Residents Shocked by Maintenance Fees: "Kept Heating at 21 Degrees, but Still Paid 500,000 Won"

Average Monthly Maintenance Fees Up by Around 11,000 Won for Standard-Sized Units
Cold Wave Leads to Increased Household Heating Usage
Rising Labor and Repair Costs Add to Common Area Maintenance Fee Burden
Budget Increases Reflected from J

Recently, complaints among apartment residents about a significant rise in January maintenance fees have been increasing. Some residents have questioned the noticeable increase in maintenance fees compared to the same period last year, saying, "I kept the heating temperature at 21 degrees, but the maintenance fee was 500,000 won." Actual statistics also show that apartment maintenance fees in January this year rose slightly compared to last year. However, it has been analyzed that the perceived increase feels even larger because both higher heating usage due to the cold wave and increases in maintenance fee items were reflected at the same time.

A maintenance fee notice is delivered to the mailbox of an apartment in Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang

According to the Korea Real Estate Board's Apartment Management Information System (K-apt) on March 4, the nationwide average apartment maintenance fee in January 2026 was 3,343 won per square meter. This represents a 4.3% increase compared to the same month last year (3,206 won). For an exclusive area of 84 square meters (about 34 pyeong), the average maintenance fee for January 2026 was approximately 280,812 won, an increase of about 11,500 won from January last year.

By detailed item, the common area maintenance fee rose 1.9%, from 1,368 won to 1,394 won per square meter. In particular, the general management fee, which includes the wages of management office staff, increased by 2.7%, and most other items—such as cleaning, security, elevator maintenance, and repair and maintenance fees—rose slightly. The increase in individual usage fees was even greater. Individual usage fees, which include heating, hot water, and gas charges, increased by 5.9%, from 1,562 won to 1,654 won per square meter.

Heating fees, in particular, rose by 13%, from 393 won to 444 won per square meter. Among these, the exclusive heating fee, which is charged according to each household's heating usage, saw the highest increase at 15%. The heating fee for district heating apartments also rose by about 9.8%. On the other hand, the electricity rate has been frozen for the past year. Nevertheless, the burden of electricity bills increased due to higher usage of heating devices during the cold wave.

Recently, complaints about a significant increase in January maintenance fees have been spreading primarily through online communities among apartment residents. Some residents are questioning the higher maintenance fees compared to the same period last year, saying, "I kept the heating temperature at 21 degrees, but the maintenance fee came out to 500,000 won." Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

According to data from the Korea Meteorological Administration, the nationwide average minimum temperature in January 2026 was minus 6.8 degrees Celsius, which is lower than January 2025 (minus 5 degrees). In Seoul, the average minimum temperature dropped by nearly 3 degrees to minus 7.8 degrees compared to last year. According to Korea District Heating Corporation, heat sales in January 2026 reached about 3,166,000 Gcal, an 11.2% increase from the same period last year. As the temperature dropped, overall heating energy use increased significantly.

Additionally, the rise in common area maintenance fees due to inflation is also cited as a factor for the increase. The wages of management office staff as well as cleaning, security, and facility maintenance costs all went up overall. The reserve for long-term repairs was also raised due to rising construction costs. Under relevant regulations, apartment complexes are required to accumulate a certain level of long-term repair reserves, and when construction costs rise, the amount set aside must also increase. Furthermore, the structure in which the apartment maintenance budget is typically approved by the residents' representative meeting every November and applied from January the following year also contributed. With all these increase factors reflected at once, residents felt a greater rise in the January maintenance fee.

An industry official explained, "January 2026 was among the coldest in recent years. Even if you keep the same indoor temperature, lower outdoor temperatures increase heating energy consumption, which can raise the maintenance fee burden."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.