Renting an apartment in Seoul as a foreigner? Skip the big deposit

"Do I really need millions of won just to sign a lease?"

"Can I even rent without a Korean bank account or an ARC yet?"

You have just landed in Seoul (서울) for a new job, a semester, or a long visit, and you need a real place to live, not a hotel room. Then you meet Korea's deposit system and the math stops making sense. A short-term rental lets you move in this week with a small, refundable deposit instead of a fortune up front.

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Who needs a low-deposit rental in Seoul

This is for the foreigner who needs a home base in Seoul now, before the paperwork that unlocks a normal lease is even possible.

You might be an expat starting an assignment, an exchange student, a remote worker, or someone here to be near family or a hospital. In every case the timing is the same: you need a place this week, but a Korean lease wants months of commitment and a deposit you cannot move yet.

Most long leases also expect a Korean bank account, an Alien Registration Card (ARC), and sometimes a local guarantor. On day three in the country, you usually have none of those.

A short-term rental closes that gap. You get a furnished apartment to actually live in, without the lump sum or the long contract.

Does this sound like you?

If several of these are true, a low-deposit short-term rental is probably your easiest move.

✓ You arrived in Korea recently and need a home base before you can sign a long lease

✓ You do not have a Korean bank account or an ARC yet

✓ You were quoted a deposit in the tens of millions of won and it stopped you cold

✓ You do not have a Korean guarantor

✓ Your stay is somewhere between a few weeks and a few months

✓ A hotel for that long is simply too expensive

✓ You want a kitchen, a washing machine, and a desk, not just a bed

✓ You would rather sign remotely, in English, before you fly

The real problem: Korea's lease deposits

Korea runs on two lease types, and both lead with a large refundable deposit.

1. Jeonse (전세)

Jeonse is a lease where you pay one huge refundable lump sum instead of monthly rent. For a Seoul studio that deposit is often KRW 100,000,000–300,000,000 (~USD 74,000–222,000), which is out of reach for most new arrivals.

2. Wolse (월세)

Wolse means monthly rent plus a sizeable refundable deposit (보증금, key money). A typical Seoul studio asks KRW 5,000,000–20,000,000 (~USD 3,700–14,800) up front, on top of rent, utilities, and an agency fee.

On top of the money, both routes usually need that bank account, ARC, and guarantor. For your first weeks in Korea, the deposit is not really the price of a home, it is the price of admission you cannot pay yet.

Why a short-term rental fits

A short-term rental flips the deposit problem. You pay a small, refundable amount, the unit is already furnished, and you can sign before you even land.

You will not pay zero. But instead of millions of won locked away, a furnished Seoul studio like the one below asks a refundable deposit of just KRW 300,000 (~USD 222).

Here is how the options compare for a one-month stay.

For a stay measured in weeks or a few months, the short-term rental is the only option that is both furnished and deposit-light.

Around Gangnam Station: what daily life looks like

Location matters most when everything else is new, and Gangnam Station (강남역) in Seocho-gu (서초구) is one of the easiest places to land as a foreigner.

The studio below sits about a 3-minute walk from the station, one block back from the main strip, so the street stays quiet at night. There is a CU convenience store and an Egg Drop cafe on the ground floor, with Paul Bassett, Godiva, and Starbucks about a minute away.

For getting around, Gangnam Station is a major hub, so most of the city is a single ride away. A central, walkable base saves you the most stressful part of arriving: figuring out transport before you know the city.

A real short-term rental near Gangnam Station — guest review

Gangnam Station NEWYORK STAY, Seoul (Listing ID : 26409)

• Deposit KRW 300,000 (~USD 222) · per night about KRW 64,000 (~USD 47) (30-night basis, utilities included)

• Monthly total KRW 1,908,000 (~USD 1,410) (30-night basis, utilities included)

• Rating 5.0 (6 reviews) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• About 26 ㎡ (8 pyeong) · Officetel (오피스텔, a studio-style residence-meets-office unit common in Korea) · open studio · 1 double bed · about 3 min from Gangnam Station

A few things stand out for a first stay in Seoul. The unit has floor-to-ceiling windows with all-day light and a green city view, a 1,200 mm desk for focused work, and a 24-hour security guard at the main gate, which matters when you are new and arriving at odd hours.

📍 Recent guest review (April 2025 · C** · ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, translated from Korean)

"I arrived in Korea and suddenly needed a place to stay. The location right by Gangnam Station was perfect, the unit was spotless, and even though I booked at the last minute the host kindly answered every question. I had a great five-day stay and would happily book here again the next time I am in Korea."

Finding a low-deposit rental in Seoul on Liveanywhere

Liveanywhere lists furnished short-term rentals you can book by the week, with small refundable deposits and utilities usually included.

Contracts are electronic and remote, so you can lock in a place before you fly, with no guarantor and no ARC needed to start. Bring your suitcase, and you are living in Seoul the day you land.

🏠 Browse short-term rentals in Seoul on Liveanywhere: