South Korea is extending a temporary exception to owner-occupancy rules in land transaction permit zones, giving first-home buyers more time to purchase homes that already have tenants without forcing an immediate move-out.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said the application deadline for the relief will move from the end of 2026 to December 31, 2027, according to Maeil Shinmun and Kyunghyang Shinmun. The measure applies when a person without another home buys a tenant-occupied property in a designated land transaction permit zone.
The exception now reaches longer leases
The government is also broadening the rental period that can be recognized. Existing leases and qualifying renewal periods can now be included, allowing actual owner occupancy to be delayed by as much as three years and three months in some cases. Kyunghyang reported that this can push the move-in obligation as far as 2029.
The general permit-zone rule is intended to limit speculative purchases by requiring approved buyers to live in the property. An existing tenant can create a timing conflict between that occupancy requirement and a lease that remains legally in force. The extended exception gives eligible buyers a longer route to comply while allowing tenants to remain through the recognized lease period.
For buyers, the change reduces the risk of purchasing a tenant-occupied home and then missing the occupancy deadline. For tenants, it can reduce pressure for an early move. The government will now have to show whether the longer window improves transactions and rental stability while preserving the anti-speculation purpose of the permit-zone system.