I'm looking for a new place to live but several landlords say they don't allow address registration (전입신고 불가)?

전입신고 (jeonipsingo) is the mandatory address registration that every resident in Korea must file at the local 주민센터 within 14 days of moving in. When landlords refuse to allow it, the reason is almost always tax or legal, the building might be registered as commercial space (officetels registered for business use), the landlord might be evading property or rental income tax, or there could be liens and mortgages on the property they want to hide from being discovered.

Avoiding such places is strongly recommended because without registered residency you cannot get jeonse deposit protection through 확정일자, you cannot use the address for visa renewal or ARC updates at immigration, and you may struggle with bank verifications and some online services. If you already signed the contract, you can still file 전입신고 because it is a tenant right under Korean law and the landlord cannot legally block it, but the relationship usually sours quickly and you may face petty retaliation.

Look for listings on Zigbang or Dabang that explicitly mark 전입신고 가능, and ask the agent to write that condition into the contract before paying any deposit. If a place looks great but does not allow registration, the rent discount is rarely worth the legal protection you give up.