How to Report a Rural Homestay Business — Detached House Under 230㎡, 6-Month Residence Requirement and 10-Day Processing

Procedure

1. 1. Check the reporting requirements

   The applicant must be a resident of a rural or semi-rural area who has lived in the relevant city, county or district continuously for 6 months or more. A person who inherited a house already used as a homestay is exempt from this residence period. The house must be a detached house (a detached house or multi-household house under Annex 1 of the Enforcement Decree of the Building Act) where the applicant lives and which the applicant owns directly.

2. 2. Check the size limit and the ownership exception

   A rural homestay house must have a total floor area under 230㎡, and only houses designated as cultural heritage are exempt from the size limit. A person who has lived in the area for 3 years or more, has run a homestay in a rented house for 2 years or more without a closure order or a business suspension of 1 month or more, or a person who has lived there for 3 years or more and intends to run a homestay in a rented house for 2 years or more, may report without meeting the direct ownership requirement. If the building register does not list the use as a detached house, the use is checked before reporting.

3. 3. Install fire and safety equipment

   Under the service and safety standards, the operator must install and maintain a fire extinguisher, a standalone smoke detector, a carbon monoxide alarm and a portable emergency light. A house over 150㎡ needs an exit guide light, a house of 150㎡ or less needs an evacuation guide sign, and a gas leak alarm is required when a gas boiler is used. The number of these devices is also written on the report form.

4. 4. Prepare and submit the report

   The rural homestay business report is submitted to the mayor, county governor or district head with a copy of the house lease if the house is rented, a drinking water quality test report issued within the last 2 years if groundwater is used for breakfast, and proof of inheritance if the house was inherited. The resident registration abstract, family relation certificate, building register and building registry certificate are checked by the official through shared administrative information. There is no fee, and if no decision is notified within 10 days, the report is deemed accepted on the day after that period ends.

5. 5. Post the confirmation and meet operating duties

   Once the report is accepted, the operator receives a rural homestay business report confirmation and must post it together with the price list in a visible place in the house. Every year the operator must complete 3 hours of training (2 hours on fire and safety and 1 hour on service and hygiene) and submit a copy of the annual electrical and gas safety inspection certificate to the mayor, county governor or district head. A change report is filed when the reported details change, and a closure report is filed when the business ends.

Required documents

• Rural homestay business report (Enforcement Rule of the Rural Community Improvement Act, Form No. 75)
• Copy of the house lease or other proof of the right to use the house (if the applicant is not the owner)
• Drinking water quality test report issued within the last 2 years (if groundwater rather than tap water is used for breakfast)
• Proof of inheritance (if the house used as a homestay was inherited; not needed if confirmed through family relation registration data)
• Rural homestay business change report (Enforcement Rule of the Rural Community Improvement Act, Form No. 76, for changes)
• Rural homestay business closure report (Enforcement Rule of the Rural Community Improvement Act, Form No. 77, for closure)
• Letter of authorization (if submitted by an agent)

Fees

Typically in the range of several hundred thousand won · Our fee depends on the review of residence and ownership requirements, whether the rented-house exception applies and how much checking of the building use is needed, and is provided after consultation. There is no government fee for the report.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Rural Community Improvement Act, Article 2
• Rural Community Improvement Act, Article 86
• Rural Community Improvement Act, Article 86-2
• Rural Community Improvement Act, Article 89
• Rural Community Improvement Act, Article 130
• Rural Community Improvement Act, Article 132
• Enforcement Rule of the Rural Community Improvement Act, Article 49
• Enforcement Rule of the Rural Community Improvement Act, Article 49-2
• Enforcement Rule of the Rural Community Improvement Act, Annex 3
• Enforcement Rule of the Rural Community Improvement Act, Annex 3-2
• Enforcement Rule of the Rural Community Improvement Act, Form No. 75

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-08

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

• Operating a homestay after reporting by false or fraudulent means is punishable by imprisonment of up to 1 year or a fine of up to 10,000,000 won, and operating without a change report or without following the operating rules is subject to an administrative fine of up to 1,000,000 won.
• Installing a camera or similar device in guest rooms and similar areas can lead to a closure order or a business suspension of up to 6 months.

Frequently asked questions