Area Restrictions for 1- and 2-Person Households in Public Rental Housing Fully Abolished, Medium-to-Large Units Now Available

The government announced major changes to public rental housing policy, abolishing area restrictions based on household size and expanding the supply of medium-sized units. First, single-person households can now apply for larger units such as 59-type, 74-type, and 84-type, as the previous standards that limited the applicable area based on household size have been abolished. Second, newly built public rental housing will now be able to supply medium-sized units (exclusive use area exceeding 60㎡ and up to 85㎡) for up to 40% of the total. This doubles the previous ratio, which was less than 20%. Third, for existing National Rental, Permanent Rental, Happy Housing, and Integrated Public Rental units, single-person and two-person households can apply for larger units when recruitment notices for prospective tenants, re-supply, or additional recruitment are announced.

The core of this public rental policy change is the expansion of eligible application areas and an increase in the supply ratio of medium-sized units. Previously, application areas were restricted to 35㎡ or less for single-person households and 44㎡ or less for two-person households. This has changed, allowing applicants to apply for 59-type, 74-type, and 84-type units regardless of household size. Additionally, the supply ratio of medium-sized public rental housing units will be expanded up to 40%. All these changes will be implemented starting July 3, 2026, and will apply to new supply complexes as well as recruitment notices for prospective tenants, re-supply, and additional recruitment in existing complexes.

To understand the actual floor area of exclusive use areas frequently appearing in announcements, 35㎡ is approximately 11 pyeong, and 44㎡ is approximately 13 pyeong. Until now, single-person households could only apply for homes of about 11 pyeong, and two-person households for about 13 pyeong. In contrast, a 59-type unit is about 18 pyeong, a 74-type is about 22 pyeong, and an 84-type is about 25 pyeong based on exclusive use area. Specifically, an 84-type unit is commonly referred to as 33 to 34 pyeong based on the total supply area including common spaces like hallways and stairs. Therefore, when looking for 30-pyeong units in announcements, you should check for the numbers 74-type or 84-type.

The primary applicants for these public rental policy changes are single-person households receiving basic livelihood benefits and low-income individuals, as well as two-person households consisting of couples or elderly parents living with their children. However, being able to apply for larger units does not guarantee selection. Individual announcement conditions such as homeownership status, income and asset criteria, residential area, and applicant selection priority still need to be checked. Therefore, it is important to carefully review and prepare according to the application requirements.

Until now, public rental housing had strict restrictions on the area that could be applied for based on household size. Single-person households could only apply for units with an exclusive use area of 35㎡ or less, and two-person households for 44㎡ or less. This was based on the logic that even if living alone or with two people, a large house was not necessary. However, in real life, even for a single person, significant space is needed for basic furniture such as a bed, wardrobe, refrigerator, washing machine, and dining table. Elderly people who have lived for a long time often have many belongings, and those with physical disabilities require essential space for walkers, wheelchairs, and medical supplies. Space for visiting children or caregivers is also necessary. There were many criticisms that arbitrarily designating a small house as appropriate just because someone lives alone did not reflect reality. To address these issues, the government decided to abolish the area restrictions for public rental housing based on household size.

In 2020, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport created a new regulation limiting the area for single-person households to an exclusive use area of 35㎡ or less. The purpose of this was to allocate smaller units to more single-person households, allowing as many people as possible to move into public rental housing. However, as soon as this standard was implemented, there was strong opposition. Critics argued that forcing small homes on single individuals did not reflect reality and failed to consider the circumstances of low-income individuals, such as seniors and people with disabilities, who need more belongings or assistive devices. Ultimately, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport reconsidered this guideline entirely after gathering public opinion and decided to abolish the area restrictions based on household size altogether.

While this abolition of area restrictions expands the range of available unit types for application, there are still points to consider when applying for public rental housing. Income criteria, asset criteria, and priority conditions for each individual announcement still apply. This means that while the types of units you can apply for have diversified, the income or asset conditions have not disappeared. Conditions may vary slightly for each announcement, so it is crucial to directly check the relevant announcement to confirm eligibility requirements.

Recruitment of prospective tenants, re-supply, and additional recruitment are all types of announcements for immediate application in existing complexes. Recruitment of prospective tenants is a process of pre-selecting a waiting list in case vacancies arise due to contract cancellations or disqualifications after formal tenants are confirmed. Re-supply is when a vacant unit becomes available because a previous household has moved out or their contract has been terminated. Additional recruitment is a process of re-recruiting for remaining units when the number of applicants in the initial announcement was less than the capacity. These three types of announcements are for already built complexes, meaning they share the common advantage of allowing immediate application without waiting for the completion of new complexes.

Public rental housing comes in various types, including National Rental, Permanent Rental, Happy Housing, and Integrated Public Rental. National Rental is long-term rental housing for low-income households without their own homes, while Permanent Rental is for socially vulnerable groups such as basic livelihood recipients and national merit beneficiaries. Happy Housing is available not only to youth and newlyweds but also to seniors, and Integrated Public Rental combines various rental types, allowing occupancy based on income criteria. In addition, there are Purchased Rental and Jeonse Rental, where LH purchases existing homes or enters into jeonse contracts and then re-rents them at affordable prices. While recipients tend to only consider Permanent Rental, exploring National Rental, Integrated Public Rental, Purchased Rental, and Jeonse Rental can broaden their choices.

The quality of residential life changes significantly with larger housing units. An exclusive use area of 35㎡, approximately 11 pyeong, is a studio layout where space is mostly filled by a bed, small wardrobe, refrigerator, and washing machine, leaving little spare room. In contrast, a 59-type unit, about 18 pyeong, offers some separation between bedroom and living room space and allows for a dining table, making life much more comfortable. A 74-type unit, about 22-23 pyeong, often has two rooms, allowing for a separate guest room or space for a caregiver. The largest 84-type unit, about 25 pyeong (33 pyeong based on supply area), typically has a three-room layout, providing ample space for a couple to live together or for visiting children. Therefore, instead of simply choosing the cheapest rental unit, it is advisable to consider health status, household size, and frequency of visitors to select the unit type that best suits your needs.

These public rental policy changes do not only apply to newly constructed homes. For existing National Rental, Permanent Rental, Happy Housing, and Integrated Public Rental units, if vacancies or exiting households occur, announcements for prospective tenant recruitment, re-supply, or additional recruitment may be issued. If an existing complex has larger unit types, one-person and two-person households should check if they can apply based on the current recruitment announcement criteria. Therefore, there is no need to wait several years for new apartments; opportunities for immediate occupancy can be sought out now.

It is important to look for public rental housing that you can apply for right now. Therefore, if the announcement title includes phrases like 'prospective tenants', 're-supply', 'additional recruitment', or 'relaxed qualifications', you should pay close attention. Such announcements are for cases where there were insufficient applicants in the initial recruitment, households that abandoned contracts, or units that became vacant due to existing tenants moving out, thus presenting an immediate application opportunity.

Especially in provincial or suburban areas, public rental housing for larger units may have lower competition rates or even be undersubscribed. In such cases, announcements for re-recruitment with relaxed qualifications may be issued, which can be a good opportunity for single recipients or two-person low-income households to move into larger units. Therefore, it is important to regularly check announcements for areas of interest.

Two-person households often also need larger homes. Recipient households consisting of couples, or low-income households with elderly parents and adult children, may require separate spaces. For example, if one person sleeps early and the other sleeps late, or if one person needs to use medical equipment, a single small room might be inconvenient. Furthermore, if one person has a disability or uses a wheelchair, securing space around hallways and bathrooms is crucial, making it advisable to choose a larger unit of 50-60㎡ or more.

Following the President's directive to build larger public rental housing units and increase supply to allow even middle-income families to live there, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has revised related guidelines. Accordingly, from July 3, 2026, when new public rental housing is constructed, medium-sized units with exclusive use areas exceeding 60㎡ and up to 85㎡ can be allocated for up to 40% of the total. This aims to enhance the diversity of public rental housing supply and enable more households to benefit from improved living environments.

There are two main aspects to this public rental policy change. First, the abolition of area restrictions based on household size has opened the door for one-person and two-person households to apply for larger units even in already existing public rental housing when recruitment announcements are made. Second, the ratio of medium-sized units with exclusive use areas exceeding 60㎡ and up to 85㎡ will be increased to up to 40% in newly supplied public rental housing, expanding the supply of larger unit types. These changes are expected to increase opportunities for more households to enjoy more comfortable living environments.

Basic livelihood recipients can also apply for National Rental and Integrated Public Rental, not just Permanent Rental. Being a recipient does not prevent one from applying for National Rental, provided they meet the criteria for no homeownership, income, and assets. However, it should be noted that larger units may have higher deposits, monthly rent, and management fees. Even with housing benefits, there may be an actual amount to pay, so it is important to calculate the monthly housing costs and decide whether to apply, rather than just considering the chances of being selected.

When checking public rental housing announcements, you must verify the following five points. First, confirm if there are large unit types available, such as 59-type, 74-type, or 84-type. Second, check for any specific restrictions mentioned for single householders or one-person households. Third, carefully review the supply priority and income criteria applicable to recipients and low-income individuals. Fourth, understand the additional point criteria, such as local residency period and number of housing subscription savings payments. Finally, check the rental deposit, monthly rent, and management fees to gauge the actual housing cost burden in advance.

The public rental policy changes announced are not rumors or speculations but confirmed facts based on official policy announcements and related legal amendments by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The abolition of area restrictions based on household size has been implemented through an amendment to the Special Act on Public Housing Enforcement Rules, and the expansion of the medium-sized unit ratio to 40% in new supply complexes has also been confirmed through an amendment to the Public Housing Construction Standards, etc. This means that these policy changes have legal binding force and are reliable.

To stay updated on public rental housing information, it is crucial to regularly check LH Cheongyak Plus, MyON Portal, and the websites of local housing corporations. For Seoul, you should also look at announcements from the Seoul Housing and Communities Corporation (SH), and for Gyeonggi Province, from the Gyeonggi Housing and Urban Development Corporation (GH). When searching, using keywords like 'prospective tenants', 'relaxed qualifications', and 'additional recruitment' along with 'National Rental', 'Permanent Rental', and 'Integrated Public Rental' can help you find more opportunities. The LH Cheongyak Center channel also quickly provides information on public rental announcements available to recipients and low-income individuals, including Purchased Rental, Jeonse Rental, Permanent Rental, and National Rental.