'Rotting corpse smell' from studio flat leads to shocking scene

The landlord shared this photo of the studio flat that was turned into a dump by its tenant. (Online community Bobaedream)

A one-room studio flat in an officetel that was transformed into a dump by its tenant is causing a stir online.

A post in online community Bobaedream by a landlord who rents out studio flats in Busan titled, “The reason why (being) a building owner takes work,” is making headlines.

According to the post, the landlord recently received a call that his building smelled like a corpse was rotting in it somewhere, and when he entered the studio in question, he was met with a room filled with garbage. He posted a photo, with a warning that the photo was "not for the squeamish.”

“As the picture could cause discomfort, I wondered many times whether to post it or not. But if I don’t, no one will be aware of the seriousness,” said the landlord in his post. He released a photo of the tenant’s flat, saying, “The tenant is a woman in her 20s. I got a complaint about the smell a rotting corpse, so I checked and found that the tenant filled up the place with waste and ran away. The toilet is blocked and it appears she just defecated outside (of the toilet). It wasn’t once or twice.”

In the photo, the unit appears completely filled with trash, with used coffee cups and food delivery containers containing food waste covering the floor, interspersed with used tissues, black plastic bags containing more garbage as well as the tenant's own furniture and belongings.

The landlord did not mention anything else about the tenant except that she had "run away."

Local regulations state that it can be legally regarded as a breach of contract when a tenant leaves a significant mess when vacating the premises, and the landlord can file for damages. Related laws allow the landlord to use the deposit to return the house to its original state and reimburse the tenant the rest. In cases where the cost of returning the unit to its original state exceeds the amount of the deposit, the landlord has the right to claim additional damages.