Seoul apartment occupancy rate 'tuk' in October due to loan regulations

Apartment occupancy rates across the country fell last month due to difficulties in tenant pictorials due to regulations on new housing lease loans.

The housing industry researcher said the nationwide apartment occupancy rate stood at 67.4% in October, down 2.0%p from September, according to a survey of homeowners.

By region, Seoul fell 6.5%p to 81.2%, mainly due to the government's strong loan regulations, making it difficult to prepare a balance of occupancy and secure tenants in existing residential houses.

However, in Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, the occupancy rate rose 1.9%p to 81.8%, thanks to an increase in the ratio of newlyweds and relatively low lease prices.

In the non-metropolitan area, Daegu, Busan, and Gyeongsang provinces rose 0.5%p to 67.4%, while the Gangwon region remained flat, while Gwangju, Jeolla, Daejeon, and Chungcheong provinces all fell.

In addition, the national apartment occupancy forecast index in November was 93.8, up 10.7p from October, the survey showed.

Among them, Seoul's occupancy forecast index was 105.2, continuing its positive outlook, exceeding 100 for four consecutive months since August.

In addition, the overall occupancy forecast index in the metropolitan area fell to 101.9, while five major metropolitan cities, including Daegu and Gwangju, rose 16.8p, with Gangwon rising 30.0p among provinces, with the index reaching 100.

The Housing Industry Research Institute said that the rate of occupancy in local metropolitan and small cities is expected to rise significantly, adding that the level of lease on a deposit basis is not very high compared to the metropolitan area, so it is not affected by loan restrictions.