As the supply of happy housing and integrated public rental housing, primarily aimed at young residents, has increased, the demand for maintenance per unit has also risen significantly. The number of maintenance requests per 10,000 units surged from 387 in 2021 to 1,743 last year, a 4.5-fold increase.
On September 29, an analysis by the office of lawmaker Hwang Hee, a member of the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, revealed that the cumulative supply of happy housing and integrated public rental housing rose from 86,051 units in 2021 to 176,795 units last year, marking a 105.5% increase. During the same period, the number of maintenance requests escalated from 3,332 to 30,813, an increase of 824.8%.
The annual number of maintenance requests has also grown each year. It rose from 3,332 in 2021 to 6,752 in 2022, and then to 13,620 in 2023, eventually surpassing 30,000 for the first time last year. When calculated per 10,000 units, the number of maintenance requests increased from 387 in 2021 to 1,743 in 2025.
As of August, the total number of maintenance requests stood at 26,892, averaging about 3,360 per month. If the current trend continues, the total for this year is projected to reach approximately 40,300, a 31% increase from last year. However, the actual annual number may vary due to seasonal maintenance demands.
There are also cases where maintenance requests have not been resolved. Currently, there are 2,059 unresolved maintenance requests, with 617 of them exceeding the 15-day processing period set by LH for routine maintenance, accounting for 30%. Among these, 369 requests have been pending for over 30 days, and 101 have remained unresolved for more than 90 days.
In one instance, a happy housing unit took 131 days to complete a fire door repair due to delays in ordering custom materials and securing technicians. There have also been cases where maintenance requests were not recognized by the management office or were lost during the transfer to the regional headquarters, leading to delays.
Additionally, issues have recurred in facilities that have already been repaired. The number of repeat maintenance requests for the same housing and facilities increased from 29 in 2021 to 235 last year. By August of this year, there have already been 266 repeat requests, surpassing last year's total.
In terms of types of work, the most frequent issues were related to mechanical, architectural, electrical, and communication systems. The most common types of defects included operational failures, leaks, and lighting issues.
Lawmaker Hwang stated, "As the demand for maintenance is growing much faster than the supply of housing, a comprehensive review of current management capabilities is necessary. An analysis of the causes of repeat maintenance, preventive inspections, and enhanced management of maintenance history data are essential."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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