New Apartment Fails to Cool Down Even With the Air Conditioner On—Construction Issue Found [Consumer Affairs 101]

[Financial News]#. "I made a major investment to move into a new apartment, but no matter how long I run the air conditioner, it just won't get cool."Consumer A moved into a newly built apartment in October 2023 and paid extra to have a built-in air-conditioning system installed. However, the following summer, when the system was used extensively, Consumer A noticed something was wrong. The apartment would not cool down even after the temperature setting was lowered.
Consumer A raised the issue with the builder and the air-conditioner manufacturer, but both parties maintained that there was no problem with the product itself. The apartment was new, and so was the air conditioner, yet the cooling did not work properly and there was no obvious party to hold responsible. Consumer A eventually applied to the Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) for damage relief.
According to the KCA on the 20th, the agency determined that similar problems could occur in other units of the same apartment complex and reviewed the possibility of providing collective redress for all households. After meeting with executives of the residents' representative council and the builder and inspecting the site, the KCA found that the structure of the outdoor-unit room, rather than the air conditioner itself, was reducing cooling performance. A partition separating the outdoor-unit room from the evacuation room and malfunctioning louvered windows in the outdoor-unit room were affecting cooling efficiency.
The KCA recommended that the builder remove the partitions in the outdoor-unit rooms of the households that had raised complaints and install manual levers on the louvered windows of every unit. Although the builder argued that consumers should handle the necessary consultations, including permit approvals, the coordinator in charge recommended that the builder take responsibility for dealing with the relevant authorities as well.
After the builder accepted the recommendation, consumer losses worth KRW 184 million were recovered in total. The builder also decided not to install the same partitions in apartment complexes it plans to build in the future.
Under the MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING MANAGEMENT ACT, builders bear liability for defects in multi-family housing and must make repairs when defects arise during the liability period and residents request them. The defect liability period for cooling equipment work is three years. The KCA urged consumers to check the applicable liability period in advance, as it varies by facility and component, and to immediately request repairs from the builder upon discovering a defect.
A KCA official said, "Defects such as damage or scratches in finished areas may be discovered only after residents move in, making it unclear who is responsible and allowing builders to refuse defect repairs. They should therefore be checked carefully during the pre-move-in inspection period." The official added, "If you photograph or record the entire unit, including areas where no defects have been found, the material can later be used to prove when a defect occurred."
[email protected] Kim Hyun-ji Reporter