolse, key money, and how not to lose a deposit you cannot afford to lose.
Outline published · Updated August 2026
Korean rental arrangements do not map onto anything familiar from Nairobi or Mombasa, and the deposits involved are large enough that a mistake is genuinely serious. This guide is being written by members who have been through it — including at least one who learned the hard way.
What this guide will cover
- 01Wolse, jeonse and the deposit system
- 02What an agent does and what they charge
- 03Reading the contract
- 04Protecting your deposit
- 05Utilities, management fees and what is not included
If you have been through this recently, you know things we don't. That is how the other guides got written.
Community reference only — this is not official guidance from any Korean or Kenyan authority. It is drawn from what Kenyans and other foreigners in Korea have actually been through, and everyone's situation differs: your visa type, employer, region, bank branch and timing all change how things play out. Rules, fees and processes change without notice. Confirm the current details with the relevant official source — Immigration, your bank, NHIS, KRA, the IEBC, or the Embassy of Kenya in Seoul — before you act on anything here.