What changes for 다세대 and 다가구
The re-notice and draft presidential decree text (국토교통부공고 제2026-1308호, MOLEG / opinion.lawmaking draft PDF) amend Building Act Enforcement Decree Schedule 1. For both 다세대주택 and 다가구주택, the floor area of one building used for housing moves from "660제곱미터 이하" (660 square metres or less) to "1천제곱미터 미만" (less than 1,000 square metres). The 다가구 storey limit moves from three storeys or fewer to four storeys or fewer. The four-storey change applies to 다가구 only. The draft also shifts the 연립주택 boundary from "over 660 square metres" to "1,000 square metres or more," so the multi-unit / multi-household band ends just below 1,000 square metres.
Ministry press wording sometimes shortens the new floor cap to "1,000㎡." The draft decree text uses "미만" (less than), not "이하" (or less). This brief follows the draft decree wording.
A separate draft change lets a 다세대 home built under Building Act article 11 treat resident common facilities like other apartment common facilities for floor-area-ratio relief, subject to the architecture committee route set out in the decree.
When it applies
The Ministry's 3 November 2026 press release states that the Cabinet approved the Enforcement Decree amendment that day and that it is due to take effect on 12 November 2026. The MOLEG draft 부칙 likewise sets commencement on 12 November 2026, with the new Schedule 1 size and storey rules applying to building-permit or building-report applications (including architecture-committee filings for a permit) made on or after that date.
As of 4 November 2026 (Asia/Singapore), the national law centre's recent-promulgation list still showed Presidential Decree No. 36746 of 6 October 2026 as the latest Building Act Enforcement Decree amendment. The Cabinet-approved text's presidential decree number and gazetted final wording were therefore not yet readable on law.go.kr when this piece was sourced. Floor-area and storey claims below rest on the MOLEG re-notice summary and the attached draft decree PDF, read against the Ministry press for Cabinet approval and the 12 November start.
Sunlight height under Act No. 21880
Act No. 21880 (Building Act partial amendment, promulgated 11 August 2026) moves the north-facing sunlight setback numbers into article 61(1) of the Act and adds a middle height band. From 12 November 2026, in exclusive and general residential zones, the Act's height bands (subject to local ordinance within those floors) are:
- parts up to 10 metres high: at least 1.5 metres from the adjacent northern lot line;
- parts over 10 metres and up to 17 metres: at least 5 metres;
- parts over 17 metres: at least half the height of that part.
The Enforcement Decree draft deletes the old article 86(1) numbers and keeps only the Act's exceptions in presidential decree form. The Ministry press describes the 10 to 17 metre band as a fixed five-metre setback, replacing the previous half-height step that forced many mid-rise fronts into a stepped silhouette.
What this does not settle
A reader still needs the gazetted presidential decree once law.go.kr publishes it, the local architecture ordinance for the actual setback distances within the Act's bands, and parking and other housing rules that sit outside this decree. This brief does not treat press supply forecasts as legal effects.
Sources
Sources read 4 November 2026 (Asia/Singapore).
- 건축법 시행령 일부개정령안 재입법예고 (국토교통부공고 제2026-1308호) (Ministry of Government Legislation; floor cap "1천제곱미터 미만," 다가구 four storeys, Act No. 21880 cross-reference; read 4 November 2026, about 8.43 am SGT)
- (법령안) 건축법 시행령 일부개정령(안).pdf (opinion.lawmaking.go.kr attachment for the same re-notice; Schedule 1 and 부칙 commencement 12 November 2026; read 4 November 2026, about 8.46 am SGT)
- 11월 12일부터 다세대·다가구주택 면적 제한 1,000㎡ 로 완화 (KDI mirror PDF R26110171 of MOLIT press, korea.kr newsId=156787763; Cabinet approval 3 November 2026; effect 12 November 2026; sunlight 10m to 17m / 5m; read 4 November 2026, about 8.45 am SGT)
- Building Act partial amendment, Act No. 21880, article 61(1) and 부칙 (promulgated 11 August 2026; sunlight bands; national law centre revision listing for 건축법 / lsId=001823). Direct articulado HTML from law.go.kr did not load from this box on 4 November 2026; height bands cross-checked against the MOLEG draft deletion of Enforcement Decree article 86(1) and the MOLIT press description.