1. What is this guide about?

This guide explains how to minimize your losses if a problem arises after move-in (cleanliness, broken facilities, differences from the listing, etc.).

The outcome in these situations is determined almost entirely by the order in which you respond, not by how upset you are. Tenants who followed the correct order were able to negotiate good outcomes with their host. Tenants who skipped steps (i.e., failed to follow the Terms and procedures) ended up paying penalties under the Terms in most cases.

The key in one sentence: Preserve evidence → notify the host inside the app → give the host an opportunity to fix the issue → only then, if it still isn't resolved, request help from Enkostay.

2. Why does this order matter?

Enkostay is a "platform," not a party to the contract.

The contract is a short-term residential lease (sublease) entered into directly between the tenant and the host. Enkostay is a telecommunications sales intermediary providing the booking, payment, communication, and dispute-mediation infrastructure. Accordingly, the following applies:

The authority to grant refunds, discounts, or penalty waivers beyond what the rules specify belongs to the host, and is at the host's discretion. Enkostay cannot decide this unilaterally.

That is why direct negotiation with the host can produce outcomes that the formal dispute process cannot guarantee. Negotiating well with the host first is the path most favorable to you.

And there is one most important rule you must understand:

Leaving the unit on your own without an agreement is treated as you having voluntarily given up and abandoned any intent to resolve the issue. Under the rules, vacating the unit without prior agreement with the host is treated as "unauthorized move-out." In that case, the full remaining rent (already-contracted monthly rent, etc.) may be charged, and the refund rules themselves will not apply. Walking out in anger, refusing the host's proposed solution, or cutting off communication does not strengthen your basis for a refund — it eliminates the very grounds on which a refund could be granted. As a result, it works most unfavorably for the tenant.

3. What should I do? (4-step sequence)

Step 1 — Secure evidence before cleaning or tidying up.

When you find a problem, take photos/videos before touching anything. Photos taken after cleaning cannot prove the condition at move-in, and their evidentiary value drops significantly.

Where possible, make sure the date and time are visible, and photograph mold, stains, and broken items from multiple angles.

Step 2 — Notify the host first via the in-app 1:1 chat. (KakaoTalk, WhatsApp, phone calls, external email ❌)

Only the in-app chat creates an objective record of when you notified and how the host responded.

Conversations outside the app cannot be verified and will not serve as evidence to protect you in a dispute.

Step 3 — Give the host a genuine opportunity to fix the problem.

Essential utilities (electricity, water, gas, heating/cooling, cleanliness): the host will begin remediation within 24 hours.

General furniture and appliances: remediation must begin within 48 hours as a rule.

If the host proposes cleaning, repair, or a room change, consider it in good faith. If you refuse a reasonable proposed solution and walk out, this is recorded under the rules as "the tenant refused resolution," and the grounds for a refund disappear.

Step 4 — Only file a dispute with Enkostay if the host does not respond, or the issue cannot be resolved.

A formal dispute can only be filed if the host fails to respond within 24 hours, or if normal habitation remains impossible even after remediation.

The filing must be made within 72 hours of the issue arising. Once that deadline passes, refunds and compensation may be restricted.

When filing, please write down — with evidence — what you requested from the host, and what the host proposed.

4. Are there any limitations? (Please read carefully)

4-1. Enkostay is not a "lodging business (hotel/motel)" — it is a "lease (sublease) business." That is why consumables are not provided, and this is normal.

This distinction is legally very important.

Enkostay's accommodations are not a "lodging business" under Korea's Public Health Control Act; they are a "lease / sublease service."

Only lodging establishments such as hotels and motels are legally permitted to provide towels, toiletries, amenities, and consumables.

A lease business, by contrast, is legally not permitted to provide such consumables. Therefore, the absence of soap, toilet paper, towels, toiletries, batteries, or bedding in the room is not a fault — it is entirely normal for the lease format.

Daily necessities, bedding, and consumables are, as a rule, to be prepared by the tenant. (Only certain hosts who hold a lodging-business registration may provide them as an exception.)

💡 In plain terms: When you move into a new place (a studio or a self-rented room), the landlord doesn't stock it with towels, toilet paper, and soap. It's natural that you prepare these yourself. An Enkostay unit operates on the same lease concept. "No consumables" is not grounds for a refund.

4-2. "Different from a hotel" and "uninhabitable" are completely different concepts.

Please understand this distinction. Whether refunds or contract termination are granted hinges on it.

This booking is residential lease, not hotel lodging. Daily hotel-style cleaning, a like-new condition, and a state with zero signs of prior use are not the applicable standards.

The host's objective obligation is to deliver the unit in a reasonable habitable condition, with the main utilities (electricity, water, gas, heating/cooling) functioning normally and safety facilities in place — not to maintain hotel-level cleanliness daily.

The "uninhabitable" threshold at which a refund or contract termination is recognized requires a very serious level of severity. For example: large amounts of garbage left in place, persistent severe odors, large quantities of items left by the previous user, etc. — a state in which normal living is itself impossible.

Conversely, "a bit dirty," "some dust," "some stains," or "some garbage" is → resolvable through cleaning or tidying, and does not meet the "uninhabitable" standard. Surface marks that wipe off, and ordinary signs of use or wear, are likewise not "uninhabitable."

⚠️ Key point: "Not as clean as I expected" and "impossible to live in" are entirely different problems. The former is something to be resolved by requesting cleaning from the host; only the latter (extreme conditions) is grounds for refund or termination.

4-3. To assert health-related grounds → a "physician's opinion letter(supporting document)" is mandatory.

If you claim that your health was affected by mold, dust, etc., review is only possible if you have a document issued by a Korean medical institution that satisfies all of the following conditions:

① Issuing entity: A diagnosis or medical opinion letter issued by a medical institution duly licensed under Korea's Medical Service Act, bearing the physician's name and license information.

② Specific diagnosis: Not just "I don't feel well," but a medically clear symptom or named disease must be stated.

③ Direct causal link (mandatory): A clear medical opinion stating that the symptom was directly caused by the indoor environment of that specific unit (mold, indoor air quality, etc.).

④ Speculative wording is not accepted: Phrases such as "possibly affected by the environment," "concern of aggravation," or "suspected to be related" do not prove causation.

⑤ Timing alone is not accepted: The mere fact that "symptoms appeared during the stay" does not establish causation.

⚠️ In other words, general statements such as "I have allergies" or "mold is bad for everyone" are not sufficient to establish health grounds. You must have a document in which a Korean medical institution diagnoses specific symptoms and explicitly states that their cause is the indoor environment of that unit.

4-4. Other limitations

Enkostay cannot unilaterally approve refunds or penalty waivers that exceed the rules. That authority belongs to the host, and any request beyond the rules must be discussed and agreed upon directly with the host.

The deadlines are binding. Issues raised after the 24-, 48-, or 72-hour windows have passed are difficult to verify objectively, and review may be restricted.

A reason once stated in writing remains on the record. Even if you later try to switch to a different reason after first stating "simple change of mind," the first statement you submitted will be the governing one.