Government legislation ministry says private rental safety officers need no training

The Ministry of Government Legislation said that facility safety managers at private rental housing do not need to undergo mandatory safety training. The ruling clarifies that while specific safety management provisions apply to these properties, the legal requirement for safety education does not extend to them.

The inquiry centered on whether managers must complete the same safety courses required for managers of general apartment complexes under the Apartment Housing Management Act. The ministry concluded that the Special Act on Private Rental Housing limits applicable regulations to a specific list that excludes the education mandate found in Article 32 of the apartment law.

Officials noted that interpreting the law to include such training would unreasonably expand the scope of penalties without clear legislative intent. Violations of the private rental law currently carry criminal punishments including up to one year in prison or fines reaching 10 million won, whereas failing to complete safety training in the apartment sector typically results in administrative fines of 3 million won.

The ministry emphasized that the two obligations constitute separate legal duties based on distinct statutory articles. By citing only the enforcement decree regarding safety plans rather than the full article covering education, the legislature intended to impose planning requirements without the accompanying training burden.

The agency suggested that if policymakers intend to mandate such training, the relevant statutes must be amended to explicitly include the education requirement and balance the associated sanctions.