Room Viewing Checklist for Korea: 20 Things to Check

The photos looked great, so why does the room feel different in person? Listing photos are often taken with a wide lens on a sunny day, and they never show weak water pressure, a damp wall, or a noisy street at night.

That's why a room viewing is your best chance to avoid a bad lease. Once you've signed and paid, fixing problems gets much harder, especially when you're still learning how things work in Korea.

Here is a 20-point room viewing checklist for foreigners renting in Seoul and the rest of Korea: simple checks you can do yourself, from the building entrance to the bathroom, kitchen, room, and neighborhood.

🎒 What should you prepare before the viewing?

A little preparation helps you compare rooms fairly instead of going with your gut. Write down your must-haves before you leave.

Bring your phone fully charged. You'll use it for the compass, a measuring app, the flashlight, and photos of anything you want to ask about.

📢 Bring and prepare

• A list of your must-haves (budget, commute time, sunlight, quiet)
• Sizes of your bed, desk, and other large items
• A measuring app to check the real room size
• Questions about the rent, extra fees, and repairs

If there are other empty rooms in the same building, ask to see them too. One may have better light or less noise for the same price.

🏢 What does the building tell you?

Before you even see the room, the building shows how well it's managed. A new building can still leak if nobody takes care of it.

Walk the whole hallway. Problems outside your door, like water stains or piled-up boxes, often show up inside your room later.

✅ Building checks

▢ No cracks or water stains on outer walls and hallways

▢ Entrance uses a passcode or card key, and CCTV covers the entrance and hallways

▢ Hallway lights work, and no trash or parcel boxes are piled up

▢ A manager's phone number and working hours are posted

🚿 How do you test the bathroom?

You'll use the bathroom every morning and night, so test it properly. Water pressure, hot water, smell, and drainage are the four things to check.

Turn the hot water on slowly. Warm water should come out within about 10 seconds, and the temperature should stay steady for a minute or more.

🔢 4 quick tests

1. Flush the toilet twice. Water should drain fast both times.
2. Run the shower on hot and cold. The pressure should stay even.
3. Hold a tissue near the fan with it on. If the tissue moves toward the fan, it's working.
4. Splash water on the floor. If it's still pooling after 1 to 2 minutes, drainage is poor.

A musty smell right when you open the door usually points to a dry drain trap or poor ventilation. Black spots on the silicone or ceiling corners are another warning sign.

🍳 What should you check in the kitchen?

Even a small kitchen is fine if it works well. Weak ventilation and slow drains are the problems that keep coming back.

Open the cabinet under the sink, too. Water marks, mold, or small black spots there can mean leaks or bugs.

📊 Kitchen tests

☀️ Is the room itself comfortable to live in?

Sunlight, insulation, and dampness decide how the room feels after a few months. A bright room stays drier and less smelly.

Use your phone's compass. South and southeast-facing windows get sunlight for longer. If you can, visit between 2 and 4 pm to see how much light comes in.

✅ Room checks

▢ The window faces south or southeast, with no building blocking it

▢ No draft when the window is closed, ideally double-glazed

▢ No dark patches or lifted wallpaper near the bathroom, window, or corners

▢ Your bed, desk, and wardrobe fit, and outlets are in usable spots

🌙 Is the neighborhood easy to live in?

Even a perfect room gets tiring if the walk home is dark or the bus rarely comes. Walk the route from the station or bus stop before you decide.

Notice the noise, too. Living right next to bars, a main road, or a bus stop can mean sound late into the night and early in the morning.

✅ Neighborhood checks

▢ The walk home has street lights, CCTV, and lit shops

▢ A convenience store, pharmacy, and grocery store are within a 5-minute walk

▢ The bus or subway runs often during rush hour

▢ The building is at least a block away from bars and main roads

🧭 Visit twice, then decide

One visit is rarely enough. Come back once during the day and once at night, because noise, safety, and the mood of the street can change completely.

Ask the landlord or manager about anything you noticed. Repairs are much easier to request before you sign than after you move in.

✅ Your 20-point viewing checklist

▢ Must-have list and furniture sizes ready

▢ Saw other empty rooms in the same building

▢ No cracks or water stains on the building

▢ Secure entrance and working CCTV

▢ Clean hallways with no piled-up boxes

▢ Manager contact posted

▢ Toilet flushes fast twice in a row

▢ Even shower pressure on hot and cold

▢ Hot water within about 10 seconds and steady

▢ Bathroom fan works (tissue test)

▢ Floor drains within 1 to 2 minutes

▢ Range hood pulls in air

▢ Sink drains quickly

▢ Under-sink cabinet is dry and clean

▢ Enough kitchen outlets

▢ South or southeast window with good light

▢ No drafts or mold spots

▢ Your furniture fits

▢ Safe, well-lit walk home

▢ Shops nearby and frequent transit

Ready to find your place? Start on Gobang!