Yongin City Sets New Residential Standards for Multi-Family Houses, Lowers Eligibility Threshold for Aging-Home Support

Yongin City Promulgates Partial Amendment to Building Ordinance
Review Criteria Adjusted; Residential Environment Standards Established
Support for Energy Upgrades in Aging Homes Expanded: Eligibility Lowered from 15 to 10 Years

Yongin Special City in Gyeonggi Province has established new standards for room sizes and windows in multi-family houses and rental dormitories. The city will also expand eligibility for a program supporting upgrades to windows and insulation in aging homes, lowering the qualifying age of buildings from 15 years to 10 years after approval for use.

A view of Yongin Special City Hall. Photo provided by Yongin City.

Yongin City Mayor Lee Sang-il announced on November 4 that the city had partially amended and promulgated the "Yongin City Building Ordinance" and the "Yongin City Green Building Support Ordinance."

The amended building ordinance establishes detailed standards for minimum room sizes, window installation and window dimensions in multi-family houses and rental dormitories. The measures are intended to provide residents with adequate living space and improve access to daylight and ventilation.

The provision on buildings subject to review by the Building Committee has been revised, replacing "buildings intended for sale" with "areas designated for review under the Building Act." Public buildings selected by a separate review committee through an architectural design competition may be exempt from Building Committee review.

The "Yongin City Rules for Enforcement of the Building Ordinance" have been abolished. Provisions previously included in those rules, including operating guidelines for the Building Committee, procedures for paying fees for delegated services, and the number and terms of building inspectors, have been consolidated into the ordinance.

The amendment to the Green Building Support Ordinance also expands the scope of support for energy-efficiency improvements in aging homes. The eligibility requirement has been relaxed from buildings being at least 15 years past approval for use to those being at least 10 years past approval. The city plans to broaden the pool of beneficiaries of related programs starting in 2027.

Major programs include the "Home Renovation Support Program," which improves windows and insulation in aging homes, and the "Cool Roof Support Program," which lowers indoor temperatures by applying special sunlight-reflecting paint to roofs.

The city's Green Building Support Review Committee will make the final decision on eligibility after assessing each building's age, size and the expected impact of energy-efficiency improvements.

A Yongin City official said, "We expect these ordinance amendments to improve the efficiency of building administration and help provide residents with a more comfortable and healthy living environment."

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